If you are looking for lighting systems for your home, there are two paths that you can take; one would be to look at the traditional lighting systems that most of us have in our homes, and the other would be to look at the newer more contemporary styles that are available nowadays.
The traditional lighting systems would include ceiling lights, wall fixtures, outside lamps etc. While there are many contemporary designs in these lights too there are others like floor lamps, tripod lamps and solar powered lights that depart from traditional thinking when it comes to lighting systems for the home. Many of the designs that come nowadays are very beautiful, and are slowly entering mainstream usage because of this. The tripod lamp is one such lamp.
The tripod lamp is just another take on the traditional table lamp, except that it comes with a tripod instead of a lamp stand. The use of the tripod gives the lamp a firmer base which is not always true of the lamp stand. The tripod also comes in different lengths or is made in such a way that its length can be altered so that you can choose at what height you can keep the lamp; similar to the tripods that you get with cameras these days. This is very useful because you can interchange the same lamp as both a table lamp and as a floor lamp just by changing the length of the tripod.
Unless the lamp itself is very heavy the tripods are very light and can be easily carried around without any difficulty. The only drawback to these lamps is that the designs on offer are pretty much similar to each other; they all look like table lamps on a tripod. The reason for this is that the designers do not have much of an option in this. Whether you get the smaller one or the bigger floor lamp, tripod lamps will always be within eye line and will require a shade so that the light from the lamp does not glare. Some designers have tried to circumvent this problem by mounting spotlights that look like miniature searchlights from WWII that can be turned to point at the ceiling or the floor. This is a good option too from a logical standpoint; it is only your preference for a certain style that it comes down to in the end.
Although most of these lamps follow a general theme, there are some lamps, designer lamps, which depart from the crowd and are very different yet very beautiful to look at. One possible problem is that you will have to be prepared to pay quite a lot for these lamps just like any other designer product. For the rest the prices are fairly the same for similar products from different manufacturers, with the range being anywhere between $100 and $1000. This huge variation in price has more to do with the manufacturer than any stylistic additions. The more upmarket the manufacturer the more the product costs. Checking online might be a good idea if only to compare prices with your local store. Most of these online stores offer discounted prices over their store counterparts and if you are going to get 20% off buying from them it might be an idea worth considering. Although you will not be getting a look at the product that you are buying and will have to rely on the pictures put up on the website, a simple way would be to take down the specifications of the product and check if your local store has the same piece. If you are satisfied, and if the discount is worth it, you can purchase it online. Free shipping is almost a standard but be sure to check.