As an interiors editor, every time you're invited to preview a brand's upcoming collection, your eyes are peeled for which piece will be the viral 'sell-out' design. Last season, for M&S, it was an amber glass table lamp that somehow seamlessly straddled the world of vintage Murano glass lighting, with a distinctly contemporary feel. It quickly sold out, restocked, sold out, restocked, and sold out again.
So you can imagine my excitement when I saw that the high street retailer has released a reimagined version of the same lamp — this time tapping into the retro-leaning 'mushroom' lighting trend. "As a team, we’ve been really inspired by the idea that lighting should do more than simply illuminate," Connor Woskett, one of M&S' homeware designers, tells me. "Our latest collection explores sculptural shapes, beautiful materials, and the way light interacts with surfaces."
The textured glass creates such a beautiful sense of movement; even before the lamp is switched on, and the swirling shadows are cast across the surrounding walls.
"When designing the Wavy Glass Pendant Light, we wanted to create a piece that felt both contemporary and timeless," explains Connor when I asked him about the design team's inspiration behind this light. "We paired the organic shape of the glass with clean metallic detailing to give the design a modern edge. The softly undulating glass introduces texture while also creating beautiful patterns of light and shadow around the room. It’s a lamp that would be easy to style across a range of interiors."
But if this one isn't quite what you're looking for, there are plenty of other strong options in M&S' lighting collection. Here's what else I've got my eye on.
If you like the mushroom shape but not the glass finish quite as much, this travertine style is super sleek. Plus, this style is portable, which means it would work perfectly on your coffee table or even outdoors (though I'd bring it in at night).
Alternatively, if you like the glass but not so much the shape, this new glass table lamp from M&S is so, so cool. The etched glass would cast the most beautiful shadow. This one really is a work of art.
Consider yourself quite the traditionalist? This lamp is the most iconic 'mushroom' shape; it's rechargeable, comes in three different finishes (antique brass, chrome, and dark green), and is currently 20% off.
If you really love the Wavy Glass Mushroom Table Lamp, but don't have a surface to style it on, you'll be pleased to know it also comes as a pendant light (though it's not quite so mushroom-y). There's also a white glass option, too.
And, it also comes as a wall light, again embracing the mushroom light silhouette. This style is also available in a white/brushed silver finish for something a little more neutral (if that's your style).
Leaning again into the amber glass lighting trend, this chandelier-style wall lamp is ridiculously elegant, and looks far more expensive than its £80 price tag. It's giving major Soho Home vibes if you ask me.
Actually, the more I look at the smoothly swooping shade of this M&S table lamp, the more I think of the stunning design by Original BTC x Buchanan Studio, which won Best in Class in the Livingetc Style Awards lighting category this year — if you're looking for a more designer option, that's it.
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