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Table & Task Lighting
Staying focused on the task at hand is only possible when you can see what you’re doing. This edit of table and task lamps will shed light on your most important business.
Geranium Print Small Faceted Ceramic Table LampJohn Lewis X CollageriePatterned lampshades are the unsung heroes of the living room. We expect to see pattern on cushions, we should see pattern on more sofas – but lampshades are often plain and, well, a bit sensible. This will liven up a winter’s day when illuminated and look pretty in summer even when it’s not in use. Bring back the patterned shade, I say.
Liz rattan task lampAnthropologieI've been wary of jumping too wholeheartedly into the rattan trend for it will surely pass. But if you stick to small objects where it is used in a slightly unexpected way, it has more longevity because it comes across as more considered. So, this pretty lamp will soften a work environment and is perfect for those WFH spots which have to share functions – such as bedroom offices and sitting room desks.
Nessino Table LampHolloways of LudlowDesk lighting can be tricky to get right as you need a focused beam. But that can make the rest of the room very dark (and strain your eyes), so this polycarbonate (fully recyclable) re-edition of a classic Sixties lamp is perfect, as it will gently diffuse the light all round. The white will sit easily in any decor and room, the orange is slightly harder to incorporate but more fun.
90 Mini Mini Desk LampHeal'sA design classic created in 1934 by Keith Carwardine, an engineer who spent time in his garden shed tinkering with spring-and-lever mechanisms to create a light that could bend in any direction and stay there without toppling over, the Anglepoise has been through many iterations over the years but this Mini is the closest to the 1970s model and stands 40cm high. It's also £99 and is powered by USB.
ORIGINAL BTC LONDON TABLE LIGHTOriginal BTCAs desk lamps go, this is just the business. It's like a personal ray of sunshine on your desk. Such a classic design in a non-classic shade is also a perfect way to disrupt the conventional working set-up – and the matching yellow cable is a real touch.
Jielde Loft Two Arm Desk Light Holloways of LudlowIf you want something a little more curved than the Anglepoise, then the Jielde might be your answer. I had two of these in classic black in the loft of my previous house. But are around 20 shades to choose from, as well as a floor and single-arm version.
Anglepoise Original 1227 Desk LampHeal'sThe original and, dare one say, the best. This classic Anglepoise desk lamp (invented in 1934 by George Carwardine for the workers in his vehicle suspension parts factory and quickly realised as a desk lamp) has a heavy base, so it won’t topple, coupled with a spring mechanism that allows it to move in any direction.
Buddy Table LightHolloways of LudlowSometimes the simplest ideas are the best: a desk lamp with a pot for your pens. This would also work brilliantly on a bedside table as a place to stash your reading glasses at night. It comes in white, charcoal, olive green, and what they rather unappetisingly call warm beige – but let’s go with pale brick, or soft terracotta. That’s more tempting already.
Paradiso Table Lamp with Little Greene painted basepookyA painted table lamp base is an easy way to inject a splash of unexpected colour into a room – and pooky has collected 20 colours from Little Greene, including jewel beetle, yellow pink and carmine, for £30 a base. It's up to you whether you add a gently toning shade or a maximalist riot of pattern.
Glass & Concrete Floor LampCox & CoxWith a clear glass shade, this adjustable lamp makes for a great reading light peering over your shoulder at the end of the sofa or armchair. Pick one of those LED Edison-style bulbs to add a little more interest, since the shade is so minimal.
