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

a collage of small table lamps on a colorful background
(Image credit: H&M, Anthropologie, Urban Outfitters, Target, ABC Carpet & Home)

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

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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!

Brigid Kennedy
Style Editor

Brigid Kennedy is a Style Editor at Livingetc.com, where she scours the internet for the best and most stylish deals on home decor and more. After earning a degree from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, she spent the first 2.5 years of her journalism career covering U.S. politics and culture at TheWeek.com. She describes her 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.