Southwestern Table Lamps
Buy the best southwestern table lamps selected and recommended by interior designers. By Vanessa Weber.
Southwestern table lamps evoke the feeling of a desert lodge with their warm palette, organic appeal, and nature-inspired forms. Whether you have a southwestern interior style in your home or just looking for bursts of color and tribal motifs to accentuate your living spaces, these lamps will help you achieve that goal. From pottery lamps to wood stumps, here are our designers’ top recommendations to bring that warm southwestern glow to your home.
Southwestern Table Lamps
Buying Guide
Vanessa Weber
Interior Design Expert
Vanessa is a New York-based designer specializing in architectural lighting. Whether you are planning an event, want to illuminate your backyard retreat or simply need advice on what lamp to purchase for your bedroom, Vanessa will be more than happy to share her knowledge and expertise.
Accessories of Southwestern style are commonly filled with hand-crafted paintings, rough textures, and colors from the desert. Earth-tone browns, terracotta and cactus green are indicative of the Southwest.
Many types of materials can be found in the Southwest to use in handcrafting a beautiful Southwestern table lamp base and shade.
- Clay/Ceramic - Clay is a popular choice in a Southwestern table lamp. Molded and fired into a ceramic shape, either a natural flat or a glossy finish covers the hand-painted Indian scenes. Not only do Southwestern decors make a great fit, but also Mission or Country Cottage.
- Glass - Tiffany style stained glass shades support metal bases for a dramatic Mission decor. Robert Louis Tiffany styles articulate the perfect blend of browns, yellows and clay reds to top off a bronze base.
- Metal - Wrought iron or sculptured metal reinforce the feel of the substantial materials found on a ranch. Many are heavy and made to represent the rugged look that is familiar on ranches. Lamp shades can be rough in texture for a Southwest look or stained glass for contemporary.
- Wood - Carved wood cannot be left out of the creative arts that are performed in the desert states. Everything from animals to landscape carved bases bring nature close in rustic decors. Climbing limbs, facial Indian profiles, cowboy boots or steers are a few examples of creative carvings that can be available.
- Fabric - The feel and aroma of leather may be featured in shades or smaller hanging ropes that accent lamps. Leather-looking materials are also used. Heavy materials, like canvas or burlap, may be used for a textured look. Rattan can also be found to demonstrate texture.
A Southwestern table lamp will be attractive when symmetric to the table that it is placed on. The combined height of a table and table lamp should measure 58" to 64". If a floor lamp is added, the height should be close to this height, as well. A living space will appear balanced and polished when two lamps are used on separate tables instead of only one.
Decors that make use of creative Native Indian crafts or signs of the rugged West in table lamps include Southwestern, Rustic, Mission, Country Cottage and Contemporary. Chic and transitional decors may also utilize this style to bring rugged and textured touches to a room. Textures are relevant in Southwestern style. Rough feeling lamp shade materials, like canvas, leather or burlap, are popular in many rustic styles. Lodge-looking interiors are the perfect fit for a pair of Southwestern table lamps.
Depending on the material, a Southwestern table lamp is normally dry dusted. To remove dirt, use a damp rag. Follow any manufacturer instructions if genuine leather is present. Also, make sure any painted bases have a sufficient finish so as not to damage the art.