Best Bets: 10 Iconic Desk Lamps
While a perpetually pleasing form is certainly important, what makes a desk lamp design truly iconic is its functionality. It’s easy to adjust, has bright and focused light and doesn’t get in the way of work that has to be done. Often, it is a design that has survived—and thrived—by being adaptive to evolving lighting technologies.
Finally, you will notice that with all of these, the original design has been successful enough to breed numerous other versions. In other words, the design was too good not to share in other applications.
AJ Table Lamp by Louis Poulsen
Design: Arne Jacobsen, 1960
One piece of many that Jacobsen designed for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen. The distinctive shade of the AJ Table Lamp provides a broad and glare-free wash of downlight.
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Berenice Task Lamp by Luceplan
Design: Alberto Meda & Paolo Rizzatto, 1985
The Berenice Task Lamp is made out of die-cast aluminum and stiffened nylon, which allows for arms and joints that are slim yet super-tough. Plus, the head comes in a fun range of glass or metal options to dress up a desk.
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Grasshopper Table Lamp by Gubi
Design: Greta Grossman, 1948
Greta Grossman designed the Grasshopper Table Lamp in 1948 after emigrating from Sweden, bringing Scandinavian modernism to Beverly Hills and helping to define the California mid-century modern movement. Gubi rediscovered her beautifully functional designs and produces them with the same care and precision as the originals.
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Beat Table Lamp by Tom Dixon
Design: Tom Dixon, 2014
Dixon's beloved Beat collection becomes ever move versatile with this iteration made for the desk or table top. The Beat Table Lamp design was inspired by traditional Indian water vessels, with a hand-hammered and spun shade that balances a smooth outer shade with a textured brass interior.
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Kelvin LED Table Lamp by FLOS
Design: Antonio Citterio & Toan Nguyen, 2009
When they were first designed, the Kelvin LED Table Lamp upped the task lighting ante by fully and elegantly embracing LED technology. The square head has a special lens to evenly diffuse the LEDs and has an easy-to-use touch sensor on top.
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Link Task Light by Pablo Designs
Design: Peter Stathis, 2008
The Link Task Lamp is a modern, award-winning interpretation of 1930s pantograph lighting. The uniquely shaped head houses a ring of LEDs that were the most advanced and energy efficient to date.
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Original 1227 Task Lamp by Anglepoise
Design: George Carwardine, 1932
Immediately recognizable as the bouncy Pixar logo, the Original 1227 Task Lamp by Anglepoise is perhaps the most-copied task lamp. Its reliable, adjustable spring mechanism and focused yet friendly shade make it a perpetual favorite and enduring icon of British lighting design.
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Tizio Task Lamp by Artemide
Design: Richard Sapper, 1972
Is it a lamp or a crane? When the Tizio Classic Task Lamp was designed in 1972, no one had seen anything like it. The perfect balance of the counterweights and arms ensures adjustability with the touch of a finger, and then stays just where you want it.
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Tolomeo Task Lamp by Artemide
Design: Michele De Lucchi & Giancarlo Fassina, 1989
If you’ve ever watched TV or seen a movie, odds are you’ve seen the Tolomeo Lamp (many times). The design is industrial yet accessible and appealing in a variety of professional and residential settings; to date, there are nearly 50 variations on the original design.
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Z Bar Desk Lamp by Koncept
Design: Peter Ng, 2006
The Z Bar Lamp is the ultimate task lighting contortionist. With a row of bright LEDS housed in the uppermost one, the 3 bars can be bent, twisted and turned in infinite configurations for proper light placement.
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