Lighting Guides

How Many Lights Does a Room Need? Lighting Area by Room Size
How many lights a room needs depends on its floor area and on how much each light can cover. Most of our product pages give that second figure as a lighting area in square metres (“suited to spaces of about 5–10 m²”), which turns the question into simple addition. This guide explains the method, lists the real lighting areas of our ceiling lights, wall lights and floor lamps, and works through five rooms, from a 6 m² hallway to a 30 m² open-plan space. The method in three steps Measure... Read more...
Wall Lights Beside a Mirror: Height, Spacing and Real Sizes
A pair of wall lights beside a mirror lights a face evenly from both sides, frames the mirror like a piece of furniture and adds a warm glow to a hallway, a bedroom or a living room. Getting it right comes down to three numbers: the height of the lights, the distance between them and how far they stand out from the wall. This guide gives common rules for each, the real sizes of the wall lights in our range that suit a mirror, and two worked examples, so you... Read more...
Pendant Lights for High Ceilings: Size, Drop and Real Sizes
A high ceiling, from about 270 cm (9 ft) upwards, changes two things when you choose a pendant light: the size, because a small shade disappears in a tall room, and the drop, because the light has to come down far enough to light the room rather than the ceiling. This guide explains how to size a pendant or chandelier for a high ceiling, gives the real diameters and cable lengths of our larger pendants and chandeliers from their product pages, and shows with real numbers where each one ends... Read more...
Staircase Lighting Ideas: Wall Lights and Pendants, Real Sizes
Staircase lighting has one job before any other: to show every step clearly, from the bottom tread to the landing, without shining into the eyes of someone walking up or down. Most stairs are lit by wall lights along the climb, a pendant or chandelier in the stairwell, or both. This guide gives practical staircase lighting ideas, lists the real depths of the wall lights in our range (the figure that matters most beside a staircase), the cable lengths of our long-drop pendants, and shows how many lights a typical... Read more...
Tiffany Lamp Gift Guide: Ideas by Budget, Size and Recipient
A Tiffany-style lamp is one of the few gifts that is useful every evening and decorative all day: switched off, the stained glass keeps its colours in daylight; switched on, the whole shade glows. The hard part is choosing one for someone else's home. This guide sorts our Tiffany-style lamps by budget, size and the person you are buying for, with the real prices and sizes from our product pages, and ends with a short checklist so the lamp works the day it is unwrapped. Our lamps are Tiffany-style, made... Read more...
Jewel and Beaded Tiffany Lamps: Lattice, Drops and Fringe, Real Sizes
A jewel Tiffany lamp is a stained glass lamp whose shade is set with small pieces of raised glass: round beads, teardrop drops, cabochons or a fringe of dangling beads. Flat stained glass glows evenly when the lamp is on; the jewels catch the light at points and add sparkle, even when the lamp is off and lit only by daylight. This guide explains the four jewel details you will find in our Tiffany-style and stained glass lamps, compares the real sizes of each model from our product pages, and... Read more...
Peacock, Hummingbird and Butterfly Tiffany Lamps, With Real Sizes
Birds and animals are among the most loved Tiffany lamp motifs: a peacock fanning its feathers, a hummingbird among flowers, a butterfly on a bed of roses. Because each figure is built from many small pieces of glass, these shades come alive when the lamp is switched on. This guide groups our peacock, hummingbird, butterfly, horse and cat lamps by motif, with the real sizes from our product pages, and shows where each size fits in a room. All of them are Tiffany-style lamps: new lamps made with cut coloured... Read more...
Tiffany Lamp Shade Shapes: Cone, Pyramid, Bell, Panel and Dome
The shape of a Tiffany lamp shade decides two things: how the lamp looks from across the room, and where its light goes. A rounded dome spreads a soft glow all around, while a cone or a pyramid narrows towards the top and sends more light down onto the table. This guide compares the five shapes we sell (cone, pyramid, panel, bell and dome), with the real shade sizes and heights taken from our product pages, so you can choose a shape before you choose a colour. All the lamps... Read more...
