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Highlighting with the Gooseneck Lamp

BobHander | Jul 12, 2010 |

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Gooseneck lamps are usually thought of as being something that you place on your desk, with the student gooseneck lamp quickly coming to mind. However, these versatile lamps can be used for many more things than that. They come in all sizes, ranging from simple desk units to very decorative floor lamps, with one thing in common. The neck of the lamp is designed in such a way that it can easily twist and turn any direction.

Home owners have found these lamps to be very helpful when decorating. One of the less used uses, yet one which some people have put to very good use in their interior decorating, is their ability to shine up on, or across to an object, painting or wall hanging. They can also be used to illuminate an indoor plant, or anything else that you would like to specifically draw attention to.

A gooseneck floor lamp, which is usually fairly decorative and stylish in itself, can easily be positioned next to a wall and the neck turned up so that light is shed on something hanging on the wall. If you have items sitting on shelves, you can also look into purchasing a small, decorative table lamp that can be swivelled to turn and shine directly on whatever object you are particular about showing off. They are also very useful to place in glass cabinets, in the event that your cabinet does not already have built in spot lights.

The main thing to consider when using a gooseneck lamp in this way is the heat factor and the size of the lamp. Intense heat can damage objects, rather than merely highlighting them, so if you are looking for a lamp to place either on a shelf or in an enclosed space you will need to buy a rather small lamp and most likely replace the bulb with a smaller blub. Incandescent bulbs in particular can become very hot quickly, so look for some of the low wattage power saving bulbs instead. Do not place the lamp too close to the object either; the idea is to provide a soft glow to highlight the object not a bright spotlight!

There are many different sizes of gooseneck lamps, including some that are very small and delicate. These are much better for placing on shelving or in a cabinet if you are only wanting to highlight. Be careful when buying your lamp, make sure that the base of the lamp is heavy enough to support the rest of the lamp even if the head of the lamp is tilted at a sharp angle. This is particularly important if you will be bending the neck down, as that is when these type of lamps most often become unbalanced.

Of course floor lamps are preferable when using them for this type of lighting. You can even place a lamp behind an object and have it shine over onto it, if you buy a floor lamp that is sufficiently tall enough to clear the top of the object and have shine down onto it. As you can see there are many ways to subtly use gooseneck lamps to enhance your room's appeal.