One of Our Favorite Things: Tripod Lamps

Amy and I don’t always agree on everything, but one thing we definitely agree on is that every house can use a tripod floor lamp. They’re like the Eames chair of lighting–go with any decor and are timeless. Whether you choose one in metal, wood or a combination, you’ll be able to find a place for this versatile lamp.

The legs on a tripod floor lamp add almost an artisitic element to a room. Their size is great at balancing large pieces of furniture or art work. And btw, I’m in love with that acrylic trunk…LOVE it.

Below is the living room of The Everygirl founder Alaina Kaczmarski whose apartment we featured a few weeks ago. She has a great dark, sculptural version and I love the large white shade. [Tip–for most tripod lamps, we recommend a shade with a diameter of at least 19 inches.] My only criticism of this lamp is that the cord can be seen through the center of the lamp–our preference is always that the cord is hidden.

Kaczmarski says she was inspired by Boston designer Erin Gates who also just happens to have a tripod lamp in her living room! I have the same tripod lamp–it’s from Pottery Barn and has since been discontinued much to our dismay–in my family room. The shade on this one is 20″–again you can see it helps balance out the large artwork over the couch.

Tripod floor lamps are a great solution for filling empty corner space. The one below appears to be the Visual Comfort Sandy Chapman tripod floor lamp which is a really popular choice.

Here is a set of them–their height and width is a great choice give the large wall the fireplace is on helping to create balance with the mantel artwork.

 Or, because of their very architectural feel, they can also stand on their own.

In this case, two lamps with narrow shades flank a console in lieu of using two table lamps–which makes sense here because it helps balance the scale of the smaller table with the large sofa.

You honestly can’t go wrong by choosing a tripod floor lamp for your house! Tomorrow, I’ll pick some of my favorite to share with you.

And on a very different and much sadder note, today I’m in New Jersey for my dear Uncle Tim’s funeral. I have the honor of doing the eulogy for this wonderful, special man who had Down Syndrome and saw the simple beauty in life. Timmy’s death serves as a reminder that life is precious and it would be well spent being kind and open-hearted.