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In this post, I gathered some of my favorite unusual floor lamps for the living room that fit every space but mostly contemporary styles.
If you want to make your living room stand out and your guests to be amazed, this is the best article you could have landed on!
Let’s go through them one by one, but first, let’s see how we can blend floor lamps in with the rest of our lighting scheme.
How To Use A Floor Lamp In The Living Room
For the purposes of this article, and to keep it short, we will only focus on two types of floor lamps: uplighters and downlighters.
However, the unusual floor lamps we will see below don’t necessarily fit into a category – they’re just too unusual to be categorized!
Uplighters are floor lamps (or other fixtures) that direct the light upwards – usually from the floor to the ceiling. They are most commonly used for ambient light (e.g., a floor lamp that lights up the ceiling and reflects light throughout the room) but can be used for accent lighting as well (e.g., behind a plant to create dramatic shadows).
Downlighters are typically used for task lighting as they direct light downwards to a specific area.
Quick reminder: ‘
Ambient light is the main light, the light that illuminates the entire room. Its purpose is to help us see when it’s dark outside, so it should be evenly spread and easy on the eye. Think of the main light source in your living room, like recessed can lights or a chandelier – that’s your ambient light.
Task lighting is light used for tasks. For example, in the living room, task lighting would be a light source directed to a reading nook to help you read without straining your eyes. In such cases, ambient light might not be strong enough, or it might be positioned in a way that you cast a shadow on your working space.
Accent lighting is used to highlight decor or architectural features, such as picture lights and wall grazers, or even act as a standalone piece, such as neon signs or wall light art.
Keeping in mind that you need to utilize all three layers to achieve balanced living room lighting, downlighters can be used to complement your task lighting scheme, for example next to a reading nook, while uplighters can be placed in a corner to provide a soft glow and improve the ambiance with style.
Hide the cords!
Probably the worst thing about using floor lamps in the living room is these ugly-looking cords all over the place.
For this, you can buy a simple cord cover – do not use a rug if you need to step/walk over the area of the cord. If you do have a rug there, still use a cord cover under the rug.
Otherwise, it’s a safety hazard.
The cord cover should be the same color as the floor. This will ensure that no attention is drawn to the cord cover which, even though a better option, is still not the most aesthetically pleasing.
No adhesive is needed if nobody is going to be walking over that area. However, do use adhesive cord covers if there’s going to be traffic over it! This will ensure that the cover stays in place and nobody gets hurt. Be careful though because adhesives can sometimes damage the floor.
Pro Tip: If you are redoing your living room, consider installing recessed floor outlets (especially useful in big rooms). They are an excellent choice to plug in floor/table lamps next to the sofa and even for charging your devices!
Most Unusual Floor Lamps For The Living Room
Crafted from durable fiber-reinforced plastic, this floor lamp is definitely the most unusual I’ve ever seen.
It’s just so unique and modern. It best fits contemporary styles and can be used as a majestic centerpiece to draw attention and create a focal point.
It is dimmable upon request, but a floor lamp like this one does not need to be dimmable to be honest. It is primarily used for accent lighting, meaning it is mostly decorative rather than used for its light output.
However, the bright LED bulb pointing in all directions can provide enough ambient light, especially when combined with pendants. And I say pendants because I can totally imagine two minimal black pendants hanging on either side of the Diasu lamp and looking amazing thanks to the contrast between the fixtures.
The Layers floor lamp is a classy combination of modern and retro styles. It has a dual shade and it’s made with iron and glass. The materials give it its modern feel, while the visual aesthetics of it lean more towards a retro style.
This is one of the more versatile floor lamps that can be used in almost any space. Its height is 61″ (155 cm), which makes it perfect for task lighting next to the couch.
The Zenobia floor lamp has a sleek Nordic design that makes it stand out without being too over the top.
It’s made of metal and glass and comes in the four colors pictured above. It’s probably the most minimalist lamp on this list, so it can be used in any architectural style.
Its height is 70″ (178 cm), so it is perfect for the corner of your living room. I wouldn’t advise placing it in the middle of the room or next to a couch, as its unique shape might break the symmetry of the space and make it appear as a standalone piece. In other words, it risks not fitting in well with the rest of your furniture.
The Noctilux floor lamp is an extremely well-designed piece that makes it look like glowing rings seamlessly hanging from a coat rack. Its unique design is made of iron, acrylic, and even marble to add that extra touch of elegance.
Its height is 59″ (150 cm) and it comes in two color temperatures: 3000 K and 6000 K.
I have written a comprehensive guide to color temperature in the living room, which you can read if you want some help deciding which one to choose.
Despite this lamp’s modern and Scandi style, I would go for the warmer temperature of 3000 K to create a cozy and inviting atmosphere.
The Crostata Floor Lamp is a retro-looking piece that fits contemporary, modern, retro, and bohemian styles perfectly.
It is dimmable and the glass is hand-crafted, making it even more unique.
This floor lamp is ideal for ambient light, as it spreads lights at a 360-degree angle, but can also be used for task lighting. Plus, it comes in multiple color temperatures and can even be controlled by a remote, making it so much more versatile!
Have you ever wondered how a huge table lamp would look if placed on the floor?
Well, wonder no more, as the Inara floor lamp is exactly that.
It’s so unusual that it actually feels very familiar. That’s because of its resemblance to a typical table lamp. However, with the Inara floor lamp, the whole fixture lights up – not just the tip.
It is primarily made of fabric, which gives it that unique cozy feel. Therefore, it is perfect for contemporary and Scandi styles.
That said, this lamp would look amazing in rustic and beach house type of architectures, as it is very summery and chill.
Last but not least, we have the Squiggle floor lamp. This lamp does not really need a description – as you can see it’s a normal floor lamp with a…twist!
The reason I included this as one of the top unusual floor lamps for the living room is because it manages to draw the eye without being too over the top or becoming the center of your focus. It’s super fun and quirky while at the same time being discreet and minimal. This is a very hard-to-find characteristic and it’s the reason why I love it so much.
It fits rustic and floral styles, but can also be used in modern and retro living rooms. Don’t be afraid to give it a shot!
Wrapping up
So there you have it.
These are my top 7 picks for the most unusual living room floor lamps. Choose the one(s) you like, follow the guidelines above on how to implement them along with the rest of your lighting scheme, and they should elevate the feel of your living room by a lot!
Don’t use the same old boring lamps, just make your living room unique and draw the attention of your visitors!
