The 12 Best Small Table Lamps Pack a Big Decor Punch — And Our Style Editor Wants Them All
Listen — the best small table lamps can be just as potent and powerful as a big one. And Style Editor Brigid has the download on the chicest, most stylish options to buy now


I love a large statement piece as much as the next girl — but let's be honest. Sometimes, you just don't have the space. Maybe you share an apartment with roommates. Maybe your bedroom has more in common with a shoebox than a hotel suite. Or maybe you just moved into your first house, which was more of a financial feat than one focused on square footage.
In other words, my Livingetc counterparts and I understand that, sometimes, 'small' is the operative word. And off the back of my round-ups of the best table lamps to buy right now, I have returned with a new edit that keeps space-saving in mind. Today, we're discussing the best small table lamps on the market, all of which I've sourced from some of Livingetc's favorite retailers and brands. Given their small size, a lot of these are quite affordable, as well, so you'll be able to kill two birds with one stone. Consider it a style editor special.
'Small table lamps are a great option for spaces where you want to add a bit of light like a reading nook or corner of your kitchen,' said John Barnes, design expert at Lamps Plus, who said he also loves 'cordless fixtures' for the flexibility they so expertly provide. He's exactly right — and I've just spent hours crafting an edit with John's expert advice in mind.
You should find everything you need below, but I have a few extra round-ups live now— like the best blue and white table lamps, best green table lamps, and best mid-century table lamps, plus a few extra linked throughout this piece — if this one didn't tickle your fancy. There's something for everyone!
12 of the best small table lamps
Price: $12
At 12.75" tall, this minimalist table lamp costs just $1 per inch. That's an incredible deal for this neutral and versatile piece that's perfect for large tables and small nooks and crannies alike.
Price: $81.99
Mushroom lamps were a major trend last year, and their continued prevalence on listing pages makes me think we'll see them a lot this year, as well. This peach fuzz-colored option from H&M would cast a fabulous diffused glow and has a small visual footprint, to boot.
Price: $70
When I think of small lamps in powerful packages, this ceramic and rope option immediately comes to mind. With its sculptural frame and combined dual-texture composition, I think it would be such a fabulous table lamp for a bedroom, particularly one that's lacking in space.
Price: $128
As though it were filling up with hot air, the glass base of this blue piece bends and billows as it grows, culminating in a stunning sculptural finish topped with a blue linen shade. A great table lamp for a living room!
Price: $268
With all the charm of a rare jewel but the function of quality home decor, the Mara Faceted Table Lamp from Anthropologie is beyond covetable. I can imagine the light from the lamp reflecting gorgeously off the hand-block crystal base, casting mini rainbows all around the room.
How should I use a small table lamp?
'Small table lamps can be used as an accent or a focal point piece,' John told me. For instance, 'there are some beautiful sculptural lighting options that are great as a light and art piece,' he said. If you want a smaller accent lamp, great for 'buffet tables, end tables, or even a bookshelf,' a good rule of thumb is to keep the lamp and shade combined to less than 20".'
John said his retailer is also seeing increased popularity in 'mushroom lamps and dome lamps as trendy, yet simple small lamp options.' Good thing we linked a few above!
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Brigid Kennedy is a freelance writer and former style editor for Livingetc.com, where she scoured the internet for the best and most stylish deals on home decor and more. She also served as the website's in-house sofa expert, completely revamping and reworking Livingetc's expansive sofa buying guide by interviewing a total of 17 interior designers and sofa experts at top brands like Article and Benchmade Modern; sitting on upwards of 50 sofas across both Pittsburgh and New York City; extensively polling her friends and family for their own sofa-buying anecdotes and product recommendations; and traveling to Dallas, Texas, to tour the floor of a couch factory. In total, she estimates she has spent 40+ hours (and counting!) reading, writing, and talking about couches with accredited sofa connoisseurs o then pass that knowledge on to you. She describes her personal design style as colorful and clean, and in her free time enjoys reading, watching movies, and curating impossibly niche playlists on Spotify. She recently relocated from Manhattan to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she's decorating and DIYing a new home downtown.
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