The everyday design companion
Clear answers for the rooms you live in. Explore furniture choices, small-space ideas and the details that make everyday life a little easier.
Lighting
Choose a freestanding desk lamp when the desk’s edge, underside or finish cannot be confirmed as suitable for a clamp, or when the desk is shared and the lamp must move; choose a clamp-on la…
Lighting
Choose a floor lamp when the TV stand top is shallow, already occupied by media equipment, or you want the light farther from the screen; choose a lamp on the stand only when the top has a s…
Lighting
Add a dedicated task light beside a filing cabinet only if you regularly sort or read file labels for long stretches and general room lighting leaves the drawer interior in shadow; otherwise…
Lighting
Choose a separate lamp for a TV stand unless the stand's listing clearly documents its built-in light, including how it is powered, controlled and maintained. A built-in light can look integ…
Lighting
Put the lamp beside the cabinet or use another light source rather than on top of it if you open drawers daily or sort papers there. Only place a lamp on the cabinet when the manufacturer co…
Lighting
Put a lamp near a TV stand where neither the bulb nor its reflection falls in your usual line of sight to the screen, and where you can switch it without leaning across the TV. The main cond…
Lighting
Light a dining table for the tasks that happen there, with brightness you can adjust and bright bulbs kept out of seated sightlines. Combine table lighting with a softer nearby source when t…
Lighting
Different activities need light in different places. A single central source may illuminate the room while leaving a reading corner dim or making a nearby screen uncomfortable to view. Separ…
Lighting
Test it in relation to the seat and the activity, rather than considering the lamp in isolation. Note where your book or other reading material normally sits and whether the light reaches it…
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