We love adjustable lighting, but it's not often you find it in such a nice-looking package. The Cubix Lamp ($75) is a 10.6-inch tall lamp that has wooden frames, which function as both the frame of the lamp and as lampshades, that are connected along one axis, allowing you to position them individually to suit your lighting needs, mood, and decor.
Taking the traditional pop-up book to a whole new level, the Book of Lights ($95; pre-order) is a linen-bound book with a functional, pop-up lamp inside. Available with a traditional Lampshade or Parisian Streetlamp inside, this is one book that's guaranteed to be illuminating.
In one of the more original ideas we've heard in a while, Greenlight Concepts takes reclaimed lenses from upgraded traffic lights and creates awesome lighting fixtures out of them. We're loving this Stoplight Pendant Lamp ($240), which features an 8-inch lens and an anodized aluminum lamp housing. Of course, yellow and green lamps are also available.
With 15 different styles available, you're sure to find an Inhabit lamp to match your indoor landscape. The company's boxy Builtby Lamp ($170-$232) comes in a variety of color schemes, with unique names like Chump Change, Even Steven, Mack Daddy, Road Dog, and Shoot The Breeze.
It may not have have had a collision with an iceberg, but the Titanic Lamp ($630) will definitely bring a sinking feeling to your living room. The lamp sports a high-gloss white lacquer finish and a diagonal slice that gives it a submerged style.
We love when everyday objects are reinvented in smart and refined ways. That's why the Soma limited edition water filter is a must for every home. The shatter-resistant glass carafe was artfully blown in Germany to look stylish on your kitchen table. Soma's filter cleans your water without using petroleum-based plastics or leaving behind nasty black flakes. Instead, the coconut shell filters are certified by the Water Quality Association and can be conveniently delivered to your door on a subscription. Best of all, every filter sold donates clean drinking water through charity: water.
Just because they aren't as visible as the rest of your clothing doesn't mean your underwear should be drab and boring. So in collaboration with Young & Sick — the artist responsible for album covers for everyone from Foster the People to Maroon 5, MeUndies has created Faces, a new limited edition print that's wearable art for you to step your underwear game up with. This underwear not only looks great, but is made with Modal fabric which is twice as soft as cotton, a non-restricing waistband that follows the contours of your frame, and the superior quality you've come to expect from the MeUndies brand.
Designer Jeremy Pyles has created an elegant lamp in the Pharos Modern Pendant Light ($325). The light, which takes its name from ancient texts where "Pharos" meant something akin to a lighthouse, is a tall, slender pendant with a tubular bulb running down the center. Available in seven different colors, you should have no trouble finding one to suit your decor. [via]
Not every UFO is out for destruction. The Don't Run We Are Your Friends Light ($100) is a hanging lamp with variable height to control the type of light emanating from the "craft." Place it higher in the air for more direct light from the clear bottom, or place it low for a glowing, ambient light from the colored top of the shade. A fun way to add some extra-terrestrial flair to your pad. [via]
For as long as it's been around, people have tried to cover the light bulb up with shades. No more, thanks to the LampLamp ($28). This 30-watt bulb will fit in most sockets, providing an interesting conversation piece as it appears to be glued in place at first glance, with the connector sticking out. This is one bulb you won't want to leave hidden behind a shade.
The Blow Table Lamp ($1,363) by Studio Italia Design is a dramatic low-voltage lamp set in a chrome and brushed aluminum finish encased in an outer, clear-crystal globe. If this isn't enough of a conversation starter then you can get party guests interested by using an included decorative magnet to control the direction of the lamp by placing the magnet on any part of the globe so the light will follow.
Most wall-mounted lighting is rather subdued — you know, the kind of ceiling-aimed lamps you find at the movies. Not this lamp. The Lite Source Technic Wall Lamp ($50) features a fully-adjustable spot light that looks as industrial as it sounds. The 35-watt light provides terrific direct lighting, and the industrial design will add a touch of flair to any wall it's mounted on.
Not often are lamps as versatile as they are beautiful. The Eclipse Lamp ($100), designed by Mauricio Klabin, is made from a single ribbon-like strip of plastic and a metal frame. The shade can be adjusted to change the lighting coming from the lamp, and the movable stabilizing rings on the frame allow the lamp to lay in many different positions. At 60 watts it's no spotlight, but that's fine by us.
There are lots of smooth, modern pendant lamps available, but it's not everyday we find one this organic. The Roost Pendant Lamp ($950-$1500) is made from bittersweet and grape vines that are hand hammered with patinaed brass coil, creating a bird nest-like bundle that creates terrific lighting effects with warm ambient light and amazing shadows. Sure, it might look like you found it in the woods, but isn't that the point?
Lighting is one of the, if not the, most important "mood" elements in a room, so if you plan on getting any this Valentine's Day, make sure you are using diffused light — like the light from the Taccia Lamp ($2316). Prohibitively expensive, yes, but absolutely gorgeous with a twenty-inch revolving glass diffuser perched atop a black or aluminum grey base. For the price, we'd like it to be bigger — but it's cool nonetheless.
We've seen battery-powered lights before, but never one like this. The Battery Lamp ($35) combines a D-cell battery, used as the base, and a shade that holds a bright LED and a fully working pull chain on/off switch. Sure, it's not the biggest light in the world — but it should look great adding a little light to your desk.
This pendant light sports an awesome minimalist clear desing that shows off the bulb, socket and cable. Designed by Sofie Refer, the Bulb Pendant Lamp ($135) is made of thick mouth blown glass and will look spectacular whever it's hung.
Like most of our favorite lighting sources, the Gaffer's Bounce Lamp ($100) features diffused light, creating a well-lit, yet soft light. Designed by movie gaffer Edward Cohen and fine arts sculptor David Johnson, the lamp projects a 20-watt floodlight at one of two different polycarbonate reflectors to create gentle lighting that is mush easier on the eyes than traditional direct lighting.
Not every lamp needs a shade. The Ogusdesign Table Lamp ($300-$340) emits a "wall" of light thanks to the pane of frosted glass that sits atop its aircraft aluminum base. A flush-mounted halogen bulb provides the light, and a serial number on the bottom of the base confirms authenticity. A perfect way to light up a modern room.
"Fra-gee-lee... that must be Italian," the Old Man commented as he began prying open the crate to find his major award. Now you too can buy this tacky american movie icon. The Red Rider Leg Lamp ($140-$175) is an identical replica of the one featured in everyone's favorite holiday movie. You can even download a "Major Award" certificate and get the lamp shipped in a full-size wooden crate packed with straw and stenciled with "FRAGILE" to complete the experience. Whether you get it for yourself or as a gift, your home will never be the same after you have the soft glow of electric sex gleaming in the window.
This organically-shaped table lamp from Herman Miller uses several LED lights and a vertical blade to let you create a variety of lighting conditions. Designed by Yves Behar, the Leaf Lamp ($500) also has a heat distribution system to keep things cool, and its LEDs use less than 12 watts of power — 40% less energy than a compact fluorescent light. It's available in red, white, black, silver or polished.
