(Revised and updated July 17, 2023)
I have noticed that small lamps on kitchen countertops is suddenly a trend. I’ve been using them in my kitchens for years because I detest overhead lights.
And I can attest that they make your space feel very cozy and warm.
Are you one of those people who must a lamp in your kitchen?
I currently have three lamps in my small kitchen. And if there was room I’d have more!
This small lamp is my latest. I ordered it from Walmart.
Isn’t it cute? It’s so petite at about 12 inches tall. But that’s what size I needed to fit in that particular space.
I was looking for a lamp that’s hidden from the living room but that would give off subtle light at night.
Below are the other two lamps in my kitchen.
Coffee Bar Lamp:
The lamp above is on one side of my kitchen near the window. It isn’t a small lamp by a long shot. I’m just lucky to have a place on my coffee bar where I can use any size lamp.
Kitchen Counter Top Lamp Next To Refrigerator:
This is the third lamp next to my refrigerator.
I often use this counter space when I’m putting together a meal. It’s very convenient when I’m making a sandwich, for instance.
These three lamps fill the lighting needs in my kitchen.
Bloggers’ Kitchen Counter Top Lamps:
I thought I’d show you a few other kitchens with lamps that are in other bloggers’ homes.
Jennifer’s Kitchen Lamp (Dimples & Tangles)
This girl has the most colorful home. And somehow she makes the vast array of colors and prints look very tasteful and elegant. It must truly be a gift.
Diane’s Counter Top Kitchen Lamp (In My Own Style)
Diane from In My Own Style added a lamp to her kitchen counter top to make her kitchen feel cozy. And it is the icing on the cake in the kitchen of their lakeside home.
Diane does indeed have her own style, and the DIYs she comes up with are incredible.
Deborah’s Kitchen Lamp (Hip & Humble Style)
Deborah from Hip & Humble Style corralled kitchen items, including a small lamp, and placed them on a wood riser in a corner of her kitchen. The look is cozy and uncluttered.
Madison’s Kitchen Lamp (Blushing Bungalow)
Madison from Blushing Bungalow was lucky to have a small space for a lamp that wasn’t underneath her cabinets. Thus she could choose a somewhat larger lamp.
Kim’s Kitchen Lamp (Northern California Style)
Kim’s kitchen lamp sits in a corner, shedding light in two different directions. The lamp looks especially pretty with the fruit and white plates in front of it.
Jennifer’s Counter Top Lamp (City Farmhouse):
Jennifer from City Farmhouse decided she wanted to try a lamp in her kitchen. Now she says she’ll never go back.
Lauren’s Cordless DIY Kitchen Lamp (Blesser House):
Lauren from Blesser House decided to DIY her own kitchen lamp. She used a terra cotta vase from the thrift shop and a puck light.
What a great idea! I may have to try that.
For your convenience, here’s the puck light from Amazon that was used for her project.
Using this type of bulb is wonderful because you can recharge it without needing to purchase batteries. Yay! It’s best to use rechargeable batteries in puck lights.
But you can also set them on a timer and/or operate them with a remote.
Links To Small Lamps For Kitchens:
The small lamps I found on sale below are very reasonable in price. Although the teapot lamp at the bottom is unique and does cost more than the others.
Mainstays Mini Faux Wood Table Lamp
This is the lamp I purchased from Walmart. I love the wood look of the lamp base.
Petite Mid-Century Lamp
Pleated English Ceramic Lamp
Petite Faux Stone Lamp
2-Pack BRUBAKER Ceramic Lamps
Art & Artifact Teapot Lamp
If you don’t already have a lamp in your kitchen, you may want to see if you have enough space to add one. For the sake of ambiance, there is nothing that makes a kitchen feel cozier than adding a small lamp.
At night I enjoy having my tiny little lamp on in the kitchen
while I watch TV in the living room. I can’t see the lamp from my chair, as the wall hides it. But it gives off just enough light that I can see where I’m going when I get up.
What are your thoughts about kitchen lamps? Do you use them?
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Love your blog, Brenda! For some reason I have stopped getting your emailed blog everyday. I have gone back in and signed back up, but I never get the confirmation email. Is there anything you can do about this? Thank you, hope you see this comment!
I have 2 small lamps in my kitchen. I found both of them at Dollar General. I leave them on all the time … nice atmosphere day or night.
I love lamps in kitchens! They add the soft lighting that makes a kitchen look so homey at night. I only have room for one lamp in my kitchen, but I’m overdue for a new one. I’m going to take a look at a couple that you showed from Amazon. Thanks for showing other blogger’s kitchen lamp ideas, too.
We don’t have a lamp in our kitchen. We have an aquarium on the counter. So that is our light. Lol. In the dining room we use the light over the table on a dimmer switch. Our kitchen is very small (typical ranch) so no room for a lamp.
