Your floor lamps will more than likely be those that are used in the corner of a room, or maybe near someone who has a special spot for reading and needs direct light on their reading material. Essentially, floor lamps are stand-alone lamps.
They are best used in an area where a small child cannot knock them over. Floor lamps work great in a corner space near the entrance of a room making it easy for someone who is walking into a dark room to have immediate access to a light source.
Another area which may be used for a floor lamp is near a bookcase or any location where lighting may be needed, when overhead lighting may be a bit too much. Floor lamps are perfect for the computer user, especially when it or the lamp(s) are adjustable, which will eliminate the glare that is often experienced with overhead lighting.
Styles of Floor Lamps
A Torchiere lamp is an example of one style of floor lamps.
The easiest way to describe a Torchiere lamp is that it is a floor lamp with one or more shades that look as though they are bowl shaped, or upside down; allowing the light to shine towards the ceiling through the open top, much like a flame would come out of a torch.
Pole Lamps: If you are looking for a classic look, you may want to consider pole lamps that have a cloth shade, or globe on top of it. These lamps typically have one bulb and may provide adjustable switches.
Tree Floor Lamp: This type of lamp is much like a pole lamp except for it having several light sockets branching off from a single pole which allows the light to be focused in multiple directions. Some of these lamps have flexible arms that allow you to move them in different directions, while others are stationary.
Arch Lamps are great task-reading lamps. Typically, they are on a curved pole allowing you to focus your light source on your reading material or crafting project. Make sure your arch style lamp has flexible arms so that you can change the direction of your lighting.