The Nantucket Charm Edit
Coastal Lighting
Ginger jar lamps, rattan pendants, brass sconces and porch lanterns — warm light in three layers.
A beautiful room lit by one ceiling fixture still looks like a rental.
Three sources at three heights is the whole rule: something overhead, a pair of lamps at eye level when seated, and one low flicker on the mantel or the porch rail. Warm bulbs, dimmers on everything, and a good linen shade on the lamp you already own.
Start Here
Table & Floor Lamps
Ginger jar porcelain, turned wood and brass — the pair of lamps that sets the temperature of the whole room.
Lighting
Blue & White Chinoiserie Ginger Jar Table Lamps (Pair)
A pair of classic hand-painted blue and white porcelain ginger jar lamps with warm brass bases and ivory drum linen shades — the flanking lamps I'd set on garden stools on either side of a slipcovered sofa for that timeless Grandmillennial glow.
Lighting
MacKenzie-Childs Royal Check Cordless Table Lamp
A rechargeable cordless lamp with a hand-painted royal-blue-and-cream check shade, crystal finial, and gilded pedestal base — the sweetest little glow for a bar cart, a bedside, or a picnic on the porch.
Lighting
Blue & White Chinoiserie Porcelain Table Lamp with Ivory Bell Shade
A hand-painted blue-and-white pagoda-and-willow porcelain tea-jar base with a crisp ivory bell shade and matching porcelain finial — the Grandmillennial classic I'd flank a slipcovered sofa with or set on a nightstand for full 'Sconset library energy.
Lighting
MacKenzie-Childs Candlestick Lamp — Light Blue & White Sky Check
A hand-painted sky-check candlestick base with gilded rings and a creamy bell shade — the small lamp I'd set on a nightstand or a kitchen counter for that low, buttery evening light.
Lighting
Cut Crystal Urn Table Lamp with Polished Brass Base & Silk Bell Shade
A traditional cut-crystal urn lamp on a polished brass footed base finished with an ivory silk bell shade — the heirloom lamp I'd set on a skirted table between a pair of blue-and-white ginger jars for that timeless, Palm-Beach-meets-Nantucket living room.
Lighting
Lobster Buoy Coastal Cottage Table Lamp — Seafoam Blue & Cream with Rope Knot
A hand-painted seafoam and cream striped lobster-buoy base with a real cotton rope knot and a natural linen empire shade — the little nightstand lamp that instantly turns a guest room into a Nantucket cottage.
Lighting
Vintage Coastal Distressed Blue Swing-Arm Floor Lamp with Linen Bell Shade
A carved urn-style column washed in soft weathered sea-glass blue, a swing-arm neck for reading, and a natural linen bell shade — the standing lamp I'd tuck beside a pale blue linen sofa under a framed schooner painting for that shingled-cottage sitting-room glow after sunset.
Lighting
MacKenzie-Childs Sterling Check Candlestick Lamp with Ivory Bell Shade
A hand-painted blue-and-cream Sterling Check candlestick base with a crisp ivory silk bell shade — the sweet little bedside lamp I'd put a pair of on either side of a slipcovered guest-room bed for that shingled-cottage bedside glow.
Lighting
Stacked Crystal Candlestick Table Lamps with Ivory Bell Shades (Set of 2)
A pair of slender stacked cut-crystal candlestick lamps finished with soft ivory silk bell shades — the ladylike bedside lamp I'd flank a headboard with, or set on a pair of skirted end tables in a blue-and-white living room.
Lighting
Coastal Shell Table Lamps with USB Ports — Whitewashed (Set of 2)
A pair of whitewashed shutter-carved lamp bases topped with scalloped shell finials and crisp linen bell shades — the bedside pair I'd flank a white iron bed with for that quiet, weathered 'Sconset guest-room feeling (with USB ports tucked into the base for good measure).
Lighting
Small Blue & White Glass Ginger Jar Lamp with Floral Toile Shade
A petite clear-glass ginger jar base with brass hardware and a blue-and-ivory floral toile shade — the perfect little nightstand or powder-room lamp for a Grandmillennial cottage bedroom.
Indoor Furniture
26" Coastal Ceramic Table Lamps with White Drum Shades (Set of 2, Blue Accent)
Cream ceramic bases with a soft hydrangea-blue brushstroke at the foot and crisp white drum shades — the pair I'd put on either side of a console in the entry or flanking the guest bed.
