Listen to this guide
To position a floor lamp in a dark corner without exposing the bulb: tape the base footprint, check the shade clearance on the instruction sheet, try the lamp in two spots, then sit in every seat and look at it. If you can see the bare globe from any seat, move the lamp, not the seat. This page covers one corner and one lamp. Which room a lamp suits is the job of our floor lamp placement guide; reading light is a separate test.
Before you start
- You need painter's tape, a tape measure, the instruction sheet from the carton, and every seat in its normal place.
- Exposing the bulb means seeing the bright globe itself from where you sit, not the shade around it.
What decides whether you see the globe
Two things: how high the shade's bottom rim sits against your seated eye, roughly 110 to 120cm off the floor on a sofa, and how far away you are. Close to the lamp you look up past the rim at the globe; further away the shade wall hides it. Our lamps split three ways. Hidden globe shades: the Chandelle column, Marceau drum, Aurelia tapered shade and Rousseau two layer drum. Open bottom domes: the Orsay and Cosmo arcs, which show the globe from directly below. Globe on show by design: the Solara fluted glass and Voltaire wire cages, where the globe you fit is the control, not the position.
1Mark the base footprint
Tape a square the size of the base into the corner, against the skirting on both walls. Chandelle 20cm; Marceau, Aurelia, Rousseau and Orsay 25cm; Voltaire 25.5cm; Cosmo 32cm. Then measure your clear pocket, the floor from the corner to the first piece of furniture along each wall, and take the smaller number.
Now mark the floor the shade needs: Marceau 49.3cm, Aurelia 46cm, Rousseau 48.6cm, Orsay 71.5cm, Cosmo 102.7cm; Chandelle, Solara and Voltaire hold the shade over the base. The decision: a pocket under 25cm takes exactly one lamp in our range, the Chandelle. A 25 to 50cm pocket takes any straight or gooseneck lamp. Only a corner beside or behind a sofa takes an arc.
2Check the shade clearance against the instruction sheet
Read the sheet in the carton first. It gives the globe limit, a 10W LED in an E27 fitting on every lamp here, and any clearance the maker asks for around the shade. Where the sheet gives a figure, the sheet wins. Where it does not, keep about 10cm between the widest point of the shade and either wall, and never let a linen or paper shade rest on a curtain or blind.
3Compare two positions
A: base on the tape, tight in the corner, shade facing the room. B: base 20 to 30cm out along the longer wall, turned square to the room. Lights off, lamp on, and check: both walls lit or only one; where the shade's shadow climbs the wall; whether the foot switch is reachable; whether the base sits fully on the floor, not riding the skirting. Straight lamps usually win in A, because a corner returns light off two walls. Arcs usually win in B, because the base sits wherever the arc lands the shade over the seat.
4Sit in every seat and look for the globe
Sit in each seat and look at the lamp. You should see a lit shade. If you see the globe, fix it in this order: turn the lamp so the shade wall faces that seat; move the base 10cm along the wall; fit a frosted or opal LED. For the Solara and Voltaire, where the globe is meant to be seen, fit a warm filament LED at the dim end of the range (see our bulb temperature guide).
Worked example: the Marceau's rim sits about 145cm off the floor, so from a seated eye at about 115cm the drum hides the globe once you are a metre away, but not from the armchair it stands beside. Put it behind the chair's shoulder, not beside the arm.
5Photograph both positions with the exposure locked
Stand in the doorway, frame the corner, and press and hold on the lamp in the camera app until the exposure locks (AE/AF lock on an iPhone; the lock icon or pro mode on Android). One photo of A, one of B, same spot. Without the lock the phone evens out the two shots. The keeper shows both walls lit and no white hot spot on the shade.
Which lamp fits which corner pocket
| Clear pocket | Lamps that fit (all in stock) | Globe from the seat |
|---|---|---|
| Under 25cm | Chandelle only (20cm base) | Hidden in the linen column |
| 25 to 35cm | Marceau (drum 20cm off the pole), Aurelia (tilting shade, 16cm out) | Hidden; turn the drum or tilt the shade |
| 35 to 50cm | Rousseau (two layer drum), Solara (40cm of floor), Voltaire (45cm arm spread) | Rousseau hidden; Solara and Voltaire on show, so choose the globe |
| Beside or behind a sofa | Orsay (46cm reach), Cosmo (70cm reach) | Open dome: keep the seat beside it, not under it |
Three lamps that pass the seat test in most corners
THE TIGHT CORNER · 166.8CM · 20CM BASE
Chandelle Linen Column Floor Lamp
The smallest footprint in our range and the easiest seat test: the globe sits inside a 40cm linen column.
In stock: see live price
THE TURNABLE DRUM · 163.5CM · 25CM BASE
Marceau Linen Drum Floor Lamp
A 30cm drum carried 20cm off the pole: base in the corner, shade turned to the seats. Rim at about 145cm hides the globe from a metre away.
In stock: see live price
THE SOFA CORNER · 173CM · 46CM REACH
Orsay Gold Arc Floor Lamp
For the corner beside or behind the sofa: a 25cm dome floats about 46cm out over the seat. Open underneath, so slide the base until the dome sits beside your shoulder.
In stock: see live priceDelivery and pickup
Every lamp here ships by courier NZ wide at the live rate shown at checkout; Mainfreight is for our mirrors and larger items, not lamps. Or collect from our Albany showroom, open seven days. Afterpay and Zip on every order. C&F Creation is NZ designed and NZ owned, with 4.9 stars from over 200 reviews.
Frequently asked questions
How far should a floor lamp be from the wall in a corner?
Measure from the widest point of the shade, not the base. Follow the instruction sheet if it gives a clearance; otherwise keep about 10cm between the shade and each wall, and never rest a fabric or paper shade on a curtain or blind.
Why can I see the bulb in my floor lamp from the sofa?
The shade's bottom rim sits below your line of sight from that seat, usually because you are close to the lamp or the shade is short. Turn the shade wall to the seat, move the base 10cm, or fit a frosted globe.
Corner taped and measured?
Browse the floor lamps collection: every lamp above is in stock and ships by courier at live rates. For the wider range, see the complete floor lamp guide.
Written by the C&F Creation Team. NZ designed and NZ owned; 4.9 stars across over 200 reviews. Pickup from our Albany showroom, Unit B, 19 Arrenway Drive, Rosedale, Auckland, open seven days (Mon to Fri 9:30am to 4:30pm, Sat and Sun 10am to 4pm).
