23 Creative Designer Lamp Ideas

Looking for creative designer lamp ideas? These lamps were created by independent top designers around the world. Note that not all of these products are available for purchase, and some are just prototypes, so use these for inspiration for new ideas. See our post on unique high-end designer lamps to view products you can buy online today!

1. Bi-Color Washi Lamp

Japanese design studio Nendo has created the Bi-Color Washi lighting collection in collaboration with Taniguchi Aoya Washi. The lamp is made using the 3D papermaking technique. From the designers, “Washi is made by passing fine screens through a bath of mulberry pulp and water to collect the pulp, then by drying the screens and peeling off the new paper sheets. Rather than pasting sheets of washi together to create forms, the company uses the same process to create beautiful seamless forms that are three-dimensional from the start.

After experimenting with dyeing the forms in two steps as they were being shaped, we realized that we could create a lampshade whose exterior and interior surfaces are different colors. In other words, we could use Taniguchi Aoya Washi’s process to make lampshades whose dark or bright exterior surface is accompanied on the interior by the kind of light, reflective color necessary for light diffusion. And this was a first for washi light shades. As requested by the client, the shades can be stacked to keep distribution and storage costs to a minimum.”

2. Cappello Lamp

Canadian design studio Molo has designed Cappello Lamp. In the designer’s words, “Cappello is lit by LED, shaded by a paper “cap” or Cappello in Italian and is set upon a cylinder of soft white Carrara marble. The cylinder piece actually comes out of the hole bored through the marble block-shaped base for Arco, the iconic floor lamp designed by the Castiglioni brothers and manufactured by Flos. molo’s first lamp designed with the marble core as a base is called love letter and utilizes a unique double-sided electroluminescent film as its lighting source. Both lamps are a tribute to the designers we admire.”

3. Clover Lamp

Clover is a suspended sculptural lamp designed by Brodie Neill for the Italian company Kundalini. The design, inspired by the cloverleaf is very delicate and elegant as a flower. The lamp body is made of molded polyurethane with an opaque finish and the reflector is made of aluminum. Following is some information from the designer, “Flowing lines and surfaces move, spread out and meet. They form an alluring three-dimensional, enveloping, and open structure. This is a sculptural-lamp of extreme visual lightness. It is a kind of ultra-contemporary and dream-like mobile. A shape intended to diffuse light in an evocative way.

Florally inspired, it calls to mind the organic forms of a cloverleaf. The light source, hidden at the meeting point of the three petals, casts light onto the internal surfaces in a continuous play of reflections and rebounds.”

4. Decorative lamps made of a new composite material

The brand Metalarte created decorative lighting guided by the idea of merging the modern and the traditional. The brand complies with the typical Spanish design and its techniques, always trying to adapt to new trends. Metalarte recently enriched the range of products with a new collection of lamps – “Stones”, created from a material with similar properties as stone. The new composite material is a hybrid between architectural concrete and synthetic stone, technically sophisticated, but manually produced.

By combining digital technology and manual production, the designers of “Metalarte”, Ramon Ubeda and Otto Kanalda designed and developed this collection of three lamps “Sharon”, “Rolling” and “Oliver”, each with a different character and functions made the same material, cast in molds.

With a cylindrical base and shade, “Sharon” leaves a strong visual impression in the space, thanks to its fine finish on a rough base and elegant timeless silhouette.

“Rolling” is a portable and multifunctional lamp for the interior and exterior, suitable for the illumination of terraces and porches. The handle and the base of the lamp are merging into a single solid body reminiscent of traditional lanterns.

Simple, functional, and heavier than the previous two, “Oliver” is a lamp designed for outdoor spaces. The material from which it is made does degrade or rust, which is a great ecological replacement for metal landscape lights.

5. Drawstring Lamp

Gothenburg-based studio Design Stories have created the Drawstring lamps in collaboration with Returhuset. The lamps are made of waste material from local factories. The Drawstring lamps are available in two sizes, a medium-sized pendant lamp, and a small-sized pendant and standing table lamp.

From the designers, “All the materials in the lamps are reused or recycled. The fabric in Drawstring Lamp is made by Svensson Markspelle, originally used as a sunscreen that filters the light beautifully and therefore is well suited for lighting products. Additionally, the textile has a structure that allows it to be self-supporting in an organic yet symmetrical way. The legs in the table lamp come from bicycle spokes and the wood is scraps from a carpenter’s workshop.

As we wanted to make an outstanding design with crafted and unique details we sought ourselves to Göteborg’s Belt Factory, to design fabric cords that complement the lampshade. The textile cables have a three colored dotted pattern reminiscent of the classic textile cable but more three dimensional in its look. The wooden parts that hold the lamp together both work as a constructional component, decoration and as a practical feature if you want to shorten the cable.”

6. Olla Clay Lamp

Designer Davide G Aquini has created the Olla lamp for Ilide. The hanging lamp is made using a unique technique that allows to blend of different kinds of clay without compromising solidity during the firing phase.

From the designer, “Matera Olla lamps collection takes shape like an expression of contrasts and adopts earthenware as a coloring component. An homage to the simplicity of the Italian territories, where also nature inserts itself into social and cultural contexts of the human being, becoming subject of language and expression. A collection of harmonic shapes which retrace ancient mountains and human settlement profiles, attached to the earth and heated by the Sun.”