Interesting idea…lots of ideas!! You are such a good researcher and a good interior decorator as well!!
I have one regular lamp in my kitchen which I absolutely love having. I have two other small light sources. One is galvanized star with a tiny bulb that sits on a pedestal just for fun and the other is a covered cake dish with a simple wreath on the plate with a battery powered candle. Again, just for fun! I also have a yellow lamp that I’m planning to spray paint red – the “shade” reminds me of a colander. It isn’t but the metal shade has lots of holes and has a colander look. I’ve always enjoyed your lamps throughout your home. I much prefer lamps to overhead lights. Brenda – it’s Fri-YAY! LOL
I have a thin taller lamp on an end table in my kitchen we turn on after dinner is over and kitchen cleaned up. It is enough light to navigate around when we walk in for a tv snack. During dinner I do keep overhead lights on to cook with and for eating but then it is Kitchen Closed! I also have a small lamp I then go turn on in the bedroom so it’s ready when we shut all other other lamps off for the night.
Wow, your lamps are very cute, as well as the others you have shown in this post. The lighting in my current kitchen is terrible. I put small lamps at opposite corners of the longer run of counter space. It makes a big difference and the ambient light at night is really nice.
I’m not a fan of overhead lighting. My kitchen isn’t large so two countertop lamps (15″ tall and owned for many moons) work just fine for me. If I need extra light, I’ll turn on the range hood light or, if I’m doing dishes at night (a rare event), I’ll turn on the ugly old boob light above the kitchen sink. It probably doesn’t seem light enough to most people but it works for me. I’m a “low light” person when it comes to lighting my house during the day and at night, or on gloomy days (which we get a lot of during winters in SE Wisconsin). If I have guests for dinner, I’ll turn on a low light lamp or two and light some candles. On gloomy days if I need light to read, I’ll turn on my old “pharmacy” lamp with a low wattage bulb, I can raise or lower the height and rotate the head around to get the perfect amount of light to read with a 25 watt bulb. At night, I have a 4 watt “night light” in the bathroom and if I’m in my office/den/library I have a 4 watt mini “desk lamp” on one of the book case shelves that provides enough light for me to be on my computer or watch shows on my “smart” TV that sits on a dresser in the room. It’s not unusual for me to sit in the dark at night, with just candle light and a small fire going in my gel fuel fireplace. I recently purchased two lamps from Target, “Polyresin mini table lamp with circle base” by Threshold, for $12 each. They are 12.5″ tall and I love them flanking each side of my fireplace mantel. Currently they each hold an incandescent 15 watt bulb from my old-fashioned stash of light bulbs. For me, they set the perfect mood if I’m in the room with my laptop streaming shows/videos and I don’t have a fire going in the fireplace.
I do so much cooking and baking in my kitchen I don’t think it would be practical to have a lamp in there.
We don’t have a table in the kitchen, there isn’t room with a big island. There are
two comfortable stools if we want to eat at the island but that isn’t often. We have
lighting over the island which we can dim if we like.
When I am cooking or baking I need full lighting so that I can read my recipes.
I have two kitchen lamps. One is a ceramic chicken as the base. It is on the counter near the coffee maker, where I spoon and measure the coffee.
The other is a 16″ antique fancy metal base, with an umbrella shape Tiffany look glass shade. This sits on a small apothecary chest where I store napkins, dish towels, and kitchen decor for holidays.
I do have two small overhead crystal chandlers, both on dimmers, one above the kitchen table and the other above the sink, but use them very seldom. Then two overhead hanging lights above the kitchen island. We have these on in the early morning , but they are not overly bright. Counter top or table top has always been my favorite for cozy lamp lighting.
I, too, love lamps and not overhead lighting. I wish lamp makers would make lamps that have batteries as I don’t have convenient outlets and HATE seeing cords. I do know you can get re-chargeable battery lightbulbs but there again the lamp has to be plugged in. Somebody pleeeeeease invent a battery operated nice looking lamp.
I agree with you!
Check out Nesting With Grace’a magic light trick using battery hockey puck lights (with remote) to make any sconce light cordless. You could probably also do it with a table lamp. Brooke of the Nesting With Grace also loves small table lamps and uses them all over her house including the kitchen.
I like to use an overhead light in the kitchen although I am thinking I might need a small table lamp at night to make tea after the overhead light goes off
The lamps in your kitchen are lovely and totally add to the coziness! A beautiful collection of lamps. I have a few smaller ones about the house so totally enjoy. Happy St Patrick’s Day💚🍀💚
I am a lamp hoarder I guess. There’s nothing that appeals to me more than seeing a new lamp on sale!
I totally agree with you that lamps make for a cozy kitchen. I have a taller one on a side table in the kitchen. I use it a lot. My sister is looking for one for her table so she can sit there and see more when she wants to work at the table. Like the variety you have shown us.
I use them for different things I guess. The type of lighting I choose to put where.