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19 of the best table lamps for any home
From gold and brass table lamps to concrete and marble designs, these lights will give living rooms a lift
Any interior designer will speak to the idea that lighting is all about layering. In practice, that means mixing your sources and looking to designs that softly glow and diffuse – as it turns out, that one dazzling overhead light is quite the mood-killer. The table lamp, then, becomes far more than a quick source of illumination; it’s an integral part of any interior (and so is the floor lamp, if you hadn’t guessed).
With that in mind, our edit of table lamps for the living room, bedroom or hallway (some are even hardy enough for outside) brings together veritable design classics with pieces from up-and-coming studios. There’s something for every home... We’ve even included ELLE Decoration’s very first lighting collection in collaboration with lights&lamps!
‘Affinity Dome’ lamp, Kelly Wearstler
With a hand-carved natural stone base and curved metallic shade, this design offers a compact hit of the US designer’s signature glamour. Choose from white marble with an antique brass shade or black marble with polished nickel. Approx £1,378, kellywearstler.com
‘Bicoca’ rechargeable lamp by Christophe Mathieu, Marset
Colourful and lightweight, this pleasingly asymmetrical table lamp by Christophe Mathieu has real personality. It’s available in a range of punchy tones, but we love this sophisticated red. £183, aram.co.uk
‘Pleated’ paper table lamp, H&M Home
This affordable option deserves design kudos well beyond what the price tag would suggest. The pleated paper will softly diffuse light, which makes it well suited to a bedroom or reading nook. £24.99, hm.com
‘Editions Collection’, ELLE Decoration x lights&lamps
Our first ever lighting launch is a veritable design pick ’n’ mix in the most fashion-forward materials and finishes. Designed to complement each other the six bases and six lampshades are all complementary to ensure there is no wrong combination – it’s all about what suits your personal aesthetic. From £450, lightsandlamps.com
‘Muse’ portable light, Tala x Farrow & Ball
A thoroughly contemporary update on a Victorian gas lantern, this clever collaboration between sustainable lighting brand Tala and British stalwart Farrow & Ball is completely cordless and will keep going for an impressive 24 hours. £275, tala.co.uk
‘Pavilion’ table lamp, Palefire
With a low, rounded form reminiscent of louche 1970s furniture and a shade moulded from paper pulp, this smart design cements the burgeoning London-based studio as one to watch. £385, glassette.com
‘Manhattan SC52’ portable table lamp by Space Copenhagen, &Tradition
A lesson in clever contrast, this table lamp by Space Copenhagen juxtaposes the industrial appeal of an anodized aluminium base – complete with columned detail – with a textured, light-diffusing canvas shade. Battery-powered, it can operate for eleven hours. £145, twentytwentyone.com
‘Dome Nomad’ table lamp, Brokis
Taking its inspiration from the domed skyline of Venice – this one’s handblown glass – Italian design duo Chiaramonte Marin’s portable and rechargeable lamp for the Czech lighting brand will look as at home inside as out. £1,785, chaplins.co.uk
‘Dhala’ table lamp by Luca Nichetto, Stellar Works
With its gem-like components and distinct lack of shade, you’d be forgiven for failing to recognise that this was a lamp at all. Created by renowned Italian designer Luca Nichetto for his eclectic ‘Space Invaders’ collection, its hidden LED strips glow from within each Murano glass bead. £902, stellarworks.com
‘Meridian’ table lamp, Ferm Living
Created in collaboration with Croatian design studio Regular Company, this sculptural design hinges on the elegant sweep of its arm. Options include brass, brushed steel, matt black and taupe-like ‘Cashmere’. £189, finnishdesignshop.com
‘Clarine’ table lamp by Patrick Zulauf, Ligne Roset
In black lacquered steel and mouth-blown smoked glass, Swiss lighting designer Patrick Zulauf’s design for French brand Ligne Roset is sleek and sculptural in equal measure – with an unusual flame-like bulb. £247, ligneroset.com
‘Re’ and ‘Regine’ table lamps by Bobo Piccoli, FontanaArte
If The Queen’s Gambit didn’t convince you of the style credentials of chess, FontanaArte’s latest limited-edition reissue surely will. Created by Milanese artist Bobo Piccoli in 1968, the ‘Re’ and ‘Regina’ lamps are inspired by the game’s king and queen pieces. Their ethereal glow can be controlled via a dimmer. From approx £1,570, fontanaarte.com
‘Pluggie’ table lamp, Ateljé Lyktan
Designed by Form Us With Love for lighting brand Ateljé Lyktan, the ‘Pluggie’ table lamp is dimmable, portable and has two USB ports to charge devices from, making it an ideal companion for those who prefer to work untethered from a desk. £129, ateljelyktan.se
‘Aluna’ lamp, Bolia
Paris-based duo Quaglio Simonelli may have found perfect balance in their discreet ‘Aluna’ lamp for Bolia. Clean lines and a tiltable design make it well suited to desks or any detailed work. Approx £360, bolia.com
‘Sculpture’ table lamp, Vipp
This mushroom-like marble and glass lamp from Danish brand Vipp – better known for its much-coveted kitchens – is all about ‘the unexpected composition of complementing materials,’ says chief designer Morten Bo Jensen. From £377, skandium.com
'Phileas' portable lamp, Pooky x Matthew Williamson
British designer Matthew Williamson has designed the ‘Phileas’ as part of Pooky's new rechargeable range. Pair with one of his colourful shades, or opt for the simplicity of woven rattan to offset the ornate base. Base £115; shade £42, pooky.com
‘Kaiser Idell’ table lamp, Fritz Hansen
Originally launched in 1936, Christian Dell’s modernist masterpiece has become an enduring symbol of Bauhaus design. The once-pioneering swivel joint means the lamp can be adjusted by loosening the clamp or moving the shade. £560, fritzhansen.com
‘Curve’ table lamp, Houseof
According to British lighting brand Houseof, their playful ‘Curve’ design is equal parts table lamp and sculpture. At under £100, it’s a brilliant way to buy into statement design without a major investment. £99, houseof.com
‘Reverse’ table lamp, Menu
Beautiful Italian marbles from the 1970s provided a starting point for Danish designer Aleksandar Lazic, whose instinct for structure is plain to see in this well-balanced design, with its conical travertine base and bronzed aluminium shade. £540, nest.co.uk
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