A Few Little Lamps for Less Than $50

Light is something that I find to be extremely important when trying to establish a comfortable space. For two years, I lived in a dark studio apartment with little-to-no natural light, and one lamp – that, plus overhead lighting, equal depression, folks.

Ever since, I have vowed to give lighting the respect it deserves – not to mention that I’ve been told my entire life that reading in the dark will make my eyes fail. Whether that’s true or not, I’m not sure, but I do know that a single, small-ish table lamp in a lonely corner or on a barren bookshelf can transform a room into a cozy, dynamic space.

There are two major types of table lamps: short and tall. Pretty simple, in my opinion.

The tall lamps are anywhere between 18″ and 22″ tall, may have lampshades, and are great for desks, side tables, and anywhere someone might actually need to use light to see something.

Clockwise from top left:

White Rose Lamp, $29.99
Bronze Owl Lamp with White Shade, $29.99
Stick Lamp with Cassette Print, $16.99
Väte Nickel Plated Lamp, $19.99
Orbit Exotic Retreat Lamp, $35.99

Short lamps, on the other hand, are primarily decorative. They can be anywhere from 5″ to 10″ tall, and often come in much more exciting, bold styles. They’re great for accents! Use them on bookshelves, window sills, or just throw one anywhere that could use a little brightening.

Left to right:

Koppar Table Lamp in Lilac, $19.99
Jonathan Adler Charlotte Lamp, $28
Vanadin Mouth Blown Lamp, $14.99
Gavik Table Lamp in Blue, $14.99

Which lamps are your favorite?

I have a white bookshelf from IKEA (you know, the “16-squares” box shelves that everyone has) and I want to fill it decorate it with only white things. It sounds weird, but it’ll be cool – I promise. (I’m definitely planning to document it!) It’s this reason that I am wildly partial to the Vanadin Mouth Blown Lamp (also from IKEA) in white glass. The fact that it’s $15 doesn’t hurt, either, but I think I love the texture against the super-plain color palette!