Start by measuring your console, bedside table, desk or side table, so the table lamp feels in proportion and leaves enough clear surface for practical items: your monitor, books, décor, or drinks.

Choose a table lamp around 140 to just over 300 millimetres wide for smaller bedside tables and slim side tables where you need space for essentials, and a wider design around 370 to 430 millimetres for larger desks or consoles where you want a stronger statement or the lamp to cover more of the tabletop. 

Compact table lamps ideal for smaller side tables, slim consoles, and bedside tables are:

• The Pallino Portable Table Lamp at 142.5 millimetres wide and 225 mm in height 

• The Pallino Table Lamp, 310 mm in width and 380 mm in height

For larger desks, wider consoles in hallways or counter tops where you want a bright design statement, consider:

• The King Living Eye Table Lamp, 370 mm in width and 450 in height

• The Balla Table Lamp measuring 430 millimetres in width and 560 mm in height

As a guide for height, the bottom of the shade should sit close to eye level when you are seated, keeping the bulb hidden and creating a comfortable reading light.

Table lamps are perfect wherever you need soft, focused light: on bedside tables for reading, on living room side tables beside a sofa, on a console near the entry, or on a desk for warm home office lighting.

The King Living Pallino Table Lamp designs bring a gentle ambient glow to living and dining spaces, with the portable lamp moving easily between rooms, while the Eye and Balla Table Lamps add a defined silhouette to a side table or console.

For a layered lighting scheme, pair your table lamps with natural light from a nearby window, pendant lights, and floor lamps in different heights and colours for a contemporary look. Read our indoor lighting feature to explore more ideas.

The best King Living table lamps for reading or working at a desk are the Eye Table Lamp, which can be used as a direct light source or turned toward a wall for softer, indirect illumination, and the Pallino and Balla Table Lamp designs, which add a diffused ambient glow that complements a dedicated desk lamp or adjustable arm lamp in your home office.

For focused reading or productivity, place your desk near a window so you benefit from natural light during the day, then use a table lamp to provide warm lighting for evening study or work.

Position your King Living table lamp to the side of your dominant hand to minimise shadows on your notebook or keyboard, and angle the light so it falls across the desk rather than directly into your eyes.