If you’re still making do with overhead fluorescent lighting in your workspace, you’re living in the dark ages. Not only can these annoying office fixtures cause issues including everything from eye strain and migraines to stress and sleeping trouble, they’re also a major decor downer. Because as it turns out, good lighting is anything but an afterthought when it comes to good interior design. If you’re ready to update your space with better and more beautiful light, check out these seven iconic lamp designs.
1. The Kelvin LED Table Lamp by FLOS
One of the first table lamps to embrace LED technology, the Kelvin LED table lamp has been described as a “space age wonder, something from a different world.” Designed by Antonio Citterio & Toan Nguyen in 2009, this high-efficiency, environmentally-friendly lamp offers warm, soft and comfortable light.
2. The Noguchi Table Lamp Model 1N
One of several Akari Light Sculptures designed by Isamu Noguchi in the 1950s, the Noguchi Table Lamp Model 1N fuses Japanese handcraft with a modern twist.
Said Marvel Architects Jonathan Marvel in recommending this table lamp to New York Magazine, “I’ve used this specific light for decades. It is made out of paper and split bamboo and is lightweight and delicate. Therefore, I buy a replacement every ten years.
"This reminds me that as humans, we are fragile, and nature is more powerful than we are."
This reminds me that as humans, we are fragile, and nature is more powerful than we are. Plus, I like to support the traditional craft economy and this family-run business. I love the fact that Noguchi took the craft of traditional paper lanterns and turned it into a contemporary light fixture as well as an affordable work of art.”
3. The AJ Table Lamp by Louis Poulsen
Designed by celebrated Danish architect and designer Arne Jacobsen in 1960 for Copenhagen’s SAS Royal Hotel, the AJ Table Lamp features a tilting, rotating shade allowing the user to direct maximum, glare-free light exactly where it’s needed. Its unique angles echo those found in Poulsen’s classic classic Egg™ and Swan™ chairs.
4. The Link Task Light by Pablo Designs
This 2008 collaboration between between Peter Stathis and Pablo Studio comprises a modern interpretation of 1930s pantograph lighting. Winner of numerous honors including the IDEA Silver Award, the Spark Design Award, and the ICFF Editor’s Choice Award, the Link Task Light was also an I.D. Annual Design Review Honoree.
“This task lamp puts the light right where you need it. A concentrated array of high-power LEDs provides a brighter light output than most other lamps in this category. Its 180-degree movement allows precise adjustability without taking up valuable work space. And its ultraslim profile, smooth bright details, and colorful finishes reflect today’s electronic age,” enthused IDEA.
5. The Tizio Task Lamp by Artemide
Available in a variety of sizes and colors, the Tizio Task Lamp was designed by Richard Sapper in 1971. Featuring fully adjustable counterbalanced arms and extraordinary ease of use, the Tizio is widely heralded for its groundbreaking design.
“From a formal point of view, the Tizio lamp was revolutionary. Black, angled, minimalist, and mysterious, the lamp achieved its real commercial success in the early 1980s, when its sleek look met the Wall Street boom."
Proposes MoMA of its impact, “From a formal point of view, the Tizio lamp was revolutionary. Black, angled, minimalist, and mysterious, the lamp achieved its real commercial success in the early 1980s, when its sleek look met the Wall Street boom. Found in the residences of the young and successful and in the offices of executives, the lamp has become an icon of high-tech design.”
6. The Lady7 Desk Lamp by Koncept
A thin silhouette, bold lines, and cordless joint designs make the Lady7 — designed by Kenneth Ng and Edmund Ng — a perfect fit for fans of all things minimalist. Accolades ensued when this linear light source debuted in 2014, including the Japan Good Design Award, the Spark Award, the Interiors & Sources Readers’ Choice Award, and iF Design Award. If lamps could be sexy (and we’re not saying they can’t be), this is the one.
“I researched a number of sources before deciding on this design. I’ve had it for one year. The light has modern, simple, clean lines, and I like its matte black finish and LED dimmable light source. The height is adjustable, and it rotates around its vertical column,” says FXCollaborative managing Partner Guy Geier in naming the Lady7 as his pick for “best minimalist desk lamp.”
7. Original 1227 Task Lamp by Anglepoise
If imitation is indeed the highest form of flattery, the Original 1227 Task Lamp should be extremely flattered. Perhaps the universe’s most imitated desk lamp, this jaunty lamp has some serious staying power: It’s been around since its 1932 design by automotive engineer George Carwardine, and shows no signs of going away anytime soon.
Said the Evening Standard in including the Original 1227 Task Lamp in its roundup of best vintage style floor and table lamps, “There aren’t many designs more iconic than the Anglepoise Lamp, designed by George Carwardine in the 1930s. The brand is still going strong today with styles and colours to suit every taste. Our favorite is this ocean blue standing version, which toes the line between current and classic. Recognizable by its angular mechanism and headlamp shape, it’s the Frank Sinatra of the lighting world – always in style and utterly timeless.”
If you’re like most 21st century workers, you probably spend an unthinkable amount of time at the office. So why not spend it in exceptional company with one of these seven design world luminaries?