Advice for Choosing Lamps from a HomeGoods Ambassador

You may have noticed a new badge on the right side of my blog.  Now that I’m an official “Ambassador” of HomeGoods, I will have front-row access to the latest HomeGoods news and plans!

HomeGoods Ambassador Badge

Some of you many remember (or even attended) a special HomeGood event I was asked to host last winter, but now HomeGoods has invited me to be part of a new blogger program that will give me access to new products, information on the latest trends, and their seasonal style guides.  Yesterday, I got this little package in the mail:

homegoods ambassador

 

One of my favorite things about HomeGoods is their amazing selection of TABLE LAMPS.  How many times have I told clients to shop for lamps at HomeGoods?  Too many to count, but I did just that yesterday during a Staging Consultation here in Nashville. One of the best ways to update any room without spending a fortune is to bring in updated lighting, and most people I meet don’t have enough lighting at eye level.  They wonder why their home feels gloomy. I tell them that they desperately need table lamps and plenty of them!

homegoods table lamp

Above is a fabulous lamp I saw at HomeGoods just this week.  You may ask:  how do I choose???  Well, wonder no more.  As my first act as an official HomeGoods Ambassador, here is my advice on the matter.

how to choose lamps

1)  Buy Lamps in Pairs

Make more impact with a matching pair on either side of a bed, sofa,console, or sideboard.

 

2)  Choose Drum Shades vs. Triangular Shades

Triangular, pleated, or ribbed shades tend to look dated.

 

3) Pick Lamp Shades Wisely

Don’t buy lamps with dark shades if you need maximum light, and don’t buy lamps with white shades if your room is full of off-white molding and upholstery.

 

4) Choose Large Lampbases that Make a Statement

This is a great way to repeat an accent color in your room so don’t go too “neutral” with your lamp base!

 

5) Choose Lamps with Maximum Wattage Capacity

Don’t bother buying lamps that will only give you 40 – 60 watts of light unless you want ambient lighting. Look for 100 watt capacity for living room and bedroom lamps.

 

Any other advice or questions about buying updated lamps?  Feel free to comment or ask below.

29 Comments

  1. Kelly

    Good for you, Kristie! 🙂 And very good lamp buying advice.

    Reply
  2. Dana Tucker

    Congrats!! Time for another HomeGoods shopping party. 🙂 Love the tips.

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      Thanks, Dana! And yes, I will be hosting another HomeGoods party in the near future 🙂

      Reply
  3. kathleen

    I bought a white lamp shade and thought it might be too white for my living room, but I guess it depends on the colour of the light bulb as well, because when turned on, it doesn’t appear white at all.

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      Kathleen,
      If it sticks out like a sore thumb when the light is off, you may need an off-white or creamy shade. If you do white shades, just make sure you repeat some other whites throughout your space.

      Reply
  4. Sandy

    Is there a formula when choosing a shade vs. size of the base? I have a feeling I’ve gone too small with my barrel shades, help!

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      Sandy, the bottom of the shade needs, ideally, to cover the switch mechanism above the base. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  5. Marina

    So glad you are sharing thoughts on this topic. I’ve been mulling switching up some shades in my living room. What are your thoughts about “matching” shades? I have a decent size living room with 6 lamps. How do you decide how much shade ‘variation” to include???

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      What a great question, Marina. Pairs of lamps need “matching” shades, but you wouldn’t want 6 identical shades in one room. The key here is to NOT mix off-white and white. If you are using a pair of off-white or cream shades, another pair could be a slightly darker linen shade with a knubby texture. If you are using a pair of white shades, you might use another pair of shades that are a real color, like spa blue. You can use a pair of plain white shades + a pair of textured white shades to get a bit of variation, too.

      Reply
  6. Mary Cudworth

    So excited for you Kristie ! You are definitely getting around lady ! I think you should celebrate and buy a lamp or two !

    I was lucky enough to find a pair of Ralph Lauren lamps at Home Goods last year in California. I am going to use them when we stage the beachhouse. Wow I love Home Goods !

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      Mary,
      Sounds great – what color are the RL lampbases?

      Reply
    • Stacy

      home goods las cruces

      Reply
  7. Kathi

    Thanks for the fabulous tips,Kristie , and congratulations on your new gig-I was just shopping at Home Goods yesterday and bought the most fantastic large “White Heron” picture for $59.99 for my Charleston SC condo-it seriously looks like a gallery painting.Also, bought 108 x 84 silver designed 2 panel grommet drapes for $29.99-perfect timing on your post, I need all new lamps and your tips will come in handy! Keep em’ coming!

