Corner Lamp Ideas for Small Rooms
By Metify Homes
A small room looks smaller when its corners are dark. The eye reads the lit area as the room and treats everything in shadow as if it were not there. Put a lamp in one corner and the wall behind it comes back, and the room feels a foot wider than it did.
That is the whole reason corner lamps work, and it is why they are worth more in a 10 by 12 foot bedroom than in a large drawing room.
First, pick the right corner
Not every corner can take a lamp. Walk the room and rule out:
the corner behind a door, unless the door stops short of it when fully open
the corner where the curtain stacks when it is drawn back
a corner with no socket within about six feet, unless you are willing to run an extension along the skirting
the corner the AC blows straight into, if the lamp has a light fabric shade that will sway
What is left is usually one or two corners. If you have a choice, take the one diagonally opposite the door. It is the first thing you see when you walk in.
Six ideas, by corner
1. The dead corner behind an armchair. The classic spot. A tripod lamp stands behind and slightly to one side of the chair, and its shade clears the chair back. The chair becomes a reading seat and the corner stops being wasted. See the Tripod Floor Lamp.
2. The corner beside the bed, when there is no room for a side table. A shelf lamp does both jobs. Phone, glasses and water go on the shelves and the light comes from above them. This is the most useful idea on the list for a small bedroom. See the shelving floor lamp.
3. The corner behind an L-shaped sofa. There is always a triangle of floor behind the corner seat that nothing fits into. An arc lamp base fits, and the shade swings out over the seat in front.
4. The corner next to the TV unit. A slim lamp with a white shade here softens the wall around the screen. Keep it to the side so it does not reflect in the glass.
5. The entrance corner. In a flat where the front door opens straight into the lounge, a lamp in the nearest corner with a small tray on its shelf gives you a place for keys and a light to come home to.
6. Light the ceiling, not the floor. In a very small room, choose a lamp whose shade is open at the top, or one that points upward. The light bounces off the ceiling and comes down evenly. White ceilings do this well, which is one more reason not to paint them a dark colour.
Which type of lamp for a corner?
| Lamp type | Floor it needs | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Shelf lamp | A square about 10 to 14 in (25 to 35 cm) | Bedside corners and small lounges that need storage |
| Straight pole lamp | A circle about 10 to 12 in (25 to 30 cm) | The tightest corners |
| Tripod | A circle about 20 to 24 in (50 to 60 cm) | A corner with open floor and an armchair |
| Arc lamp | A heavy base, plus clear air for the arm | Behind a sofa |
A tripod pushed hard into a tight corner looks cramped, because one leg ends up against each wall. If the corner is narrow, choose a shelf lamp or a straight pole.
Getting the light right
Corner lamps sit close to two walls, so the wall colour becomes part of the light. Off-white and cream walls throw back a warm glow. A dark feature wall absorbs most of it, and you will need a brighter bulb for the same effect.
Use a warm white LED, 2700K to 3000K. Nine watts is enough for mood. Twelve is better if the lamp is the only light in the room during load shedding hours on the UPS.
A shade that lets light out at the top and bottom is the most useful in a corner. A shade closed at the top gives a downward pool only, which is fine beside a chair and less good for making the room feel bigger.
Two corners are better than one
If the room allows it, light two corners that face each other diagonally, even if the second light is only a small table lamp on a shelf. Light coming from two sides removes the hard shadows that make a small room feel like a box. One overhead tube light can never do that, however bright it is.
Before you buy
Measure the corner. Check the lamp’s base size and total height on the product page. Check the cable length if the socket is not right there. Then look through the floor lamps collection for a shape that fits what you measured.