Floor Lamps and Standard Lamps in Surrey: A Buying Guide

A floor lamp lights the parts of a room nothing else reaches. The right one depends on whether you want to read by it, or simply fill a dark corner.

Bellano Floor Lamp - Chrome Metal, White Fabric, Clear Acry — select the photo to view this product on Illuminations Direct.

Standard lamp, uplighter or arc

The names overlap, but the jobs are different. A standard lamp has a shade at or just above head height and gives a soft, general glow, much like a tall table lamp. An uplighter throws its light at the ceiling, which bounces back down as broad, shadowless light and suits rooms that feel dark from above. An arc or reading lamp reaches out over a chair and puts light where you need it.

Brass, wood, and the more unusual sculptural designs all bring their own character. In a room that already has a strong ceiling light, a decorative floor lamp is often the easiest way to add warmth without adding another fitting to the ceiling.

Height and placement

For reading, the bottom of the shade should sit a little above shoulder height when you are seated, slightly behind and to one side of the chair, so light falls onto the page rather than into your eyes. For general light, corners are the natural place: a standard lamp in a dark corner makes a room feel larger in the evening.

Shade size follows the base. On a standard lamp, a shade of roughly 40 to 50cm across usually looks right, as our drum lamp shade guide explains. Think about the cable too: a floor lamp is best near a socket, with the flex kept out of walkways.

See it lit before you choose

Floor lamps are big enough that proportion matters. A lamp that looks slender online can dominate a small room, and an uplighter's effect depends entirely on your ceiling. Seeing one switched on, at full height, answers both questions quickly.

Selected floor lamps are displayed in our Camberley showroom, and you can see how each one looks switched on before you decide. Please contact us to check a particular design before travelling; the online range is not all on display, and not every fitting is lit at all times.

There is a practical reason to buy floor lamps from someone who can show you the product, too. In evidence to Parliament, the charity Electrical Safety First reported that nearly a quarter of consumers had bought a counterfeit electrical product online, often without realising. Every fitting we sell comes from an established supplier, and we can tell you exactly what you are buying. Read the Electrical Safety First evidence.

Common questions

What is the difference between a standard lamp and a floor lamp? A standard lamp is a type of floor lamp with a shade at or near head height giving a soft general glow. Floor lamps also include uplighters, which light the ceiling, and arc or reading lamps, which reach over a chair.

How tall should a reading floor lamp be? The bottom of the shade should sit a little above shoulder height when seated, placed slightly behind and to one side of the chair so light falls onto the page.

Where can I see floor lamps in Surrey? Selected floor and standard lamps are displayed at our independent showroom on Camberley High Street, serving homes across Surrey and Hampshire. Contact us to check a particular design before travelling.

Advice from our Camberley showroom

By the Illuminations of Camberley team, independent lighting specialists established in 1971. We help customers compare fittings, finishes and scale at our High Street showroom. Meet Illuminations.

See lighting in our customers’ real homes, or contact us with your room photographs and measurements. Check availability before travelling to see a particular fitting.

Illuminations of Camberley · 66-68 High Street, Camberley, Surrey GU15 3RS · Open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5:30pm. Buy the light, not the photograph.