How to Balance Paper Lantern Floor Lamps with Other Furniture in a Lounge

Paper lantern floor lamps bring a soft, sculptural glow to a lounge, but their pale, translucent shades carry very little visual weight. Placed carelessly, they can look flimsy or out of scale beside a large sofa and a busy shelf. The answer lies in balance. In this guide we explain the idea of visual weight and how to use heavier, grounded pieces such as a low sofa, a substantial coffee table, a sideboard or a filled bookcase to anchor a lantern so the whole room feels even. We look at choosing the right size of lantern for compact, medium and large lounges, and how high the shade should sit in relation to the back of the sofa. We also cover colour and texture, from chalky whites to deep painted walls, plus layering the lantern with table lamps and wall lights so the room works for reading as well as relaxing....