Lamp Season: Does Your Room Pass the 5pm Test?

Last week, I was in Toronto for 4 epic one-day makeovers for my Decorate or Renovate show (I have a new channel on insta where you can see all the befores and afters here) It was amazing. I was so happy to be there. I’m still looking for a few more before the end of the year, so if you live anywhere between Chilliwack and Vancouver, please apply here to be on the show.

This is a sneak peek of an entry that didn’t need a lot of adjusting but just choosing a lamp that was more elegant made a big difference. Don’t miss this Thursday’s episode, it’s going to be a good one!

Now that we’re into the ‘ber’ months, it’s not just the temperature that’s dropping. So is the daylight. By five o’clock it’s dark, and that’s when you find out whether your house actually has enough light.

So here’s a test for every room in your house. At 5pm, turn off the overhead light. If the room suddenly feels flat and a little sad, it isn’t the paint colour or the sofa. You’re missing a lamp.

Overhead lighting is for finding your keys and wiping down the counters. It was never meant for sitting under all evening. Lamps are what make a house feel cozy on a dark November night, and most homes don’t have nearly enough of them. (And no, the Christmas tree in the corner doesn’t count.)

Where to Put Lamps: 10 Places Your House Probably Needs One

1. The Kitchen Counter

This is the one that surprises people. A small lamp tucked into the corner by the backsplash means you can make dinner, or pour a glass of wine after, without the whole kitchen lit up like an operating room. The standard distance between your counter and upper cabinets is 18″, so look for a lamp around 16″ or shorter so the shade isn’t jammed up against the cabinet. This little kitchen counter lamp is a good place to start.

2. Beside the Sofa

Almost every living room I walk into has a dark corner, and it’s usually right where people sit at night. A floor lamp beside the sofa or a table lamp on the end table fixes it instantly. The bottom of the shade should sit around shoulder height when you’re seated, so you get the glow without the glare. A pair of gourd lamps on the end tables is a classic for a reason.

3. On a Bookshelf

A small lamp on one shelf turns storage into the warmest spot in the room. One shelf, not every shelf. A bookshelf lamp like this is all you need.

4. The Entry Console

It’s the first thing you see when you walk in the door in the dark. Leave a lamp on and coming home feels completely different and provides a pretty glow from the street as well. A large ball lamp has enough presence to hold its own on a console.

5. The Dining Table

Cordless rechargeable lamps are everywhere right now, and for once a trend actually solves a problem. A pair down the centre of the table gives you the glow of candlelight with no cords and no dripping wax. This two pack of rechargeable lamps gets you both in one order.

Here’s the hill I will die on: the only place I’ll use a rechargeable lamp is the middle of the dining table at dinner. Put one anywhere else in your house and you won’t use it. If it needs charging, it won’t be glowing in that dark corner at 5pm. And if you keep it plugged in all the time, why did you buy a rechargeable lamp? Run an extension cord under your area rug instead. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, and once your house is full of lamplight, you’ll never go back.

6. Nightstands

Your bedside lamps are more than likely too small. It’s time to ditch the dainty little lamp and go big! I wrote all about getting the scale right here. This large bedside lamp has the size most nightstands are missing.

7. The Bathroom Vanity

A tiny lamp on the vanity makes your evening routine feel like a nice hotel instead of an interrogation. Just keep it well away from the sink. A small wood base lamp adds a little warmth too.

8. The Reading Corner

Whether it’s a good book or a jigsaw puzzle, every cozy corner needs a proper task lamp, and it doesn’t have to look utilitarian. This brass task lamp is pretty enough to leave out.

9. A Plug-In Sconce

No outlet where you need light, or renting and can’t hire an electrician? A plug-in sconce gives you wall lighting with nothing more than a couple of screws. They’re great at the bedside or tucked behind a sofa. I love a pair of swing arm sconces flanking the bed. And if your electrical box is in the wrong spot, here are 10 lighting solutions for off-centre electrical boxes.

10. The Candlestick Floor Lamp

Last but not least, the most versatile lamp of them all. Flank a sofa, nestle one beside a chair, or use it to light a dark corner. A skinny floor lamp fits where nothing else will.

Now Let’s Get the Details Right

One more thing for lamp season: use warm or soft white frosted bulbs, around 2700K. A great lamp with a cold blue bulb fails the 5pm test every time.

And while you’re at it, look up. If you have a chandelier with bare bulbs, add soft off-white shades for filtered light instead of glare. These are my favourite chandelier shades on Amazon.

Which room in your house fails the 5pm test? Tell me in the comments! And if you want to see how I’ve done it in my own house, come along on my lamp tour.

Lamp Season Questions

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Related posts:

Why Your Home Needs More Lamps (and how to add more)

Join Me for a Lamp Tour in My New House!

10 Best Lighting Solutions for Off Center Electrical Boxes