Light can have a transformative power in an interior, and perhaps, nowhere is it as important as in the bedroom. In this space, the goal is to create a soft, atmospheric glow by layering different light sources, with the bedside lamp playing a pivotal role. As well as providing practical illumination for reading, a bedside lamp can be an opportunity to add colour and pattern, create a cosy ambience with warm, time-honoured materials, or simply create visual balance with a pair of matching statuesque pieces. In recent years, more emphasis has been placed on portable designs and warm dimmable LEDs, that seamlessly transition from task to mood lighting, lulling you into a peaceful night's sleep. Looking for something larger? See our edit of floor lamps.
Table lamp Pleated for Frank by Folkform for Svenskst Tenn
Austrian architect and designer Josef Frank believed there should be at least five light sources in each room and that the light should be preferably lower down and at different levels. With this in mind, we believe he would undoubtedly be a fan of Pleated for Frank, the latest addition to the catalogue of Svenkst Tenn—the 100-year-old Stockholm-based brand he helped to establish.
Designed by Swedish studio Folkform, the sculptural lamp is made using a handcrafted pleating technique that puts a contemporary spin on Frank’s well-known prints, including Aristidia (1920s), Brazil (1940s) and Poisons (1940s), as well as a selection of plain linens.
1,168 EUR, Svensktten.com
Fazzo table lamp by In Common With
Home decor enthusiasts will have noticed the proliferation of the full-skirted lampshade in recent years. While most are realised in fabric, the Fazzo lamp by Brooklyn-based lighting design studio In Common With is made from glass. Its hand-blown base is crowned by a billowing shade conjured using the centuries-old fazzoletto technique—where glass is hand-spun to create a form that resembles a fluttering handkerchief.
4,750 USD, incommonwith.com
Faustine table light by Pinch
Launched to celebrate the London design brand’s pop-up gallery in New York, the Faustine light by Pinch is inspired by Eduardo Paolozzi’s plaster sculptures. Its faceted jesmonite base is accentuated by fine recessed lines, which are subtly echoed in the bronze metalwork frame of the abaca fibre and linen shade. “In our own home, and in our studio, we consider lighting much like we consider jewellery,” explain Pinch founders Russel and Oona, “the final flourish that can make a space sing.”
£1,745, pinchdesign.com
Ray lamp by Daniel Schofield for Audo Copenhagen
Using the phrase ‘modern classic’ is something we ordinarily shy away from, but in the case of British designer Daniel Schofield’s portable Ray lamp for Audo Copenhagen, it feels apt. Its simplified silhouette, realised in powder-coated metal and glass, is informed by old mining lamps—the sort used by Schofield’s Grandad who worked in the mines in the north of England and after whom the lamp is named.
€216, audiocph.com
Hotaru Mini Buoy table light by Barber Osgerby
In 2012, while travelling through Japan, Edward Barber visited Ozeki & Co, a renowned paper lantern manufacturer that has been operating since 1891. A conversation with the owner of the family-run business led to the Hotaru project—named after the firefly—which combines traditional production techniques with contemporary design. Awarded the Design Guild Mark in 2024, the table lamps Hotaru Mini Buoy and Double Bubble, are the latest additions to the range, featuring handcrafted washi-paper lanterns, bamboo cane structures and hand-forged cast-iron bases.
£295, twentytwentyone.com
Bagdad portable lamp by Mathieu Matégot for GUBI
With its cubist construction and comet-like tail, it’s hard to believe that the Bagdad lamp was originally designed in 1954. Inspired by Middle Eastern lanterns, the design is the brainchild of French-Hungarian designer Mathieu Matégot, known for using the ‘rigitulle’ technique, where sheet metal is folded and perforated to create a lace-like effect. 70 years later, Danish brand GUBI has reintroduced the multifaceted design with a few 21st-century updates—50 per cent smaller than the original, it’s fitted with a touch-activated dimmer and is conveniently portable.
$399, gubi.com
T40 by Copenhagen Venice
Copenhagen-based Simone Voigt spent over a decade collecting vintage Murano lamps before founding her company Copenhagen Venice in 2020. Specialising in Italian-made lighting designs, the brand’s Vetri Murano series, which includes the T20 table lamp, is crafted in Murano from mouth-blown opaline glass using an original 1970s mould. Completed with hand-casted brass hardware, the lamp’s elegant swirl pattern was selected by Voigt for its clean expression.
€660, copenhagenvenice.com
14p by Bocci
This year, Canadian lighting brand Bocci introduced a portable version of its classic 14 Series, originally launched in 2005. The new edition of the 14p—made of two imperfect poured-glass hemispheres in sepia, clear or grey colourways—brings a candle-like glow to the bedside. 14p is fully wireless, rechargeable and has three dimming levels.
$300, bocci.com
Milano table lamp by Fabian Freytag
A limited edition series, the statuesque MILANO table lamps by Fabian Freytag Studio demonstrate how artificial intelligence and traditional craftsmanship can combine. The stacked concept was originally generated using the AI platform Midjourney before being translated into real technical drawings by Freytag’s studio. During the development process, seven prototypes in two different heights and with various material combinations— including wood, metal, and natural stone—were created. When the lamps were first showcased during Milan Design Week 2024, the grandson of architect and designer Osvaldo Borsani was so impressed he purchased two on the spot. Three are still available via 1st Dibs and the studio is currently working on a new variant made from glazed lava stone, launching soon.
Puffball table lamp by Faye Toogood for Mattermade
Like an oversized mushroom cap growing on a chunky stalk, Faye Toogood’s Puffball table lamp for New York brand Matter Made is part of a wider collection of minimal lamps that draw inspiration from the world of wild mushrooms and toadstools. Displaying all the hallmarks of a Toogood design, its curved shade is made of raw fibreglass that gives off a warm luminescent glow, while its base is made from tumbled or painted aluminium.
£5,760, monologuelondon.com
Gathering lamp by Normal Phenomena of Life by Faber Futures x Mitre & Mondays
A limited edition of 10, the portable Gathering lamp is the latest launch from biodesign brand, Normal Phenomena of Life. It’s made from bio-concrete tiles called Biolith®—a remarkable material grown in a lab using a type of bacteria that, at an ambient temperature, can turn sand into a stone that is 20 times lighter and three times stronger than a traditional concrete block, while producing 95% fewer CO2 emissions than conventional cement. In addition, the lamp’s brutalist structure is designed for disassembly, with custom modular parts that can be repaired, replaced, or recycled.
£450, normalphenomena.life
Grau Fire lamp
Grau's Fire lamp is designed to replicate the warming light from a candle or fireplace with its moving light compositions. The design is soft via the curvature of the blown glass head and sleek aluminium body. Functionality is also at the core of the design with cable-free portability and 50 hours of battery life. Perhaps the best quality this lamp possesses is its ability to benefit sleep patterns, as it replicates the glow of a sunset, which optimises your natural biorhythm and eases you to sleep
Writer Tianna Williams
419 €, www.grau.art.com
