Lamps that match are 28" tall. On one side, I have a rattan table with a magazine rack, on the other, an antique sewing machine base with a glass & wood top. Both are 28" tall. I had to look long to find the rattan side table the same height as my iron base. I have 3-way bulbs in lamps so they can be used for ambient lighting as well as reading. The one thing I wish I had would be more of a drum shade or even lamps with light colored shades for more light.

Red

Hi,
Mine are 24" tall and have 3-way light bulbs (CFLs that are supposed to be equivalent to 150 watt at the brightest.) As my eyes get older I need much brighter light. They have shades similar to Red's.

I did have wall mounted lamps but dh broke one and I couldn't find a match to the single one I had left; thought I'd try something different. I think I prefer the lamps on the nightstands, though they do take up room in my tiny bedroom. My nightstands are the same height as the bed (the top of the mattress.)

Now I think about it it would be better to have taller lamps, as I have to always read leaning on my side to get the best light.

No pictures because I haven't found the lamps I really want at a price I can live with yet... But I do know what my requirements are. Most lamps are really designed for decoration, not reading. The fabric type shades block a lot of light with darker fabric being worse than lighter fabrics. At a minimum you need 100 watt bulb, but 150 is better. My night stand is too small for a desk lamp so I need a floor lamp; I need the space for my book of the moment. The lamp needs to be adjustable height so I get just the right lighting. A pivot arm is good for the same purpose. If your bedroom is modern/transitional you should have no problem as there are lots of options. My bedroom is traditional and I have a modern/functional lamp for reading: it's almost 'Gumby' in number of ways I can adjust it. It's not a bad looking lamp, it just belongs in another space. But as I'm more concerned with reading than taking tours through my bedroom, it works for now. I included a link to a similar lamp to mine, but mine is much more powerful in light output. The adjustable design is perfect for reading lamps though with the light going onto your book, not the ceiling.

Here is a link that might be useful: Adjustable lamp

I think the best reading lamps are wall mounted halogen lamps. We loved the wall mounted halogen swing arm lamps that we had in our last house - they were black metal with a black metal shade (they were a broad coned shaped shade but not large) that rotated - they could fold against the wall...I ordered them from a lighting store...they didn't interfere with lamps on the bedside table and they gave very bright reading light - and they were very neutral - almost unnoticeable.

Ideally, your nightstand is around the same height as the top of your mattress. In my experience, a lamp on the nightstand works best if it's somewhere in the 25-30" height range. Look for a 3-way lamp for the best flexibility. I usually look for the ones that have 50-100-150 watts.

I love swing arm lamps in the bedroom as you can put the light where you want it...closer to your eyes when reading then back to center when not. They pivot in all directions and normally pull out/push in. I like the ones with the switches on the fixture, not with the in-line switches. I also make sure they come with the metal cord covers.

They also free up your nightstand which is nice.

My husband and I are HUGE readers so lighting for reading in bed is very important to us. We have swing arm wall mount lamps in the master bedroom as well as in one of the guest rooms. The lamps are mounted so that they're about 28" from the top of the bed to the bottom of the lamp shade. That's higher than many online sources will tell you to mount them but, if you like to read in bed while propped up by a few pillows, it's perfect!

Wall mount swing arm lamps come in many different styles. This is what we have in the spare bedroom:
{{!gwi}}

Oops, I'm sorry. I should have read your first post more carefully. You clearly stated that you do not want wall mount lamps! If I knew how to delete my prior post I would but, since I don't, please disregard it!

Whitdobe, don't worry about it. For the OP who doesn't want wall-mounted, it's not a big deal, but for those who may be considering them, it's nice to have a photo!

Red

Whitdobe...me bad too! LOL

Thanks, everyone, for all your comments and helpful advice, especially the photos. There's so much to consider and I appreciate your indulging me. The hunt will begin next week and I'll post when I finally have found the right lamps. (But remember I take forever to make decisions so please be patient!)