Arc Floor Lamps

An arc floor lamp has a stem that rises from the base and curves out sideways, so the shade hangs over a seat, table or bed rather than beside it. People also call them arched, curved or arch lamps. The appeal is simple: you get overhead light in a spot with no ceiling fitting, and it plugs into a normal wall socket, so renters and owners alike can move it whenever the room changes.

Measure from where the base can sit to where you want the light to land. Beside an armchair, 40 to 50cm is usually enough to put the shade over your lap, which is roughly what the Orsay gives. To clear the back of a sofa and reach the cushions you want more, around 70cm as on the Cosmo. If the base will sit right next to the chair, a short bridge arm like the Rousseau does the job in less floor space.

The base is there to stop that, but placement still matters. The longer arcs in our range sit on a solid marble or weighted metal base so the weight stays low and balances the shade hanging out the front, and the longer the reach, the heavier the base tends to be. Stand the lamp on a flat floor, run the cord where nobody will catch it, and keep the base clear of the main walkway. In a home with toddlers or a boisterous dog, put the base behind the sofa where it is less likely to be knocked.

Yes, as long as you check the height first. Our arc lamps stand between about 165 and 195cm tall, and a standard Australian ceiling is around 2.4m, so even the Trilogy at 195cm leaves clearance above the shade. The Cosmo has a telescopic stem, so you can set it lower in a smaller room. Over a dining table, allow enough height to see across the table without the shade in your eyeline.