Lighting · Guide · 5 min ·
A lamp can be lovely and still look wrong on your table. Usually the problem is proportion: a shade too wide for its base, too wide for the table, or a lamp too tall for the surface it stands on.
Move the sliders to set your own table and lamp sizes, and see four common rules of thumb turn green or flag a problem as you go. Then measure your table, try cheap fixes with what you own, and find a few example lamps at different budgets.
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A plain, low-cost lamp with a standard E27 fitting, so you can choose your own warm-white bulb. Check its listed height and shade size against your table before ordering.
E27 fitting · Max 40 W · Wood-colour base
A calm wooden lamp that suits a bedside or side table. Compare the shade width on the product page with your table top, as the article suggests.
E27 fitting · Wood finish · Mid-range price
A natural rattan shade on a metal frame, 52 cm tall and 28 cm across. The size suits a sofa side table or a console, and the open weave gives soft light.
Ø 28 cm · 52 cm high · Rattan shade
