A bedroom should have a bed, a nightstand light, and a table. Night light and the bedside lamp offer illumination needed for reading and writing. In addition, it provides the brightness required in dimmer rooms. Sometimes, the bedside lamps are not fitted at the right height. Therefore, how tall should the bedside lamp be?
According to experts, placing the bedside lamp between 21 inches and 28 inches is ideal. Every bedtime reader needs to choose the right height for the bedside lamp. The light should not be shining onto your eye or over your head.
If the nightstand is at the same height as the mattress, make your bedside lamp to be at almost the same height as the nightstand, but plus extra 2 to 3 inches. That means if your nightstand is 25 inches tall, place your bedside lamp at around 27 to 28 inches tall.
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How Tall Should a Bedside Lamp Be?
Generally, the style and height of the nightstand will determine the size, shape, width and height of the bedside lamp. A height between 24 and 27 inches gives the best balance between the nightstand and the bedside lamp. If the nightstand is taller, for example, between 25 to 30 inches, the bedside lamp should also be tall at around 30 inches.
It’s recommended that you avoid taking the bedside lamps to a height of more than 36 inches since it will create a conflict with your bedroom’s decor.
Where Should You Put The Bedside Lamp?
The location of the bedside lamp is also important. It should be within the strategic location, whereby it won’t be for you to get out of bed to switch off or switch on the lamp. In addition, it should be within reach and not pose a risk of you hurting your back or even falling outside the bed and hurting yourself.
You will get the perfect height of the bedside lamp switch if your lamp is between 21 and 8 inches tall. Of course, the on-off switch with a cord makes your bedside lamp the most convenient.
Small table lamps look great on the bedside table. However, they might be more decorative than functional. If your table lamp is smaller than 24 inches, put the decorative box under the lamp to increase the height. That will be a temporary solution, and you will need a better option as time passes. Petite lamps are useful in your bedroom or the other rooms, especially if you spend too much time reading and working in bed.
How Many Bedside Lamps Do You Need?
It’s a general rule that one bedside lamp is enough if you sleep alone, and two work best if you have a partner in your bed. In addition, if you have a very large bedroom or king-size mattress, two bedside lamps give a better lighting balance, regardless of whether you’re using the bedroom alone or not.
Don’t count the two bedside lamps as your room’s only source of light. You need a ceiling fixture; otherwise, you can consider adding another lamp that will act as the floor lamp and help you see around as you move around the room.
How Wide Should Your Lamp Be?
A common mistake in bedroom decoration is choosing the wrong size of the bedside lamp. In most cases, you will find out that the bedside lamp is smaller than the nightstand, which is quite wrong. The balancing act of getting the right height and width scale is paramount.
First and foremost, it’s a general rule that the wider the mattress, the wider the nightstand. Consequently, the wider the nightstand, the wider the bedside lamp on top of it. The rule will always help you know the right width of the bedside lamp that you need for your room.
Here is the general rule: if you’ve been striving to know how wide your bedside lamp should be. Always ensure that the nightstand is between one-third and two-thirds the width of the mattress, and the bedside lamp should be approximately one-third the width of the nightstand when you measure the lamp from the widest point, which is typically the base of the shade.
Choosing the Best Nightstand Lights
You need an appealing visual harmony in your bedroom. Therefore, it’s your role always to ensure that you pick the right nightstand lights that will effectively complement your bedroom’s decorating.
The table and nightstand light should look balanced. Therefore, choose the bedside light that covers one-third of the table’s top. However, if you choose a bigger variant, the space will appear overwhelming, and the nightstand lamp will look lost. Therefore, shop for lamps with small bases if you’ve less space in your bed. Again, you can consider having a tripod or other wide base if you have a spacious bedroom.
When going for tall nightstand lamps and not the smaller variants, please ensure that it has a lampshade that prevents the bulb from shining light directly into your eyes. Some bedside lamps have adjustable features and swinging arms, so you can move them carefully until they are at the sweetest spot. Indeed bedside lamps are attention-grabbers but don’t forget that the main focus of your bedroom is the bed and the linens.
How to Choose the Lampshade
A perfect lampshade is one that strikes a non-conflicting balance with the lamp. Generally, the coverage of the lampshade height should be around two-thirds of the lamp’s height. The lamp’s height is the distance between the light bulb’s base and the lamp’s bottom side.
When it comes to width, the lampshade should have a width twice the widest part of the lamp. If the lamp is very thin, the lampshade width shouldn’t be wider than the height of the shade. To get the best bedtime reading experience, the lampshade base should be on the same level as your eyes when you sit upright in bed.
In summary, here is what you need to consider when choosing the lampshade:
- Height: It should be two-thirds the height of the lamp
- Width: Need to be twice the width of the lamp
For the color option, consider the off-white lampshades if you need more light in your room. The colored lampshades are the most incredible addition to increase the accent of your room decor. For the shape, drum-shaped lampshades are famous and form the current trends. However, you won’t go wrong if you try matching the lampshade shape with that of the lamp.