A glass table lamp is a way of adding a lamp to a room without adding visual weight. On a crowded console or a small side table, a clear or smoked glass base reads as almost nothing, while a ceramic one of the same size dominates.
Clear glass bases often hide the cable inside the body — check, because a black flex running through a clear base is very visible and hard to unsee. Smoked and amber glass conceal the flex and warm the light passing through them. Opal glass bases can be lit from within, which turns the lamp into two light sources: a glow at the base and a pool from the shade.
BaseVisual weightWatch for ClearMinimalVisible cable; needs a shade with a solid liner SmokedMediumReads darker at night than in the shop Opal, lit baseMediumTwo lamps means two bulbs to replaceGlass is heavy but often narrow-footed. On a side table next to a sofa, check the base diameter against the table — a 12 cm foot on a 30 cm table with a passing dog is a short-lived arrangement. Some glass bases are designed to be filled with sand or pebbles, which solves this and lets you change the look.
Glass wants a fabric shade with an opaque or white liner; a second transparent layer gives you glare from every angle. Keep the shade diameter about a third wider than the widest point of the base.
Thick pressed or blown glass is sturdier than it looks. The vulnerable part is usually the neck where the lamp holder meets the base.
E27 or E14 depending on size, 2700 K, 400–600 lm. If the base is lit, a low-output decorative lamp is enough inside it.
Only if the manufacturer says so — some are sealed and some have a removable stopper for exactly this.
See also Table Lamps.
