Turn the lamp on.

I know it sounds obvious, but what happens when you turn the floor lamp on, does the crazy shadow in this corner disappear? In a living room especially, you need to layer lighting with a choice of table lamps, floor lamps, sconce lighting, ceiling lights etc to eliminate shadows.

What other lights do you have in the room?

Turning the lamp on does nothing and I don't want to have the lamp on all the time.

We also have two sconces in the room but they are controlled by same switch as pot lights.

If we could have a more comprehensive look at the room it would help. From the view you have offered a large painting or even framed wallpaper would do nicely.

I don't get why turning on a light in a dark room isn't an option. The room is dark enough that objects are casting shadows. That means it needs to have light added. More lamps and even some uplights are needed to create the layers of light here. Overhead lighting is harsh and should only be used as generalized room lighting. You still need accent and task lighting layers. I.e. lamps and uplights.

Do you turn on all lights in your rooms all the time? I never do. The room should look good regardless of lighting. Lights should improve the look. As indicated already turning the light on doesn't remove the shadow anyway.

Remove the lamp, as it is the cause of the unwanted shadow.

And put what in its place is the question?

*vase, not base;)

Remove the lamp and start with nothing for a couple of days, no more reflection.

It looks like you need a small table in the corner anyway, you could try that and maybe add a smaller lamp in case you need it?

Removing a lamp from a dark room is silly. The room doesn't have enough light as it is. That's why the overhead lights are casting shadows. If there were more lights at the human level, there would be no shadows.

Turn on the floor lamp and add other lamps. And use them when you use the room. There's no need for them when you are quickly passing through, but any time you are in the room, yea, you should turn on all of the lights. 10 Energy efficient LED bulbs will still use less electricity than a single incandescent bulb.

Where would you put more lights? This is the rest of the room. (Excuse the mantle it's vacant while we redo the trim)

There aren't a ton of other options or surfaces where lights would/could go.

You could put another floor lamp maybe an arc one to the back righT of the sofa and have it arc over the coffee table and then a table between the 2 chairs with a large table lamp That might give you the extra light you need

Well, the sconces are too high and need moving down. The sofa needs a table next to it with a lamp. The TV need an up light behind it. And a rug and drapes.

Proper lighting is one of the most neglected aspects to great design in a room. Layers of light is your best solution. Uplights, table lamps & floor lamps as well as wall sconces should be used for regular use. The pot lights only when you have a need for additional lighting (also they should be most helpful on a dimmer.)

Small tables next to the sofa for the table lamps, The uplight in the corner between the chairs on the floor.

Thanks Sandra! Your comments were super helpful.

I've never seen up lights used in a room though?

Happy to put a lamp on the end table at the one end of the couch but we don't want to add another end table on the other side as the is the walkway through to the dining area.

No interest in a rug and drapes.

Try a floodlight bulb in your can lights to spread the light.

I bought some uplights once & was amazed at how much visual space they added to my room. Adding them to corners behind a piece of furniture is really effective.

Logically speaking, if you put an object fairly high up and close to a wall, it doesn't really matter what you use for lighting, there's going to be a prominent shadow on the wall.

You can see that there is a shadow behind the TV but because the TV is much lower than the lamp you don't really notice the shadow. Try moving the lamp and table further from the wall or use a shorter table and or lamp.

Good luck!

Just noticed it's just a tall lamp. Disregard comment about table.

There are some beautiful floor lamps available at reasonable prices. Turn off the overhead lights and add more table and floor lamps. The only time overhead lights are necessary is if you need more light for cleaning or doing other tasks. But generally speaking you don't need overhead lights in a family room for general entertaining. It's very harsh and unflattering.

Thanks everyone! We are selling the house. The overhead lights were added based on feedback from buyers.

We will work on layering other lighting options too

Well then, no need to buy lamps, lol. Good luck with the sale of your home.

If we were to get a rug what size would you recommend? Would you move the chairs?