Cute Lamps: Cat, House, Mushroom and Flower Designs, With Real Sizes
A cute lamp is one people notice before it is even switched on: a cat face in stained glass, a little glass house, a red toadstool, a flower on the wall. These lamps are small, easy to place and often bought as gifts. Because they are mostly accent lights, the questions that matter are practical ones: how big is it, where will it sit, what plug does it need and how much light does it give. This guide answers them with the real sizes of the cute lamps in our... Read more...
Floral Tiffany Lamps: Roses, Tulips, Grapes and Hydrangeas, Real Sizes
Flowers are the most common subject on Tiffany-style lamps: roses, tulips, lilies, hydrangeas and grape vines cut from pieces of coloured glass and joined with dark lead lines. A floral shade does two jobs. Switched off, it reads as a piece of decor in daylight; switched on, the flowers glow and colour the light around it. This guide sorts the floral Tiffany-style lamps in our range by motif, gives the real sizes from our product pages and shows which size fits which piece of furniture. All of our lamps are... Read more...
Bedside Lamps: How to Choose the Size, Style and a Matching Pair
A bedside lamp is a small lamp placed on a nightstand to give a soft, close light for reading, getting up at night or winding down before sleep. Choosing one comes down to three things: a size that leaves room on the nightstand, a switch you can reach from the bed, and a style that works on its own or as a matching pair. This guide gives the real sizes of the bedside lamps in our range, a quick sizing check for common nightstand widths, and the cases where a... Read more...
Tiffany Table Lamp Sizes: 16, 20, 30 and 40 cm Shades Compared
A Tiffany table lamp is sized by the diameter of its stained glass shade. The shade decides almost everything else: how tall the lamp stands, how much of the table it covers and how much coloured glass glows when it is switched on. Tiffany-style lamps are often sold as 8, 12 and 16 inch shades, which is roughly 20, 30 and 40 cm. This guide compares the real shade sizes and heights of the Tiffany-style table lamps in our range, from 16 cm to 40 cm, and shows which size... Read more...
Types of Table Lamps: Tiffany, Bankers, Dome and More, Real Sizes
A table lamp is a lamp that stands on a piece of furniture, such as a bedside table, a side table, a desk or a console, rather than on the floor or the ceiling. Its type decides how the light falls: a stained glass shade glows with colour, a bankers lamp throws light down onto a desk, a metal dome draws a pool of light on the table, and a fabric shade spreads light all around. This guide explains the main types of table lamps, gives the real heights and... Read more...
Types of Chandeliers: Flower, Linear, Fabric and More, Real Sizes
A chandelier is a ceiling light with several lights, arms or layers on a single fitting, made to be the focal point of a room. Today the word covers much more than crystal drops and candle arms: sculpted acrylic flowers, long linear fittings over a dining table, draped fabric and clusters of glass globes are all chandeliers. This guide explains the main types of chandeliers and the room each one suits, gives the real sizes of the chandeliers in our range with the floor area each one is made for,... Read more...
Living Room Ceiling Lights: Chandeliers, Pendants and Real Sizes
A living room ceiling light is the main fitting in the centre of the room: it gives the general light that lets you see the whole space, before table lamps, floor lamps and wall lights add warmth and focus. Because a living room is often the largest room in the home, the hard part is the scale: too small and the light looks lost and leaves dark corners, too big and it crowds the room. This guide gives a simple sizing rule, a table of real sizes and floor areas... Read more...
Bedroom Ceiling Lights: What Size, How Low and Real Sizes
A bedroom ceiling light is the fitting in the middle of the ceiling that lights the whole room: for making the bed, finding clothes, cleaning, or simply walking in at night. It is the first layer of bedroom lighting, before bedside lights and accent lamps. Choosing one comes down to three questions: how wide should it be for the size of the room, how much height does it take under your ceiling, and what kind of light should it give over a bed. This guide answers each one with simple... Read more...
Vintage Lamps and Pendant Lights: Glass, Brass and Velvet, Real Sizes
A vintage lamp, as most shoppers use the term, is a lamp with an old-fashioned look: coloured or ribbed glass, an antique brass or bronze finish, a velvet shade with tassels, a bankers or stained glass shade. It does not have to be an antique. Every lamp in this guide is new and made in a vintage style, with modern wiring and the voltage stated on its product page. Below are the four vintage looks we sell, a table of real sizes, and a few worked examples for a table,... Read more...
