A single overhead light is rarely the right approach to creating attractive décor or even adequate illumination. With most any room, you'll need to augment the overhead light with lamps. Lamps come in a wide variety of styles. Below are five popular styles and how they can enhance your décor.

The candlestick lamp is a tabletop style that consists of a slim base topped with a lampshade. The base resembles a candlestick — hence, the name. The ornamentation of the base can range from simple to elaborate. You often see a candlestick lamp topped with a fancy or even custom shade.

Candlestick lamps are popular for living rooms and bedrooms. You can choose matching lamps to sit on tables flanking the bed or sofa. Depending on their level of ornamentation, these lamps tend to look formal. Candlestick lamps with a lot of ornamentation on the base and shade would be ideal to promote a sense of glamour in a room.

This style of desk lamp features a short base with a glass shade. The shade is half-cylindrical — the classic color is green, but you can find other colors. The base is typically made of metal and doesn't feature a high degree of ornamentation, and the light is usually activated with a pull cord.

Naturally, a banker's lamp is ideal for any place you have a working desk. Such lamps tend to look historical, so they work well in any of the historical décor styles. However, the colorful, geometric shade could mesh well in a modern space. Banker's lamps are also a good choice for more masculine décor.

A relative of the banker's lamp is the pharmacy lamp. This style of lamp consists of a swing-arm base. The classic style features a semi-circular metal shade. However, you see pharmacy lamps with caged shades, half-cylindrical shades, or even no shade at all. These lamps can be either desk or floor lamps.

As with the banker's lamp, a pharmacy lamp works well for task lighting at a desk, especially one with traditional or historical style. However, the sharp lines of the lamp coincide with modern décor principles, so you could use a pharmacy lamp with ultra-modern décor. A pharmacy lamp with a caged shade would look attractive in an industrial-styled room.

This style of floor lamp consists of a trunk-style base and multiple lights with shades. Some styles even feature arcs of lights branching out from the top. Tree lamps come in almost any décor style. The shades can be glass, metal, or fabric. When the lights jut out from the trunk, usually the shades are bell or horn-shaped. With the arched style, the shades are often barrel-shaped.

Tree lamps are very popular for living rooms and bedroom. Because you have multiple light sources, they work well anywhere you need light directed in different spots. The standard trunk-style is more adjustable than the one with arcs. However, the arched style tends to be more decorative.

Torchiere lamps are usually floor lamps, but you do see tabletop varieties. The floor lamps consist of a tall body topped by a shade that faces upward. Usually, the lampshade is glass and resembles a wide-mouth bowl. With tabletop torchiere lamps, you often find more elaborate bases and shades. You even see novelty lamps topped with torchiere lighting.

Torchiere lamps are very popular because they provide more light than most floor lamps. The shade directs the light up, where it bounces off of walls and the ceiling. You don't get as direct of light, though, so torchiere lamps are better for ambient rather than task lighting. The uplifting effect could be a beautiful way to draw attention to architecture or artwork.

Choose a lamp style that complements your décor and place it so the illumination facilitates any tasks. Visit Lamps & Lamp Shades Specialties to find the ideal lamps for your home.