The popular gooseneck lamp is a great invention when it comes to effective lighting.  I love the adaptability of the lamp, and how you can twist the neck so that it can highlight different areas and how specifically it can light up a certain spot. They make great floor lamps, desk lamps and everyday lamps. Here are some uses for gooseneck lamps–ranging from well known uses, to things that you may not have even thought of.

Gooseneck Floor Lamp: Obviously they make great floor lamps.  Just be sure that the base is heavy enough to allow you to stretch the neck of the lamp as far as you need to, and all should be well.  The best place to situate a lamp, believe it or not, if you are actually using it to light up your work, book or craftwork and not just to provide additional soft, or otherwise, lighting in your room, is directly behind your chair or couch. That way, the light shines from behind, over your shoulder (right or left, you can position the lamp as you desire) giving you optimum lighting.  You can also use gooseneck floor lamps to shine on something specifically in your room that you want to highlight, such as a feature shelf or a painting.  Frequently these types of lamps are made from brass or frosted glass, and you can also buy them with a couple of shades or bulbs on the one extension. Truly versatile!

Desk Lamp: It goes without saying that the gooseneck desk lamp is probably the most common desk lamp of all. Why? Because they work so well! You can position them wherever you like, and wherever you have space, on your desk and then use the gooseneck to stretch or twist to highlight exactly what you are working on at the time.

For Reading: Yes, the gooseneck lamp is the best lamp to use while reading.  Table lamps look great, especially if the shade has designs on it, but they are not very good when it comes to directing light to the written page. The gooseneck lamp, on the other hand, can reach right over and shine on whatever it is you are holding in your hand–a book, knitting or sewing, or any other craft material.

Piano Lamp: The gooseneck lamp wins hands down again for illuminating keys and music.  Most of the piano lamps you see are in fact this type of lamp. They are great, when you are trying to create a specific mood or atmosphere, as they can reach over and highlight the sheets of music and keys without illuminating the rest of the room.

Portable Gooseneck floor lamp for those confined to bed or wheelchair: A portable gooseneck floor lamp is great if you are caring for an elderly person, or someone who is sick or confined to the house.  You can simply move it back and forth from bed to wheelchair. That way, there is always steady lighting available.

Bedside Lamp: The highly flexible goosenecks are great for making sure that you have adequate light in the bedroom, should you wish to read at night before sleeping. You can position it so that it does not shine on or disturb your partner either, if they tend to go to sleep before you do at night.

Studio Lamp: You will often see this type of lamp used in studios, during photo shoots. If any area needs more light, or needs highlighting, the flexible neck makes it very easy to correctly position the light, in seconds. It can also shine from behind the photographer, over his head, to provide more soft light at the front of the picture area. They are also great to use for outdoor photography as well, as they give much more focused light than regular outdoor lighting, such as the outdoor pendant.

Drawing, Sketching and Painting: Gooseneck art lamps are great, as you can direct the light and highlight specific areas of the model, or whatever it is you are sketching.  Light is very important when it comes to art, and being able to manipulate it via using a gooseneck lamp is very convenient.

Outdoor Lighting: You can even use these lamps, either floor standing or even desk lamp (they can sit on tables) for any temporary outdoor lighting needs you may have, such as outdoor holiday lighting.   If you only need them temporarily, they can be moved in and out at will, giving you suitable lighting when needed outdoors.

Fighting Fleas: I really could not resist including this use, although it is not one that I would have thought of on my own. Still, it does make sense when you think about it!  For those of you who prefer evasive techniques of getting rid of fleas rather than outright confrontation, you can try to put a basin of water on the floor with some dishwashing detergent in it.  Apparently, if you place a small gooseneck lamp in the basin and leave it on over night, it will attract the fleas who will then become trapped in the detergent and soon come to an end.  I am not one hundred percent sure how wise it is to immerse the base of a gooseneck lamp in water, it would seem a tad dangerous to me.  Perhaps you stand the light on something, such as a brick or a plastic box, that is placed in the center of a basin of liquid.

If you have any other unique uses for the humble gooseneck lamp, please just drop a comment and let me know. I am sure all of my readers would benefit from your expertise!