Desk Lamps: Bankers, Stained Glass, Dome and Cordless, Real Sizes
A desk lamp is a small lamp that throws light down onto a work surface: a desk, a writing table, a study corner or a bedside table used for reading. What matters is less the style than three practical points: where the light goes (down, all around, or aimed), how much of the desk the base takes up, and how you switch it on. This guide compares the desk lamps we sell, with the real sizes from each product page, so you can check what fits before you order. What... Read more...
Glass Table Lamps: Stained, Opal and Cobalt Glass, With Real Sizes
A glass table lamp is a lamp whose shade is made of glass rather than fabric or paper. The glass changes the light: stained glass glows in colour, opal glass gives an even milky light, and a coloured bankers shade sends light down onto the desk while its edges glow. This guide explains the three main kinds of glass table lamp, gives the real sizes of the glass table lamps we sell, and shows how much space each one takes on a bedside table or a desk. Three kinds of... Read more...
Lantern Pendant Lights: Silk, Fabric and Glass, With Real Sizes
A lantern pendant light is a hanging light whose shade glows all over, like a paper or silk lantern, instead of sending light only downwards. The whole shade becomes the light source: it lights the room softly and still sends a gentle pool of light onto the table below. Lantern pendants come in paper, silk, fabric and glass, and in shapes from tall ovals to round globes and flat saucers. This guide compares the materials and gives the real sizes of the lantern pendants we sell, so you can choose... Read more...
Mid-Century Wall Sconces: Drum, Sunburst and Tulip, Real Sizes
A mid-century wall sconce is a wall light drawn from the design vocabulary of the 1950s to the 1970s: small drum shades on curved arms, sunburst motifs, tulip shapes in coloured glass, glazed ceramic in olive or rust, and warm materials such as brass and walnut. This guide explains how to recognise those features, lists our wall sconces that use them with the real sizes from each product page, and gives simple numbers for a bedside, a hallway and a living room. How to recognise a mid-century wall sconce A... Read more...
Colored Glass Lighting: Green, Amber, Pink and Blue, With Real Sizes
Colored glass lighting means a pendant, wall sconce or lamp whose shade is made of tinted glass: green, amber, pink, blue or a mix of colors. Switched off, the glass works as a spot of color on the wall or above a table. Switched on, it glows in its own color. This guide sorts our colored glass lights by color, gives the real sizes from each product page, and explains the one detail that decides how much the color tints your room: whether the shade is open at the bottom... Read more...
Modern Wall Sconces: Stone, Plaster, Crystal and LED, Real Sizes
A modern wall sconce is a wall light with a clean, geometric shape and no period ornament: a block of stone, a stack of plaster tiers, a crystal disc, a set of slats. Many modern sconces also use an integrated LED instead of a bulb, which keeps them slim. In this guide we sort the modern sconces we sell by the way they light the wall (up and down, glow-through, downlight, halo or adjustable spot), list their real sizes in centimetres and inches from our product pages, and show how... Read more...
Wall Sconces With Shades: Fabric, Paper, Glass and Ceramic, Real Sizes
A wall sconce with a shade is a wall light whose bulb sits inside a fabric, paper, glass or ceramic cover rather than in the open. The shade decides almost everything: how soft the light is, which way it travels, how much colour it adds to the wall and how far the sconce stands out into the room. This guide sorts the shaded sconces we sell by shade material, gives their real sizes in centimetres and inches from our product pages, and ends with a short guide to choosing one... Read more...
Wall Sconces for the Living Room: Placement, Height and Real Sizes
Wall sconces are the layer most living rooms are missing. A ceiling light lights the floor, a floor lamp lights a chair; a pair of sconces lights the walls themselves, which makes the room feel wider and warmer once the main light is off. This guide covers where to put wall sconces in a living room, how high to mount them, how many you need, and the real sizes of the ten sconces we sell that suit a living room, taken from our product pages in centimetres and inches. Six... Read more...
