The designer lamps in my house

A designer and collector gives a room-by-room tour of the designer lamps he owns, explaining why he values them beyond mere illumination. He frames the collection as expensive but meaningful objects of design, noting affordable alternatives exist and many pieces can be found secondhand. Key historical icons described include the Artemide Tolomeo Mini by Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina (Compasso d’Oro winner), the Tizio Micro by Richard Sapper (articulated arms that carry electricity and counterweights), and Isamu Noguchi’s Akari series made from washi and still handcrafted by Ozeki in Gifu (models 1A, 3A, 16A and the room-filling 75A). Poul Henningsen’s PH 5 and the earlier PH 3/2 three-shade glass lamp get attention for their soft, indirect light, while Arne Jacobsen’s AJ wall lamp and Jean Prouvé’s industrial Lampe de Bureau illustrate different Nordic and French design languages.

The tour also covers contemporary and rediscovered pieces: Joan Gaspar’s rechargeable, water-resistant Chispa; Kismas Lamp 01, built from Soviet-era glass blocks and theatrical filters; Shigeaki Asahara’s revived Tokio lamp; DCW éditions’ Vision 20/20 floor lamp with dual dimmers and a sofa-sliding base; and HAY’s Apex floor and clip lamps with a rotatable folded-steel shade. Practical tinkering appears throughout - custom Tolomeo and clip attachments and a 3D‑printed Block Lamp of the author’s own design that rotates into three modes - underscoring an interest in sleek, minimalist, and iconic lighting.