Our Favorite Styles of Lamps

For the last decade, farmhouse has been one of the most popular décor styles in the country. The farmhouse style everyone loves is a fusion of 19th century and 21st century decor, a modern farmhouse aesthetic that’s shiplap walls, apron sinks and Edison bulbs.

Farmhouse lamps have modern lines but are made with rustic finishes like weathered wood, metal with a patina or aged ceramics. The overall vibe is cozy and rustic, evoking the feeling of a home where mom bakes pies and kids slam screen doors on summer nights.

Farmhouse lamps have a classic, versatile style that blends seamlessly with other aesthetics. You can put a farmhouse floor lamp or farmhouse table lamp in a loft apartment, ranch house or even an actual farmhouse.

Modern lamps, sometimes called contemporary lamps, are a loose category that take their design inspiration from the major aesthetic movements of the 20th century, from Bauhaus minimalism to art deco maximalism. They usually sport sleek lines, curvy shapes, and have finishes made of shiny metals, glass and plastic.

Modern floor lamps and table lamps are the opposite of farmhouse lamps because they are a celebration of the urban and machine-made world, not the agrarian one. Modern lamps have bold style that can be mixed into a range of rooms and looks.

Use an arc floor lamp as a sculptural focal point in a boho living room. Or put a set of curvy modern table lamps on either end of Chesterfield sofa to create a transitional look.

Midcentury modern design introduced minimalist lines and sleek forms into American homes in the 1950s. The style has had a resurgence that just keeps going because it feels so fresh and timeless. Midcentury table lamps and floor lamps introduce small touches of this style to a room without overwhelming it.

Use a riff on an iconic midcentury lighting design, a multi-headed metal midcentury floor lamp, to get task lighting and this style in one stroke. Or put a midcentury modern table lamp with a single metal cone shade on a nightstand by your bed for retro vibes.

Industrial design is inspired by utilitarian factories and warehouses from the last century. Lamps in this style use reclaimed and raw materials in neutral colors and have a streamlined, rustic meets modern aesthetic. Industrial floor lamps and industrial table lamps give an edgy vibe to a room.

You don’t have to live in a downtown loft for an industrial style lamp to work with your decor. Industrial lamps work in a range of home and décor styles. Add a black metal industrial floor lamp to a modern farmhouse living room and you’ll bring depth of color and visual interest to the space. Put a table lamp with a base made from an old lantern cage on in a boho bedroom to add a bit of grit to the hippie-in-Morocco vibe. Use task lights in unexpected places, like a floor lamp with a dark metal, cone-shaped shade at the end of a sofa.

Boho is short for bohemian, and it’s a décor style that combines unconventional and artistic furniture, finishes and accessories for a free-spirited, relaxed look. The modern boho look is eclectic and emphasizes natural elements and global influences.

Bring a touch of boho to a living room or bedroom with a rattan table lamp, a table lamp with a hammered metal base that feels Moroccan or a floor lamp with a fringed shade.

We all need a little bit of beach in our lives, even when we’re stuck in our landlocked house. Bring your salt-aired happy place home with coastal lamps that remind you of the sea, sky and surf. Look for floor lamps and table lamps with clean, simple lines and weathered finishes in hues of blue, white and cream.

Coastal lamps incorporate rattan, clear glass, metals with a patina and yes, representations of seashells, fish, palm fronds and other shoreline staples. Put a coastal table lamp with a woven seagrass base by your bedside in a cottage-style room or a coastal floor lamp with a metal stand and seashell motif in a boho sunroom with wicker chairs.