End table, lamp should match sofa’s style

: I’ve just bought a new sofa, and now I need an end table and lamp to finish the grouping. Any suggestions on how to pick the right combination?

A: I was faced with a similar challenge just the other day. I upset the balance in the universe, or at least in my study, when I broke up the winning sofa/end table/lamp combo that had worked well there for years. I can’t explain it, but I was suddenly overcome by an all-consuming need to amp up the accent lighting in my foyer. As I hunted through my house for the right lamp to conscript into duty, I seized upon the lamp on the end table in the study. In a flash, it was unplugged and promoted to the foyer.

But now I was faced with a new dilemma: finding a replacement that worked perfectly with the end table and sofa. A few days later, I happened upon the ideal lamp in my husband, Dan’s, office at the store. I snuck it home to stand in until I found a lamp I loved. Now, if Dan knew I had stolen his lamp, he would have ranted and raved and cursed the day he married a retailer, just like he did the time I sold his desk and office chair out from under him. But the lamp was gone for weeks and to my amazement, he never noticed!

So I can relate to your desire to have the perfect sofa/end table/lamp grouping, even at the risk of marital angst. When picking a table and lamp to accent your new sofa, you need to first ask yourself a few key questions. What is the scale of your sofa? Is it large and beefy or delicate and dainty? The end table you pick must complement your sofa.

Next, do you want your end table to match the other wood pieces in the room or to offer a bit of variation? We’re seeing a resurgence in matching end tables in transitional furnishing groupings. Personally, I like a harmonious but eclectic look in which the color, finish and shape of the wood pieces don’t match.

You must also decide how much surface area your end table must offer. Do you just want it to hold a lamp? Or do you need a table that’s large enough to also house stacks of books and a beautiful tablescape? I wanted the end tables in my living room to hold a lot, so I placed a Pembroke table, which features two drop leaves and a center drawer, on one side of the sofa and a piecrust table with an adorable curvy rim on the other side.

A good rule of thumb is to select an end table that is within 3 inches of the arm of your sofa so that the grouping is balanced and the table surface is easy to reach. If the table is too tall, it will loom over the sofa. If it’s too short, it will be dwarfed by the sofa.

Picking a lamp for your end table is like picking art: It has to speak to you. There are so many fabulous and affordable lamps to choose from these days; you won’t have trouble finding one that steals your heart. I’m particularly fond of the lamp bases that look like balustrades, urns or even large leaves.

A common mistake people make when picking a lamp by their sofa is to select one that’s too small. Stay away from a spindly buffet lamp and go for one that offers some heft. If you want to read by the lamp’s light, choose one with a light-colored shade that is tall enough to shine over your shoulder.

Good luck as you play matchmaker, pairing together the end table and lamp duo that will look fabulous with your new sofa.

Mary Carol Garrity owns several home furnishings stores in Atchison, Kan., and wrote several books on home decorating. Write to her at nellhills@mail.lvnworth .com. Her column is syndicated by Scripps Howard News Service.