Bedside table lamp

Count one lamp per side of the bed, placed on the bedside table, with the shade reaching roughly shoulder height once you are sitting. Then choose according to use: an opaque shade and an E27 socket for reading, a linen, velvet, woven bamboo or glass shade for ambient light. This selection brings together bedside lamps, with E27 or G9 sockets.

• Which lamp to choose for a bedroom
• What Italian design changes
• Socket and bulb
• Connecting several lamps
• Materials and colours
• Installing and caring for your lamp
• Placing a lamp on the floor
• Recognising a salt lamp

Which bedside lamp should you choose for your bedroom?

A bedside lamp is chosen first by use. For reading, take an opaque shade that throws the light down onto the page and an E27 socket, the most common in this selection. For ambient light, a linen, velvet, woven bamboo or glass shade lets light through and draws a soft halo on the wall. The height of the bedside table and the wall colour then guide the size and finish.

Bedside lamp on a nightstand: at what height should it be placed?

Aim for a shade that reaches roughly shoulder height when you are sitting on the edge of the bed, about 50 to 60 cm above the mattress for a standard bedside table. Lower, the light falls into your eyes; higher, it mainly lights the ceiling. Many models in the selection are 50 cm high, which matches this reference point.

Designer bedside lamp or understated model: which style should you choose?

An understated model in black, white or beige blends in and lets the room breathe. A strong silhouette, drop, dome, tube or ring shade, becomes a visible object even when switched off. In a heavily decorated bedroom, stay with round lines; in a neutral bedroom, go for designer models. Style is chosen after light, never before.

Our bedside lamp collection should be viewed as a whole, within our full lighting range.

See the bedside lamps: enter the grid and compare the dimensions shown for each model.

Italian designer bedside lamp: what does it change in a bedroom?

Italian design is recognisable by sculptural shapes and worked materials: round brushed steel base, smoked glass, taut shade. With the lamp on, light passes through the material; with the lamp off, the silhouette remains a visible object on the bedside table. These pieces are chosen first for their look, then for their lighting.

In the selection, this translates into round bases, brushed steel and original shapes. The Callum bedside lamp plays on transparency, with a 1.80 m cable, and Novnorilo combines a round smoked glass shade with a black base. None of these pieces claims an origin or a manufacturing method: they are decorative objects before being reading lamps. Their glass shade sends a more direct light than a textile one, less comfortable for a long reading session. If you are looking for this kind of piece, look at the most singular shapes and the glass models.

Which socket and bulb for a bedside lamp?

Most lamps in this selection use an E27 socket, compact models use a G9 socket, and a few references run on integrated LED. For a bedroom, a warm white around 2700 to 3500 K remains the comfortable reference. Check the maximum wattage marked on the socket before buying the bulb: no bulb is included.

LED bedside lamp or E27 socket: which should you choose?

E27 can be replaced whenever you want and accepts a dimmable bulb. Integrated LED cannot be changed and gives an even light, with a dimmer on some models such as the Anelo II bedside lamp, 5 W, 75 cm high. G9 is used on small desk formats, for example the Solvind bedside lamp, 8 W.

Warm white bulb: why is it the right reference for a bedroom?

Below 2700 K, the light leans orange; above 3500 K, it becomes white and cold, restful for working but less so for falling asleep. Warm white remains the right reference in a bedroom. A dimmer lets you lower the intensity in the evening without changing the bulb, on the share of models that offers one. To go further, compare LED lighting and all our lamps.

How do you connect several lamps to a single power supply?

Two bedside lamps can share the same supply: a power strip or a plug block connected to the wall socket, with each lamp keeping its switch or dimmer. Simply add up the wattages marked on the sockets. Avoid stacking extension leads behind the bed and choose a solution whose switch stays within reach at night.

All the bedside lamps in this collection plug into the mains with a cable: none is wireless. A wireless lamp is mainly justified when no socket is near the bed, or to move the lamp around. For comfort, a foot switch or a dimmer saves you from searching for the button in the dark. These are the same reference points as for table lamps placed on a sideboard.

Which materials and colours should you choose for a bedside lamp?

The material decides the effect: velvet absorbs light and makes it matte, linen diffuses it gently, woven bamboo casts shadows, glass sends a more direct light. As for colour, black structures the room, white and beige fade away, gold and blue become an accent point. The base and the shade are chosen together.

Black bedside lamp: how do you match it with a light bedroom?

On a light wall, black creates a sharp contrast; pair it with a light textile shade to avoid too heavy a block. A black base with a gold or blue shade does the same job with more warmth. Black bedside lamps remain easy to match, while gold models and blue versions take on the role of accent.

Velvet, linen, bamboo, glass: how do you care for them day to day?

Velvet: soft duster, no product. Linen: regular dry dusting. Woven bamboo: dry cloth, away from humidity. Glass: non-abrasive glass cleaner. Metal and brushed steel: microfibre cloth. A bohemian inspiration often combines bamboo and black metal, two materials that are cleaned dry.

How do you install and care for a bedside lamp?

All the lamps in this collection are rated IP20: they are placed in a dry room, away from a water point. Install the lamp so that the shade stays below eye level when you are sitting, then care for it dry according to the material. Cut the power before changing a bulb.

Where should you place the lamp so you are not dazzled while reading?

Place the shade just above eye level when you are sitting and move the lamp towards the outer edge of the bedside table: the light illuminates the book without passing through your gaze. An opaque shade sends light downwards; a glass shade diffuses it into the room and remains less precise for reading. Lamps designed for the bedroom and small bedside formats fit on narrow bedside tables.

Can a bedside lamp be placed in a bathroom?

No: the IP20 rating protects against finger contact and dust, not against humidity or water splashes. In a bathroom, you need a light fixture designed for that room. On a bedside table, simply keep the lamp away from any water point, including an adjoining shower room.

Can a bedside lamp be placed on the floor, like a floor lamp?

Yes, provided you choose a lamp that is tall enough. Some models reach 75 cm, such as the Anelo II bedside lamp, others 50 cm with a wide shade; others still measure 20 to 33 cm and remain table lamps. Placed on the floor near an armchair or a sideboard, the lamp lights upwards and replaces an additional floor lamp. The collection includes 29 bedside lamps.

The effect is that of a low floor lamp: light travels up the wall without taking up surface space. Check that the cable reaches the socket and that the switch stays within reach. For a real living room floor lamp, look instead at living room lamps, or browse all our bedside lamps.

How do you recognise a real salt lamp?

A real salt lamp is cut from a block of rock salt: irregular surface, veins, shades that vary from one block to another, dense weight. A resin-moulded model has shapes that are too regular, a uniform colour, and weighs much less. Its light remains weak and coloured: it does not replace a reading lamp.

The red-orange tint comes from the bulb placed inside the block: it is the light passing through the salt, not a special lighting effect. Near a bed, keep an eye on the heat given off by the bulb, the condition of the cable and the distance from fabrics. Rock salt is hygroscopic and can seep in a damp room. For reading, better to choose a simple model or a rattan lamp, more straightforward in use.

Frequently asked questions about the bedside lamp

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