I Love Lamp

my favourite lamps of all varieties (floor, desk, clamp, portable) at all price points

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While I am a summertime girl through and through, one nice perk of the darker months is that I get to use my lamps again and I really do love lamp. I’m a bit lighting obsessed, and for me, lighting always starts with the purpose. Wired-in lights are great for lots of things if you’re starting to design a space from scratch, but so often you’re not and even when you are, wired-in light fixtures are inherently inflexible. Sometimes we need lamps to set the mood, zone a space, provide ambient light in a tricky space, or because it’s the only thing that makes sense for a certain task. Plus, that down-low light lamps cast is the prettiest.

If you’re planning a renovation, try not to forget about lamps when figuring out your lighting plan. They’re such an elegant, intimate way bring to light and purpose to a space. Add sneak some cheeky 5 amps in there for bonus points!

And if you just need a lamp or two, think about what you need the lamp to do. Does it need to move around/swivel? Will having a cord-based switch be a pain in the bum? Does it just need to softly illuminate a dark corner? Do you need a pair to balance out a larger piece of furniture? Answering these sorts of questions should help lead you to the right one.

Here are 40-ish of my favourite lamps that are not wired in — divided into floor, table, task and rechargeable — including those I’ve dotted around my own home, have placed in projects, or dream of getting my paws on one day. As usual, it’s a mix of the extremely well-priced, the aspirational, and everything in between, complete with my running commentary.