At Paykoc Imports we feature a full line of beautiful Turkish mosaic lamps. These handmade light fixtures will elevate the look and feel of any room by adding a hint of old world charm and timelessness and introducing color that can be used as highlight or counterpoint to other elements of the decor. One question we hear a lot though has to do with how to choose the right mosaic floor lamp for a particular setting. Can you just place one wherever you like or are there certain things about mosaic floor lamps - or floor lamps in general - that preclude their use in some places. In this post we’ll look at the issue of floor lamps in general and selecting the right mosaic floor lamp in particular.

Floor Lamps vs Table Lamps

The issue of floor lamp vs table lamp is generally (though not always) one of scale. That is, how much space do you want to illuminate?

• Table lamps by practice are intimate affairs. They’ll illuminate the table top directly under them along with the neighboring chair or end of the sofa. That’s about it. By doing so they create an intimate environment within the larger room that can be used as a focal point or spatial divider.
• Floor lamps are used when you still want the intimate feel of a table lamp but want to carve out a slightly larger space within the room. Or, just as importantly, when there is no table to host a lamp. Because often times there’s no need to add another table to a room simply to accommodate a lamp when a floor lamp will do the job just fine.
• Turkish mosaic lamps, including the floor lamp variety, are a bit of an outlier however in that, by nature, they’re more about creating atmosphere than providing task lighting, even if that task is nothing more than acting as a reading lamp. So the typical argument regarding table lamps vs floor lamps doesn’t really apply. Instead mosaic floor lamps should be thought of more in a purely decorative rather than functional way.

Selecting the Right Floor Lamp

Floor lamps, particularly mosaic floor lamps, have a couple of advantages over other lamps. For one, they can play a greater role in creating visual interest in a room and for another thing they can be moved around freely whereas table lamps are confined to, well, tables. Some of the most important things to keep in mind then when selecting a mosaic floor lamp for your home include:

• Design: While Turkish mosaic lamps all share certain styling characteristics (the handmade ‘feel’, heavy shades made of colorful bits of glass, a non-industrial design aesthetic) they nonetheless come in a variety of shapes and styles. Which shape/style will be right for you depends largely on the type of furnishings in the room.
• Color: Color is an important part of the mosaic lamp experience so you’ll want to be sure you choose a floor lamp whose colors won’t clash with the surroundings.
• Scale: Oversized furniture will call for a floor lamp with a robust design that can hold its own. Minimalist furniture may call for a more wispy design. Likewise a room with high ceilings will call for a tall floor lamp so that spatial relationships remain intact.
• Function: Remember mosaic floor lamps fill what is primarily a decorative function so trying to partner a mosaic floor lamp with a comfy chair in order to set up a reading environment may not be entirely successful. Simply put, the mosaic lamp may not generate the amount and kind of light needed to read by.
• Misc: Don’t be afraid to use more than one mosaic floor lamp and more than one design in a given space; particularly in more open, loft style settings. Also, try and resist the urge to up the wattage in an effort to turn a mosaic lamp into a task light of some kind.

Turkish mosaic lamps have the ability to enliven, inform and enhance any interior from the most traditional to the most overtly avant-garde. To find one that will work with your interior space keep the above tips in mind and don’t be afraid to experiment as well.

For more information on how to add your mosaic lamp into your home check out our integration guide