Adding a shelf behind couch

[ssmjlm]

So our family room doesn’t have a good spot for lamp lighting. It has 3 openings, fireplace, and a patio door.

I want to add a shallow shelf and a lamp. We really only have the overhead lights otherwise.

We’ve been here almost 7 years and this sport behind the couch only really gets used by the dog. Humans don’t really walk here.

Do you think it will work? The wall is about 60”.

[orval]

I think I would do a floor lamp before I would do a shelf. You have to take into account the width/depth of a shade so it would need to be deep, unless you have a narrow, straight lamp.

ETA lamps plus has a lot of nice floor lamps  www.lampsplus.com/products/floor-lamps/

[mpm]

Yellow Brick Home did this:

yellowbrickhome.com/a-simple-console-shelf-diy/

yellowbrickhome.com/slim-diy-console-behind-the-sofa/

I love that they included a hole for a cell phone charger and the version with storage on the sides.

[kitty]

I would worry that it would be so slim that any lamp you could fit there wouldn’t be large enough to have the right scale for the furniture.

I’d try a cantilevered floor lamp or a plug in sconce or two.

[ssmjlm]

Mar 10, 2023 16:06:43 GMT -5 orval said:

I think I would do a floor lamp before I would do a shelf. You have to take into account the width/depth of a shade so it would need to be deep, unless you have a narrow, straight lamp.

ETA lamps plus has a lot of nice floor lamps  www.lampsplus.com/products/floor-lamps/

DH is adamantly against a floor lamp. He doesn’t want anything hanging over the couch itself.

[maudefindlay]

Mar 11, 2023 14:23:59 GMT -5 ssmjlm said:

Mar 10, 2023 16:06:43 GMT -5 orval said:

I think I would do a floor lamp before I would do a shelf. You have to take into account the width/depth of a shade so it would need to be deep, unless you have a narrow, straight lamp.

ETA lamps plus has a lot of nice floor lamps  www.lampsplus.com/products/floor-lamps/

DH is adamantly against a floor lamp. He doesn’t want anything hanging over the couch itself.

I like the above noted Yellow Brick Home solution. I'll add that Young House Love made a table for behind the sofa too. I'm not a floor lamp fan either.

[orval]

Mar 11, 2023 14:23:59 GMT -5 ssmjlm said:

Mar 10, 2023 16:06:43 GMT -5 orval said:

I think I would do a floor lamp before I would do a shelf. You have to take into account the width/depth of a shade so it would need to be deep, unless you have a narrow, straight lamp.

ETA lamps plus has a lot of nice floor lamps  www.lampsplus.com/products/floor-lamps/

DH is adamantly against a floor lamp. He doesn’t want anything hanging over the couch itself.

Got it -- even though you don't have to have one hanging over the couch!  I do like the linked shelf above.
If you do the shelf, I would look for a lamp like these.  The shade is only 9 inches deep so it would fit on a 12 inch shelf with a couple inches to spare.  


www.target.com/p/360-lighting-modern-glam-luxury-table-lamp-30-tall-gold-metal-open-base-oatmeal-rectangular-shade-for-living-room-bedroom-house-bedside/-/A-83684888#lnk=sametab

www.target.com/p/360-lighting-modern-table-lamps-27-tall-set-of-2-with-usb-charging-ports-black-metal-white-rectangular-shade-living-room-bedroom-bedside/-/A-80117139#lnk=sametab

Or some kind of straight lamp that doesn't have a traditional shade  www.wayfair.com/lighting/pdp/george-oliver-stela-17-walnut-table-lamp-w003528496.html

[lolalolalola]

can you add a better picture? 

We have a narrow sofa table between our sofa and the wall with a lamp on it. works great. 

[dr.girlfriend]

You can buy sofa tables that slim with built-in plugs, etc. I would think about doing that unless it's really important to you to let the dog go back there.

[simpsongal]

Agreed on desiring a better visual - A console table behind a sofe is pretty classic, you can rest a drink and a thin lamp there. My initial reaction was a floor lamp or plug in sconce (cool ones too - stylebyemilyhenderson.com/blog/the-power-of-the-sculptural-sconce )