Vintage Wall Sconces: Brass, Glass and Fabric Styles, Real Sizes
A vintage wall sconce is a wall light that borrows the shapes, materials and colours of earlier decades: a scrolled brass arm, a glass flower or tulip, a fluted sunburst, a fabric drum with piping, a glazed ceramic cup. The sconces in this guide are new fittings with a vintage look, not antiques, which means modern wiring and a choice of light colour. Below you will find the four vintage looks we sell, a table of real sizes in centimetres and inches taken from our product pages, and a short... Read more...
Sculptural Lamps: Plaster, Stone, Ceramic and Acrylic, Real Sizes
A sculptural lamp is a light whose shape matters as much as its light: it reads as an object on the wall, the ceiling or the floor even when it is switched off. Plaster tiers, stacked stone, pleated ceramic, fluted glass, cut-metal leaves and layered acrylic petals are the usual materials. This guide compares eight sculptural lights from our catalogue with their real sizes, where their light goes and how much space each one lights, so you can build a room around one or two statement pieces. What makes a... Read more...
Victorian Lamps: Fringed, Stained Glass and Brass, With Real Sizes
A Victorian lamp is a lamp in the style of the Victorian era (1837–1901), when homes moved from oil and gas light to the first electric lamps. The look is easy to spot: fringed and tasselled fabric shades, frosted glass tulips, ornate brass arms, coloured glass globes and, towards the end of the period, leaded stained glass. This guide explains the signs of the style and gives the real sizes of seven Victorian-style lamps from our catalogue, so you can check what fits on your bedside table, desk or hallway... Read more...
Cottagecore Lighting: Mushroom, Flower and Vintage Lamps, Real Sizes
Cottagecore lighting is lighting that makes a room feel like a country cottage from a storybook: small lamps rather than bright ceiling lights, warm glowing glass, flowers, mushrooms, velvet and antique-looking metal. The idea is not to light the whole room evenly but to create several soft pools of light at table and wall height. This guide explains what makes a lamp feel "cottage", how many small lamps a room needs, and gives the real sizes of nine pieces from our range that suit the style, from a red toadstool... Read more...
Chrome and Silver Lamps: Polished and Brushed Finishes, Real Sizes
Chrome and silver lamps are lights whose shade, arm or frame has a cool, grey-white metal finish: mirror-bright chrome, polished silver or satin brushed aluminium. Where brass and gold warm a room, silver tones keep it crisp and bright, and they sit naturally in mid-century, Bauhaus, space-age and minimalist interiors. This guide explains how the three finishes differ, how each one handles light, and gives the real sizes of the five silver-tone pieces we sell: one table lamp, one floor lamp and three wall sconces. If you are deciding between... Read more...
Minimalist Lighting: Simple Lamps and Wall Lights, With Real Sizes
Minimalist lighting is lighting reduced to the essentials: a simple shape, one or two materials, no ornament, and light sent exactly where it is needed. A minimalist lamp is often a cone, a disc, a dome or a plain block, in metal, stone, plaster or white fabric, and it tends to blend into the wall or ceiling rather than stand out. Fewer lights, each placed with a purpose, is the idea. Below you will find what makes a light minimalist, the real sizes of the minimalist lights we sell, and... Read more...
Globe Lamps and Globe Pendants: Glass, Silk and Crystal, Real Sizes
A globe lamp is a light whose shade is a sphere, or close to one: a ball of glass, silk, acrylic or opal glass that glows all over when it is switched on. Because the whole surface lights up, a globe gives a soft, even light in every direction rather than a narrow beam, and it looks the same from any angle, which is why globes are used over tables, beside beds and in entrances. The term also covers lamps with a glass ball in the stem or a row... Read more...
Acrylic Lamps and Chandeliers: Flower, Swirl and Dome, Real Sizes
An acrylic lamp is a light whose shade is made of acrylic, a clear or coloured plastic (PMMA) that is also sold under brand names such as Lucite and Plexiglas. Acrylic can be moulded into thin petals, flared bells and glossy domes, and it lets light through evenly, which is why it is used for sculptural chandeliers and retro lamps. It is lighter than glass of the same size and less likely to shatter. Below you will find what acrylic does to the light, the real sizes of the acrylic... Read more...
