Floor Light

A floor light solves the problem no ceiling fitting can. It puts light where you actually sit — beside a chair, at the end of a sofa, in the corner a room has always left dark — and it does it without drilling, rewiring or moving the furniture around.

Light at the right height
A standing floor light works because the light arrives at eye level and below, not from overhead. That's what makes a corner feel occupied rather than simply lit. Put one beside an armchair and you have a reading corner. Put one behind a sofa and the whole side of the room lifts.

Where to stand it
Next to a reading chair, at the end of a sofa, in an empty corner, beside a bed where there's no room for a nightstand, or in a home office to soften screen light in the evening.

Warm or cool light, your choice
Fit a warm-white bulb for relaxed evening light in a living room or bedroom. Choose a cool-white bulb if this will be your main reading light and you want sharper light on the page.

Living with it
Keep the base clear of walkways and run the cord along the skirting board rather than across the floor. In a rented flat, a standing floor light is the simplest way to change how a room feels — nothing is fixed to the wall or ceiling.