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Place task and ambient light around the way you use a room.
A small living room can use several modest light positions rather than asking one ceiling fixture to support every activity. Give the room a comfortable general level, place useful light at the seat or task and make the controls easy to reach. The arrangement should still leave room for furniture and movement.
A plug-in wall lamp can free bedside surface space, but it still needs a suitable mounting position, secure fixing, reachable control and a safe cord route to an outlet. Choose it as a small installation, rather than treating the plug as proof that the whole setup is temporary or drill-free.
For a shallow desk, choose the lamp from the space your work needs first. Keep the keyboard, pointing device and any active paper area usable, then find a lamp whose support and head can sit around that activity. A small base is helpful only when the light reaches the right place without putting the shade in front of the screen.
Start with the book and your usual seated position, then place the floor lamp so its light reaches the pages without the bare bulb becoming the brightest object in your view. Check the base, switch and cable before committing to the position. A lamp can look right beside an empty chair and still be awkward to use once someone sits down.
