Lighting is one of the most underrated tools in home design. The right lamp doesn't just illuminate a room, it sets the mood, highlights your favourite spaces, and adds a layer of personality that overhead lighting simply can't match.
Here are five types of lamps that can make a real difference in your home with my favourites handpicked for you.
Floor lamp casting a shadow on the wall.
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1. The Classic Table Lamp
A table lamp is the quiet achiever of home lighting. Put one on a side table, bedside table or console and suddenly the room feels warmer, softer and, well, more considered. But a good lamp isn't just there to help you see. It's part of the decor. Think of it as a small piece of functional sculpture that happens to glow.
The right one can go from reading buddy at 9pm to soft, flattering movie-night lighting at 9:05pm. And even when it's switched off, a beautifully designed lamp gives a surface something to look at. Which is basically the dream: looks good, does a job.
Chrome table lamp with cream shade.
2. The Arc Floor Lamp
Few things can change the look of a living room quite as quickly as an arc floor lamp. Its oversized curved shape reaches out over a sofa or reading chair, bringing the light exactly where you want it without requiring another piece of furniture to squeeze into the room. And let's be honest, they're not exactly shy.
An arc lamp is lighting, furniture and a little bit of architecture all rolled into one. The trick is getting the scale right. Go too small and it can look a bit lost. Get it right and you've got a seriously good-looking focal point that also happens to light the room. This arc lamp screams expensive, and is amazingly just over $100.
Arc floor lamp.
3. The Desk Lamp
If you work from home, a desk lamp is one of those things you don't realise you need until you have one. It makes working far more comfortable, particularly when you're spending hours staring at a screen. I couldn’t go past this KCO Lighting Mid-Century Bedside Table Lamp. It might say ‘bedside’ in the description but I think this would look amazing on a wooden desk.
And importantly, it means you can stop relying on that depressing overhead light that makes everything look slightly tragic.
Black desk lamp shining a light on deep yellow backdrop.
4. The Ambient Torchiere Lamp
Not everything needs to be lit from above. In fact, I'd argue most rooms look better when they're not. A Torchiere lamp throws light upwards, allowing it to bounce off the ceiling and spread softly through the room. The result is a much gentler, more atmospheric glow without the harshness of overhead lighting.
It's particularly good for those corners of a room that always seem to be a little too dark. The slim profile means it can disappear neatly into a corner, while dimming and remote control make it ridiculously easy to adjust. Basically, it's the lighting equivalent of putting on your favourite playlist and lighting a candle. Except you only have to press a button. Here’s my go to Torchiere lamp.
Plain black torchiere lamp.
5. The Statement Accent Lamp
Sometimes a lamp doesn't need to be practical. Sometimes it just needs to look bloody good. A bold accent lamp, whether a sculptural glass piece, a colorful ceramic design, or a vintage find, becomes a feature piece in its own right. Put one on a bookshelf, console, mantel or side table and you've instantly added another layer to the room. And the best ones still look great when they're switched off.
I'm particularly into this natural marble table lamp. It's one of those pieces that could quite happily move around the house as your styling changes - bedside table today, console tomorrow, bookshelf when you inevitably decide to rearrange everything again.
Cream lamp on wooden sideboard alongside books, candle and vase.
The Gem Likes Design take
Good lighting is less about having more lights and more about having the right ones in the right places.
Think task lighting where you need to focus, ambient lighting where you want to relax, and accent lighting where you want to add a little personality. Layer those different types throughout your home and the whole space starts to feel warmer, more dimensional and more intentional. Because let's face it, one sad ceiling light trying to do the job of an entire lighting scheme is never going to win.