Lighting
JONATHAN Y Bella 27" Cobalt Glass Triple-Sphere Table Lamps, Set of 2
A pair of 27-inch table lamps stacking three glowing cobalt glass spheres beneath a natural linen drum shade on a polished chrome base — the punch of true blue I'd set on matching nightstands in a white-paneled guest room with crisp ticking-stripe bedding and a jug of hydrangeas between them. Silk-wrapped cords, rotary switches, LED bulbs included.
Lighting
Blue Scrollwork Ceramic Table Lamps with USB Ports (Set of 2)
A pair of hand-painted blue-and-cream scrollwork ceramic urn lamps with linen bell shades and clever built-in USB ports — the bedside lamp I'd flank a slipcovered headboard with, stacked between a pair of hydrangea prints for a proper coastal-guestroom moment.
Lighting
JONATHAN Y Penelope Chinoiserie Ginger Jar 22" Table Lamp, White & Green
A porcelain ginger jar painted with green birds and blossoming branches, set on a brass foot under a crisp white linen shade — the lamp that makes a nightstand or an entry console look like it was always there.
Indoor Furniture
JONATHAN Y Blue & White Paisley Ceramic Ginger Jar Table Lamp (29")
A proper porcelain ginger-jar lamp — cobalt paisley scrolling over crisp white ceramic, brass-tone base and finial, topped with a clean white linen drum shade. The nightstand lamp I put on either side of a slipcovered bed in the guest room, or a pair flanking a sofa on a chinoiserie console. Reads Old Nantucket the second you turn it on.
Lighting
JONATHAN Y Choi 23" Chinoiserie Ceramic Table Lamp — Blue & White
A hand-painted blue-and-white ceramic tea-jar lamp on a clear acrylic base with a crisp white linen drum shade and crystal finial — the classic grandmillennial lamp I'd pair on a console with a stack of art books and a bowl of sea glass.
Lighting
JONATHAN Y Grace 24" Blue & White Chinoiserie Ginger Jar Table Lamp
Blue birds and blossoms hand-drawn on a white porcelain urn with a gold base and crisp white linen shade — buy two, flank the sofa, and the room is instantly finished.
Lighting
Kenroy Home Fishing Rod & Reel Table Lamp with Burlap Shade
An arched bronze fly rod with a working-looking reel and a burlap shade — the lamp that makes a boy's desk or a den corner feel like a fishing camp on the Cape.
Lighting
23" Pink Ceramic Ginger Jar Table Lamps (Set of 2)
A darling pair of 23-inch blush-pink ceramic ginger jar lamps on brushed silver bases with soft ivory drum shades — the sweetest bedside pair I'd flank a tufted headboard with, or set on a skirted dressing table beside a footed jewelry tray and a bud vase of ranunculus.
Lighting
JONATHAN Y Daphne Ribbed Gourd Table Lamp 20" — White & Brass Gold
A ribbed double-gourd in milk white on a brushed brass foot with a white linen drum shade — buy the pair for a bedroom and the nightstands finally match without looking like a set.
Lighting
Jonathan Y Cobalt Blue Glass Rope-Wrapped Table Lamp
Deep sea-glass blue with a hank of jute rope at the neck and an oatmeal linen shade — I love a pair of these flanking a bed against white shiplap.
Lighting
White Lattice Ceramic Ginger Jar Table Lamp with Gold Base
An ivory pierced-lattice ceramic ginger-jar lamp on a warm brushed-gold base with a crisp white linen drum shade — the polished little lamp I'd set on a nightstand between a stack of coastal novels and a bud vase of white ranunculus.
Lighting
Rinweey 30" White & Gold Touch Table Lamps with USB Ports, Set of 2
A sculpted gold flame twisting up from a white marble foot under a crisp drum shade, three-way dimmable with USB-A and C in the base — the pair I'd put on guest-room nightstands so nobody has to ask where to charge a phone.
Lighting
Light Blue Ceramic Coastal Table Lamp with White Linen Shade
A soft powder-blue matte ceramic table lamp with a clean white linen drum shade — the everyday coastal lamp I'd set on a bleached-oak nightstand beside a piece of white coral and a candle burning sea salt and cedar.
Lighting
SUNMORY 63" Black Shelf Floor Lamp with 4-Tier Bookshelf
A slim 63-inch column lamp with a warm linen-look shade and four open shelves built into the base — the hardworking corner piece I'd fill with stacked art books, a small hydrangea, and a framed harbor sketch.
Lighting
Jonathan Y Rope Knot Nautical Table Lamp
A monkey's-fist rope knot on a driftwood base under a crisp white linen shade — the nightstand lamp that reads nautical without a single anchor on it.
