The brilliant thing about standard lamps is that they can be placed anywhere you have a little spare floor space. Floor standing lamps can be practical, versatile and decorative additions to a room. They have a unique role to play when it comes to lighting as they can provide both ambient, task and accent lighting, something that few other light fittings can do. But before you rush off and explore Bespoke Lights collection of standard lamps, take a look at our top tips to help you make the right choice
USING STANDARD LAMPS FOR AMBIENT LIGHTING – ambient lighting is the general or background lighting that takes over from natural daylight when required. It is usually provided by ceiling lights and wall lights but standard lamps can also be used effectively to provide a lovely background or ambient light. Being that bit taller than table lamps they will give a better spread of light in the room and if you have light coloured ceilings the light will go up to the ceiling and be reflected back into the room. This provides a soft glow of light and a pleasant atmosphere in which to relax, entertain or watch TV. Helpful Hints – pop a couple of standard lamps in the corners of the room to enhance the feeling of space and give a relaxing background light. Choose floor lamps with shades and you will eliminate any glare from the bulbs.
Polina – the Polina standard lamp offers a classic lighting look that transcends time. Combining substantial crystal elements on a polished nickel fitting, it will make an impressive statement in either modern or traditional interiors. It is supplied with the wide, neutral coloured shade shown which gives a good spread of light whilst hiding the bulb from view.
Boston – the standard lamp from our Boston collection is a well priced traditional lamp that offers an elegant look. A 3 headed floor light that provides a good ambient light that is diffused by the white opaque glass shades. The warm antique brass finish with its ribbed detailing echoes the period lighting from the Regency and Edwardian eras. Team with the matching ceiling and wall lights for a coordinated look.
Easel – the Easel floor lamps are aptly named as they take their inspiration from an artist’s easel. These smart, modern floor lamps are a great way to add extra ambient light in contemporary interiors. They do take up a little more floor space but will add a quirky artistic twist if you have the room. The tripod bases are height adjustable. Shown here in the light wood finish – also available in dark wood and white.
Stanford – the Stanford range is a popular collection of lights for traditional homes. The standard lamp is shown here with the matching table light and they are both lit by two bulbs. Used together they will provide a good distribution of light whilst adding a refined French elegance to Regency and Georgian interiors.
Davidson – the perfect standard lamp to add a warm feel to a traditional period sitting room. The rich firenze gold is combined with a silver leaf patina in a classic design featuring a large floral medallion topping the reeded stem. Reeding was often used on light fittings from the Regency period. Completed by a mocha coloured Shantung linen shade held in place by a gold finial.
Laguna – the standard lamp from our Laguna range has a warm shimmering coppery feel created by the mosaic tile band that appears to float around the outside of taupe mica shade. A rich inviting look that suits both modern and traditional interiors. The wide drum shade will provide a good spread of light top and bottom.
Vesta – if you are looking to introduce a bit of colour then the beautiful Vesta Tiffany standard lamp could be for you. A stunning lamp with a scalloped edged shade incorporating a red floral motif on a cream background with highlights in gold, amber and brown. A super Tiffany floor standing lamp that will add extra warmth and interest to a period room.
Kami – uplighter floor lamps direct light up towards the ceiling and then reflect it back into the room giving a nice spread of ambient light. They work best with lighter coloured ceilings. The Kami standard lamp has a lovely classic Art Nouveau floral pattern uplighter shade in hues of amber, caramel, ginger and emerald green topping the vintage bronze base and stem. Art Nouveau style lighting sits very well in traditional Victorian and Edwardian interiors.
USING STANDARD LAMPS FOR TASK LIGHTING – standard lamps can also double up as task lights. Task lighting does what it says and gives you light to read, study or enjoy hobbies such as needlecraft and knitting. A floor lamp beside you will give an extra focused source of light. What task floor lights have in common is the ability to get the light where it is needed – they may be able to move up and down on a central column, they might have a swing arm or swivel shade, or maybe an angled knuckle joint. Helpful Hints – turn off the main lights and use just one of two standard lamps or table lamps for a more relaxed effect. If you are struggling to read a ‘mother and child’ style floor lamp may help.
Pimlico – a versatile swivel arm standard lamp from UK manufacturer David Hunt Lighting. Hand made in solid brass with an antique finish and a double swing arm mechanism that allows the light to be positioned where it is needed. There are right and left facing versions to choose from and a good selection of fabric shades on offer. Wonderful as a traditional reading lamp beside a chair or for using next to a bed as a reading light.