Rustic Lamps and Wood Lighting: Cowhide, Copper and Stone, Real Sizes
A rustic lamp is a light built from natural, slightly rough materials, such as solid wood, hide, hammered metal, stone and hand-knitted fabric, whose texture stays visible when the light is on. Wood lighting is the core of the style: a turned wooden body, a walnut ring or a wooden tripod gives warmth even when the lamp is switched off. Below, each material is explained with what it does to the light, the real sizes of the rustic and wood lights we sell, and a simple way to light a... Read more...
Boho Lighting: Rattan, Knitted, Fringe and Paper Lamps, Real Sizes
Boho lighting is lighting made from natural or handmade materials, such as rattan, knitted or woven fabric, fringe, paper, wood and hide, that gives a warm, filtered glow rather than a bright, even light. A boho lamp often looks like a piece of craft as much as a light. Below, each material is explained with what it does to the light, the real sizes of the boho lights we sell, and a simple way to layer them in a room. The materials that make a light look boho Rattan and... Read more...
Brass Lamps and Lights: Brass, Gold, Bronze and Copper Finishes
A brass lamp is a lamp whose metal parts (arm, stand, base or canopy) have the warm yellow colour of brass, either in solid brass or, far more often, as a brass finish over iron or copper. The same warm-metal family also includes gold, bronze and copper finishes, which look close in a photo but very different on a wall. This guide explains the five finishes, gives the real sizes of the brass, gold, bronze and copper lights we sell, and shows how to combine them in one room. Solid... Read more...
Kids' Room and Nursery Lighting: Night Lights and Lamps, Real Sizes
Kids' room and nursery lighting has two jobs that adults rarely need at the same time: bright enough light for play and getting dressed, and a very low, calm light for night feeds, bedtime stories and the walk to the bathroom. A good plan uses a ceiling light for the first job and a small night light or lamp for the second. This guide explains each layer and gives the real sizes of the lights we sell that suit a child's room, with a simple rule on where to put... Read more...
Types of Floor Lamps: Arc, Tripod, Globe and More, With Real Sizes
A floor lamp is a lamp that stands on the floor on its own base, usually between 120 and 180 cm tall, and plugs into a wall socket. It is the easiest way to add light to a room without wiring: no ceiling point, no electrician. The main types are the arc lamp, the tripod lamp, the globe lamp, the column lamp and the classic shade-on-a-stand. Each one throws light in a different direction, which is what really decides where it belongs. Below, each type is explained with the real... Read more...
Japandi vs Scandinavian Lighting: The Difference, With Real Sizes
Japandi and Scandinavian lighting look alike at first glance: both are simple, calm and warm. The link is direct, because Japandi is itself a blend of Japanese and Scandinavian design. Scandinavian (or Nordic) design is light, practical and friendly: white and pale surfaces, simple rounded shapes, glass, and often a cheerful touch of colour, made to bring warmth to long, dark winters. Japandi keeps that simplicity but adds Japanese restraint: fewer objects, natural textures such as silk, paper, cane and stone, earthy neutrals and fine dark lines. This guide explains... Read more...
Bedside Lamp Height and Reading Lights for Bed, With Real Sizes
How tall should a bedside lamp be, and what makes a good reading light for bed? The answer depends less on the lamp alone than on three heights added together: your mattress, your bedside table and the lamp itself. A lamp that looks right on a shelf can sit far too low next to a tall bed, and then the light falls on the duvet instead of the page. This guide gives simple working rules, then checks them against the real sizes of the table lamps, wall lights and pendant... Read more...
Dining Table Lights: How Many Pendants and What Size for Your Table
Dining table lights are the pendants or chandeliers that hang directly over the table, and the two questions people ask most are how many to hang and how big each one should be. The answer depends on the size and shape of your table, not on the size of the room. This guide gives simple working rules, a table of common dining table sizes with what fits over each, and the real sizes of the pendant lights and chandeliers we sell. Three working rules These are common guides used by... Read more...