Lighting
Lighthouse Table Lamp Set of 2 with USB Ports & 3 Color Temperatures
A pair of navy-and-white resin lighthouse lamps with cream linen shades, built-in USB ports, and three color temperatures — the nautical nightstand set I'd flank a guest bed with, or put on a console by the beach house door where they charge phones and look like little sentinels keeping watch.
Lighting
Gold Bow 12" Table Lamps with Blue Pleated Shades (Set of 2)
A pair of little brass lamps tied with a gilded ribbon bow beneath crisp cornflower pleated shades — the sweetest coquette-coastal pair I'd set on matching nightstands in a guest room with a scalloped headboard and blue-and-white toile.
Lighting
TORONATA Benton 13" White Ceramic Table Lamp with Scalloped Shade
A little glazed white gourd base under a scalloped natural shade — the sweet, small-scale lamp for a nightstand or a hall table where a full-size lamp would swallow the surface.
Lighting
Lily of the Valley 5-Flower Vintage Table Lamp — 3 Color Modes
Five frosted glass bells nodding on soft sage stems, dimmable through three warm color modes — the little bedside glow that reads like a pressed-flower illustration come to life.
Lighting
AMWGIMI Rose Flower Cordless LED Touch Lamp — Heart Frame
A crystal-cut globe blooming with blush roses inside a slender gold heart, cordless and dimmed with a touch — the small romantic gift I'd wrap for a birthday and set on a vanity or a bedside stack of novels.
Overhead
Chandeliers & Pendants
Rattan domes, beaded chandeliers and schoolhouse glass for the island, the entry and the stairwell.
Lighting
Wellmet 12-Light Wagon Wheel Chandelier — 39" Farmhouse Candle Style
On the Wall
Sconces & Picture Lights
Brass swing arms beside the bed and slim picture lights over the needlepoint — the layer most rooms skip.
Lighting
Brushed Gold Wall Sconces with Ivory Fabric Shade — Set of 2 Battery-Operated Dimmable
Porch & Table
Lanterns & Hurricanes
Candle lanterns for the porch rail and hurricanes for the table, when the light should flicker.
Baskets & Storage
Oriental Furniture Red Lantern 31" Rush Grass Storage Chest
Porch & Garden
TRIROCKS Farmhouse White Wood Candle Lanterns with Tempered Glass (Set of 2, 24.5" & 17.5")
Before You Order
How to Light a Coastal Room
- 1. Shade bottom at eye level. Seated eye level, which means a 26 to 32 inch lamp on a side table and 30 to 34 inches behind a sofa.
- 2. Buy the shade, not just the lamp. Crisp white linen or paper. A plastic-backed shade is what makes an expensive lamp look cheap.
- 3. 30 to 36 inches over the island. Measured to the bottom of the pendant. Over a dining table, 30 to 34 inches.
- 4. 2700K and dimmable. Warm white only. Cool daylight bulbs flatten every blue in the room.
- 5. Damp-rated for the porch. Covered porch: damp-rated. Anything the rain reaches: wet-rated, in brass or marine stainless.
Questions We Get
Lighting Questions
- How tall should a table lamp be?
- The bottom of the shade should sit at eye level when you are seated — for most side tables that means a lamp 26 to 32 inches tall overall. On a console behind a sofa, go taller, 30 to 34 inches, so the light clears the sofa back.
- Why do ginger jar lamps look so expensive?
- Because of the shade and the base, not the jar. A crisp white linen or paper drum shade and a solid brass base turn a $90 porcelain lamp into something that reads like an antique. Swap a cheap plastic-backed shade first — it is the single highest-return change in a room.
- How high should a pendant hang over an island?
- Thirty to thirty-six inches from the countertop to the bottom of the shade, and center each pendant over a third of the island if you are hanging two. For a dining table, 30 to 34 inches above the tabletop.
- What bulbs make a room feel like a summer house?
- Warm white, 2700K, dimmable, and never brighter than 800 lumens in a lamp. Cool daylight bulbs are what make a beautifully decorated room feel like a waiting area.
- Can I use indoor lanterns on a covered porch?
- Only if they are rated damp or wet location. On a covered Nantucket porch, damp-rated is enough; anything exposed to blowing rain needs wet-rated, and the finish should be brass, powder-coated black or marine-grade stainless.
- How many lamps does a living room need?
- Three sources minimum, at different heights: an overhead or pendant, two table lamps, and one low source like a picture light or a lantern on the mantel. Layering is what separates a warm room from a lit one.
The Coastal Cottage Styling Guide
A 12-page Nantucket-inspired playbook — hydrangea-blue rooms, weathered cedar curb appeal, and the pieces I'd buy again tomorrow. Plus the weekly Sunday finds. Free, no spam.
Prefer to preview first? See what's inside the guide →