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      Sounds like you got some beautiful deals at HomeGoods, Kathi! Thanks for your comments 🙂

      Reply
  8. Linda

    I must say that lamps are one of my favorite items at Homegoods. I have gotten some amazing ones there.

    Reply
  9. kelly

    Home Goods has great stuff! I look at Home Goods for lamps even if I do not need them because they have a great selection.

    Reply
  10. LibbyP

    Kristie, congratulations on your collaboration with HomeGoods! And thank you for your transparency when discussing their products.

    I LOVE HomeGoods and only wish that the nearest one weren’t an hour away. Then again, maybe that’s a good thing!

    Reply
  11. Judy

    This is great! I went to Home Goods for the firs time recently because you had mentioned it on your blog. So you were already an ambassador, now you get the official title. 🙂

    One question about lamps: how do you judge how tall they should be? I had a large table lamp on one end table, but it seemed too big. I moved a smaller one there, but it seems too short. Before I go to Home Goods to find a pair, is there a formula for figuring this out?

    Thanks, Kristie!

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      Good question, Judy – the answer is: it all depends. Depends on the size of the sofa or chair beside it, and on the table it’s sitting on. If your side tables are low, you could do taller lamps. But if your end table is high, it may require a fatter, squattier lamp instead of a tall one. If you are sitting up straight on the sofa, the middle of the lampshade should be near eye level. Stay away from buffet lamps (stick lamps) for beside a sofa, chair, or bed.

      Reply
  12. Beth

    Thanks for this article–I came home from Home Goods with two laps today–lamps I might not ever have looked at.

    I’m not positive about them yet, but at least I’m trying something new. I’m not a huge fan of the drum shades but I know my cone one was dated.

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      give yourself a few days to get used to the difference, beth!! homegoods happy 🙂

      Reply
  13. Rachel Bousquet

    Hi Kristie,
    My name is Rachel and I just wanted to start out by saying what an inspiration you are for a newbie young blogger like myself. I hope you have a little bit of time to read this as I just have a few things to say and ask a couple questions. Im a stay at home mom and have a BIG PASSION for home decor especially for home goods. I recently started taking pictures of my decorating and made my instagram public well by doing so Ive already grown my followers by 50%! So I made a blog and now I’m just trying to figure out the next step. How do you get noticed at first? I feel like a small fish in such a BIG BIG pond of thousands of others small fish trying to do just as I am. From one small fish to THE BIG MECA FISH like yourself can you give me any advice? I would love so much to be a blogger from home goods. It would be a dream come true. Thank you so much for reading this if you do and god bless.
    Rachel Bousquet
    661.414.2287

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      Hi Rachel,
      Thank you for the complements! I’ve been blogging for 6 years, and nothing happens overnight, for sure. Consistent posting is important. I started my blog as an extension of the decorating work I was doing for a living, not with the intention of making a living from my blog. And believe me, I don’t make much money on the blog itself. It provides with a creative outlet and a way to show people what I do for a living. Pinterest and FB drives a lot of traffic to my site, so I suggest you work on those. Good luck in your endeavors!!!

      Reply
  14. Jen

    I have a large room with two seating areas. I have a couch and two chairs back-to-back, with a console table between them. My couch is 33″ and the table is 26″. What size lamps would you suggest for the console table? I was thinking smaller, but am I wrong?

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      Not small, Jen – I’d do big and chunky with fat drum shades. Thinker bigger as in wider, not taller. They need to be squatty, really.

      Reply
  15. Daphne Gilpin

    Thanks for explaining that having more lighting at eye level is a budget friendly way to update a room. My husband and I just bought a rental home and are looking for some ways to add coziness and atmosphere. I’m glad I read your article because I think shopping for some table lamps would really help improve the space.

    Reply
  16. Kathy Casey

    My living room is more traditional. I think I need a lamp with some antique gold and white. I bought a copper lamp with a burlap shade and it is awful.

    Reply
    • Kristie Barnett

      Kathy, I’d stay away from burlap or any dark, textured shade. White or off-white shades with a subtle texture will provide more and better light!

      Reply
      • Kathy Casey

        Thanks so much Kristie!

        Reply

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