Enna – this is a dedicated, free-standing floor lamp for reading or other close work. In a contemporary, minimalist style, it offers a narrow concentrated beam of light from the long-lasting, integral LED bulb. The lamp can be positioned and the head adjusted to direct the light to allow the user to read comfortably in a chair or in bed. Shown here in a matt black finish.
Suffolk – an easy to place standard lamp for traditional interiors. The Suffolk is a good quality lamp with an affordable price tag. With both a rise and fall adjustment and a directional shade it makes a great reading light for beside a chair. In a warm antique brass finish with a cream cotton pinch pleat shade.
USING STANDARD LAMPS FOR ACCENT LIGHTING – this is an opportunity to put the finishing touches to your room by adding some mood or accent lighting. Standard lamps add height and elegance creating a real warmth and depth to any lighting scheme. They are the perfect way to inject character and a touch of your personality. They also draw the eye and can be a great way to make a design statement. So, you may want to add a standard lamp that blends in, adding a quiet, tasteful ambience, or alternatively, go all out and opt for an oversized floor lamp with a large shade to make a real impact. Whatever you are looking for there will be a standard lamp to suit here at Bespoke Lights. Helpful Hints – If you have interesting architectural features to highlight, a standard lamp with an opaque shade will provide a good accent light. Use a standard lamp with a square or rectangular shade in an alcove and position it close to the wall where it will take up less space.
Opera – this rich and opulent, uplighter standard lamp is in a firenze gold finish with intricate neo-classical styling. It readily lends itself to traditional rooms and has been used in our image to highlight the beautiful rope detailing surrounding the door. A lovely warm standard lamp, complete with the speckled, champagne coloured Scavo glass shade, that is sure to add character and texture to period interiors.
Stanford – a dual purpose swing arm standard lamp that can be used to provide accent lighting or used as a reading light. This comprehensive collection of lights has a refined French style elegance and sits well in Georgian and Regency homes.
Penny – sometimes things do not need to be over-complicated and this is certainly the case with this mid-century Penny floor lamp. A tripod style standard lamp with a sleek timeless appeal that is a new addition to our standard lamp collection. It is shown here in the warm burnished brass finish teamed with a neutral fresh white linen tapered drum shade. Also available in aged iron or polished nickel.
Axios – another recent addition to our growing collection of modern standard lamps. The Axios lamps offer a stylish contemporary look with an air of luxury and a hint of Art Deco. Made in the UK and available in a choice of finishes. It is shown above in the two tone ivory/cream and dark grey combination complete with a grey faux silk fabric shade.
Balance – another UK made contemporary floor lamp in an updated retro style. In a dark chocolate brown finish with contrasting polished gold detailing and a circular brown shade with a warm gold metallic lining. Simply oozes modern sophistication and with a great range of matching ceiling and wall lights you can easily coordinate your lighting look.
Park Lane – our Park Lane range is a comprehensive collection of lights that is particularly suitable for hospitality lighting in hotel bedrooms. With matching wall lights, reading lights, table and floor lamps you can create a coordinated look in hotel guest rooms but also create the same look at home too. The fittings have a sleek modern look and are available in a choice of metal finishes and shade colours. The floor standing lamp is shown here in bronze teamed with a neutral, white coloured rectangular shade. Standard lamps like this with rectangular or square shades are a great choice in alcoves as they can be positioned close to the wall if space is limited.
STANDARD LAMPS FOR SMALL ROOMS – tall slim lamps do not take up much valuable floor space and by creating a vertical path of vision your eye will be drawn upwards making the room seem larger. Accentuating the height in this way is one of the tricks used by interior designers to make small spaces look bigger. Helpful Hint – uplighter floor lamps which bounce the light off lighter coloured ceilings and back into the room are just perfect in smaller rooms as they create the illusion of more space.
Astoria – a striking Tiffany uplighter lamp with clean dynamic lines that is reminiscent of the Art Deco cinema style of the 1920’s and 1930’s. Taking up very little floor space with its thin stem and uplighter shade it is the perfect choice for smaller rooms. This range of lights work well in modern settings and is definitely one for the Art Deco connoisseur.
Pearl – a traditional uplighter standard lamp with a more neutral approach than most Tiffany lights. The Pearl collection is, nevertheless, the jewel in the crown with its dark bronze metalwork teamed with the beautiful Tiffany glass shade in warm pale amber encrusted with clear jewel like beads. Easy to place in smaller rooms and very happy in period Victorian and Edwardian homes.
