How to choose a bedside lamp?

Bedside lamps serve two essential functions: providing enough light for comfortable reading and other bedroom activities, while still looking stylish.

Choosing a lamp, however, can be confusing. How many do you need? What size should the shade be? What style should you choose?

Fortunately, there are some basic decorating rules that answer all of these questions and make choosing the right bedside lamp a breeze.

How many bedside lamps do you need?

As a general rule, you'll need one bedside lamp if you're the only one sleeping in the bed, and two if you have a partner. If your bedroom is very large, two bedside lamps provide a better balance , whether you're the only one using the room or not.

Even if you have two bedside lamps, don't rely on them to be the only source of light in the room. If you don't have a ceiling light, you'll need at least one other lamp, preferably a floor lamp , opposite your bed.

How wide should your bedside lamp be?

One of the most common mistakes when decorating a bedroom is choosing the wrong size nightstand lamp . Most often, this means choosing a lamp that's too small for the nightstand. Finding the right size is a balancing act.

The wider your mattress, the wider the nightstand; and the wider the nightstand, the wider the lamp that sits on top of it.

As a general rule, your nightstand should be between one-third and two-thirds the width of your mattress, and your bedside lamp should be one-third the width of your nightstand, measured at the widest point of the lamp (usually the base of the shade).

How tall should your lamp be?

Choosing the right lamp height is especially important if you're a bedtime reader. You don't want the light shining above your head or directly into your eyes.

Assuming your nightstand is the same height as your mattress (or within a few inches), look for a lamp that's the same height as your nightstand, plus an extra 2 or 3 inches. So, if your nightstand is 50 cm high, a lamp that's about 55 cm high would be best.

The location of the lamp switch is also important. You don't want to have to get out of bed to turn your lamp on or off, nor risk hurting your back or falling completely out of bed to reach the switch.

The ideal height for the lamp switch is roughly the same length as your arm, which is between 55 and 70 cm for most people. Of course, the most practical is a bedside lamp with the switch directly on the cord .

How to choose a lampshade

A properly sized lampshade helps balance the lamp. Generally, the shade height should be about two-thirds the height of the lamp body, measured from the bottom of the lamp to the base of the bulb.

The width of the lampshade should be approximately twice the width of the widest part of the lamp. If you have a very thin lamp, choose a shade whose width does not exceed the height of the lampshade to achieve the best proportion.

For optimal bedtime reading, the base of the lampshade should be roughly at eye level when you're sitting up in bed.

• Height: Two-thirds of the height of the lamp
• Width: twice the width of the lamp

White or off-white lampshades let in the most light, but colored lampshades are a great way to add an accent to your decor. As for shape, drum lampshades are the current trend, but you can't go wrong by matching the shape of the shade to the lamp.

How to choose the style of your table lamp

As long as your bedside lamps match the rest of your bedroom decor, the color and style are yours to choose from. Spice up a contemporary bedroom with a designer glass or chrome bedside lamp, or choose a traditional lamp for a country bedroom.

Have fun with a lamp whose shape or pattern is typical of your decorating style : an anchor in a coastal-style bedroom, a palm tree in a tropical bedroom, or grapes in a Tuscan-themed bedroom, for example. Think of your bedside lamp as a powerful accent in your bedroom, and choose accordingly.