Japandi vs Wabi-Sabi Lighting: The Difference, With Real Sizes
Japandi and wabi-sabi are often mixed up because both are calm, natural and rooted in Japanese design. They are not the same thing. Japandi is a blend of Japanese and Scandinavian design: clean lines, light woods, neutral colours and objects that are simple and useful. Wabi-sabi is an older Japanese way of seeing beauty in the imperfect and the handmade: raw materials, uneven textures, earthy tones and things that show their age. In lighting, the difference shows in the shape of the lamp, the material of the shade and the... Read more...
Glass vs Fabric Pendant Lights: Light, Sizes and Care Compared
Glass and fabric are the two most common shade materials for pendant lights, and they light a room in opposite ways. A glass shade lets light pass straight through, so the bulb and the shape of the glass stay visible and the light is brighter and crisper. A fabric or silk shade diffuses the light, so the whole shade glows and the room gets a softer, warmer light. This guide compares the two with the real sizes of our pendant lights. Glass vs fabric pendant lights at a glance Glass... Read more...
Pendant Lights vs Wall Lights: Which to Choose for Each Room
Pendant lights and wall lights solve different problems. A pendant hangs from the ceiling on a cord or rod and throws light down onto a table, an island or the middle of a room. A wall light (a sconce) is fixed to the wall and lights the wall itself, a bedside or a corridor, without taking any floor or table space. This guide compares the two with the real sizes of our pendant lights and wall lights, so you can choose room by room. The short answer Choose a pendant... Read more...
Lighting for Low Ceilings: Pendants, Wall Lights and Real Sizes
A low ceiling changes the rules of lighting. A pendant that looks perfect in a showroom can become something you walk into, and a deep chandelier can make a room feel smaller. The good news is that low ceilings are easy to light well once you know three things: how much headroom you have, where people actually walk, and how to use the walls and the ceiling itself as reflectors. Below you will find the ideas that work, a table of real shade heights for our ceiling lights with the... Read more...
Hallway and Entryway Lighting Ideas, With Real Sizes
A hallway is the space you cross most often and look at least. It is usually narrow, often without a window, and the entryway is the first thing a guest sees. Good hallway and entryway lighting does three jobs: it lets you walk safely, it makes a narrow space feel wider, and it gives the entrance a welcome. Below you will find seven ideas, a table of slim wall lights ranked by how far they stick out from the wall, and a simple guide to how many lights a 3... Read more...
Living Room Lighting Ideas: 7 Ways to Layer Light, With Real Sizes
A living room is used for everything: watching a film, reading, receiving friends, working on a laptop. One ceiling light cannot do all of that well, which is why the best living room lighting ideas start with layers rather than with a single fixture. Below you will find seven ideas, a table of real sizes for the lamps we sell, and a simple guide to how many lights a 15 m² or a 25 m² living room needs, using the coverage figures printed on our product pages. The three layers... Read more...
Bedroom Lighting Ideas: 8 Ways to Light a Bedroom, With Real Sizes
A bedroom needs less light than a kitchen or a living room, but it needs it in more places: from the ceiling for dressing and tidying, beside the pillow for reading, and low around the room for the last hour of the evening. The bedroom lighting ideas below are built that way, one layer at a time. Every lamp we mention is one we actually sell, and every size is taken from its product page, so you can check what will really fit on your nightstand or your wall. Start... Read more...
Kitchen Island Lighting Ideas: 7 Pendant Styles With Real Sizes
The lights over a kitchen island set the tone of the whole kitchen: they are the fixtures you see first, and they light the surface where you cook, eat and talk. Once you know how many pendants to hang and how high (our guides to kitchen island pendant lights and pendant height over an island cover both), the fun part is the style. Here are seven kitchen island lighting ideas, each with real pendants from our kitchen island collection and our pendant lights, their real sizes, and a quick check... Read more...
What Is a Sconce? Types, Real Sizes and Where to Put One
A sconce is a light fixture fixed to a wall rather than hung from the ceiling or placed on a table. The word comes from the Old French esconse, a covered lantern, and for centuries a sconce was a wall bracket that held a candle. Today it is an electric wall light: a back plate fixed to the wall, sometimes an arm, and a shade that sends light up, down or all around. In the UK the same fixture is usually called a wall light. This guide explains the main... Read more...