Bernwood – another classic standard lamp with a Tiffany uplighter shade, this time in warm earthy colours enhanced with confetti art glass. Uplighter floor lamps like this will direct and reflect most of their light in an upwards direction towards the ceiling and for this reason work best with lighter coloured ceilings. Ideal for lighting in smaller rooms as they add the illusion of extra height making the room seem larger.
Trellis – the charming Trellis standard lamp is designed by American artist Paul Gruer who has been creating jewellery, textiles and lighting for over 20 years. The inspiration for the Trellis range comes from the twisted branches on the winter trees outside his studio in the French Quarter of the vibrant city of New Orleans. This standard lamp has a hand painted putty patina and silver leaf base and stem topped with a decorative orb element with twig detailing and finished with a hand painted shade. An opulent lamp with a slightly quirky New Orleans charm that is perfect for smaller rooms
Cairo – this floor lamp creates a modern, sophisticated silhouette, taking its inspiration from mid-century 1950’s styling, Made in Ireland and shown here in the black and gold finish – a marriage made in heaven. It is lit by an LED spotlight bulb and the upper part is adjustable to direct the light. A wonderful reading light for a small modern or minimalist style room.
Stateroom – an elegant slim standard lamp that has a simple quality that is hard to beat. It will easily fit into classic or modern interiors and is shown here in the antique nickel finish complete with a true white cotton shade. It benefits from being lit by two bulbs and the metal chain light pulls offer flexibility by allowing one or both bulbs to be lit. Ideal for smaller rooms.
GET CREATIVE WITH STANDARD LAMPS – standard lamps are unique in that they are substantial items, large enough to make a real impact in a room. However, unlike ceiling and wall lights, or other large pieces of furniture, they are easily portable and can be moved from place to place and room to room with little effort. This makes it easy to create new focal points within the room by moving the pools of light around. Standard lamps are not just for living rooms either! They can be used in larger hallways where they will quietly add an elegant warmth and depth. They can also be used in bedrooms doubling up as decorative bedside reading lights. Helpful Hint – if you have an existing standard lamp with a fabric shade a simple and cost-effective way to update the room is to change the lampshade – you will be surprised what a difference this will make. Perfect if you fancy a bit of a change but are not ready for a complete re-decorate.
Bamboo – this tripod style floor standing lamp makes a wonderful feature in a room. The base has antique brass legs fashioned to look like bamboo canes. This is one of the latest floor lamps to be added to our collection and it is sold without a shade to allow you use or select a shade that will suit your situation. We have teamed it here with our fabulous tropical print shade.
Blyton – the Blyton floor lamp and matching table light are retro style fittings with a rustic shabby chic look that will add charm and personality to traditional and modern interiors alike. A wonderful marriage of light wood, vintage braid cord cables and metal shades painted in soft muted colours. Equally at home in contemporary open plan living spaces or in older country cottages.
Fitzroy – a premium quality Georgian or Regency style standard lamp cast in solid brass and hand finished in a natural mellow colour. This results in a rich warm aged look that can only be achieved using solid brass. A lacquer is applied to ensure the finish lasts without the need for polishing. Classic elegance at its best.
Gibson – if you are looking for a traditional Victorian standard lamp you would be hard pushed to beat this one. A classic candelabra style lamp very reminiscent of the old fashioned turned wooden standard lamps that were so popular in Victorian sitting rooms. The Gibson lamp has a dark mottled antique brown appearance that adds depth and character. It is lit by 4 candelabra style lights and supplied complete with the natural desert coloured shade shown
Saddler – the Saddler standard lamp is one of David Hunt’s most popular floor lights and deservedly so. Simple yet striking in design it is reminiscent of the the hand crafted lights of the Arts and Crafts movement and would certainly add warmth and character to a period room. It has a leather effect base and leather segmented stem and is shown with an ivory silk shade. Many of our standard lamps can be cusomised with different shades which allow you to update your lamp when you re-decorate or when you just fancy a bit of a change. Our image above shows the silk shade colours currently on offer from David Hunt Lighting. This is by no means the whole story as we have many more shades available that will allow you to update your look.
MAKING THE RIGHT CHOICES –standard lamps are some of the most popular lights being searched for on our Bespoke Lights website right now, and with good reason. These unsung heroes of the lighting world can be flexible, practical, versatile and decorative additions to any lighting scheme. They are a favourite with interior designers and customers alike. Come and explore our collection now – click here. If you need any advice or help we are only a phone call or mail away or why not take advantage of our chat line to clear up any questions you may have.
