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Lighting
Staying focused on the task at hand is only possible when you can see what you’re doing. These dedicated office and desk lamps will create just the right atmosphere for your lightbulb moments.
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.
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.
Hector Floor Light Holloways of LudlowA classic of the genre, this floor lamp is beautifully made by Original BTC in the UK and will work in any interior - even a chintzy maximalist one - although seek out the translucent bone china shade, which gives off the most beautiful soft light.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Florence Floor LampSoho HomeFloor lamps are great for adding height to a room and making sure your light sources come from different directions. However, they are often either narrow and a little office-y or come with wide shades and feet that take up too much room. This is the perfect compromise. Made from wood, brass and glass it’s classic as well as narrow and elegant. This would sit well at the end of a sofa and also by a small desk if there wasn’t enough space for a desk lamp. Definitely worth the investment.
Fortuna metal floor lampOKAOne of the keys to getting your décor right is lighting – and one of the ways to get the lighting right is to layer it. That means you need several sources at different heights. Here’s your floor lamp. The small base allows you to tuck it next to a chair or at the end of a sofa and it won’t take up much space at floor level. The shade is big but the room is emptier up there, so you have more room to fill. The colour – dark grey - is classic and will always be friends with all the other colours in the room. Simply change the shade to refresh the décor. And if you have a small desk (or a desk in the corner of another room) then using a floor lamp instead of a task light will give you more working space.