7. Pouring Light Bedroom Lamp Design

Korean designer Yeongwoo Kim has designed this versatile bedroom light called Pouring Lamp. This specially designed Pouring Light lamp’s concept motive is to create an emotional flow of light. The special feature of this light is the shape of flow which is inspired by the flow of water. The pouring part is phosphorescence so when you turn off the light, it gives off a warm dim light for the right ambiance and easy to fall asleep. The lamp uses the LED lights to conserve energy.

8. B-Chain Lamp

Cho Hyung Suk has designed this new reading and bed lamp called B-chain lamp inspired by a bicycle chain. In the designer’s words, “The “B-chain lamp” can have more various shapes than any lamp. This is motivated by the bicycle chain. so, it’s 8 joints can shine wherever you want to light. “B-chain lamp” is consists of four types of modules. It is possible whatever length and shape you want to make. “White B-chain lamp”‘s both sides are different. one side is the stainless nut and another side is the clean bolt.”

9. Balloon Lamp

Taiwan-based firm haoshi Design has created the Balloon Lamp. It is a collection of wall lamps shaped like balloons. According to the designer, “In order to remind people of childhood sweet memory, haoshi’s balloon lamp is always there to light you up. The balloon and light represent hope and warmness, haoshi combines the bright side of these two and designed a wall lamp of the balloon shape.  haoshi balloon lamp will awake everyone’s innocence inside, a beam of light, a stream of warmness, a flying of a balloon, a ray of hope.”

10. Checkmate Lighting Collection

Hong Kong-based designer Danny Fang has designed the Checkmate lighting collection for Hive. Following is some information from the designer, “In the game of chess, the position of all pieces is crucial to win or to lose. We want to position our lights just as carefully and strategically to get the best ambiance in our environment. The Check Mate collection consists of a complete set of chess pieces that all have their own character and size.

One can choose from the modest Pawn all the way up to the luxurious King and Queen to fit the position you need lit. With their warm candle-like light that is being reflected of the gold-leafed inside together with the tactile paper pulp skin the Check Mate collection brings warmth to any environment.”

11. Chou – lamps inspired

Chou lamps are ideal for everyone who admire the spirit of China and the old Chinese lanterns. The cylindrical hanging and floor lamps, created by the Spanish design studio “Yonoh” are inspired by the movie “The World of Suzie Wong”.

Each lamp from the collection “Chou” with its inventive design and ambient light tells stories from the Far East and plunge into the cinematic world of Hong Kong.

The cylindrical shape of lamps is created by folding thin pieces of wood that create the shade on the lamp. The shades are then placed on a black metal base and a metal handle is attached to it. The thin pieces of wood give the lamps an almost transparent appearance and depending on the color spread different shades of light in space.

12. Container Ceramic Lamp

London-based designer Benjamin Hubert has created the Container, a ceramic lamp for French brand Ligne Roset. The lamp will be launched during IMM Cologne 2013. According to the designer, “Container is a desk lamp made from ceramic components emulating the design language more commonly associated with tableware. The components have been manufactured by Italian ceramicists Bosa.”

13. Crumpled Papery Lamp Papela

Papela is a crushed and wrinkled papery pendant lamp designed by Israeli designer Meirav Barzilay. The lamp is made of Tyvek material which can be crumpled, squashed, and reshaped as you like without tearing. The Papela light is delivered as a paper ball, which can be transformed into a unique wrinkled lampshade by a simple set of actions. The minimalist structure of the lamp is created by hand-stitch and comes in two different colors. This unique pendant lamp can bring a fresh look to the interior design of your home which can be changed as you want.

In the designer’s words, “Papela is a playful paper lamp. Crumple, squash, and reshape it as you like. Papela is delivered as a paper ball, which by a simple set of actions transforms into a unique wrinkled lampshade. Its minimalist structure is created by thread stitches only, hand-sewn out of a colored paper sheet. Papela is available in two different designs.”

14. CSYS LED Task Light

London-based industrial designer Jake Dyson has presented the CSYS LED task light at the design junction during London Design Festival. Here is a description from the designer, “The CSYS LED task light is a dimmable LED task light which marries the latest technology with a sleek design. It is designed with innovative positioning, refined thermal management, and electronics systems producing a bright warm white color with astonishing efficiency.”

15. Dowel Lamp

New Zealand-based designer Riley Sanders has created the Dowel Lamp. The minimalist lamp is composed of three wooden elements. The main element houses an LED strip and two small elements support the main element.

16. Drop Light

Korean company Doolight has created the Drop Light. It is a unique lighting concept composed of rechargeable lights made of flexible silicone that can be used to create unique mood lighting. Following is a description from the designers, “The ‘Drop Light’ is cordless, heatless and limitless. It consists of rechargeable lights, or ‘drops’, which can be utilized as individual lamps; therefore, you can locate them anywhere in your home, adjust their intensity and create limitless moods. The ‘Drop Light’ will enrich and enliven your home life.

The ‘Drop Light’ can be used anywhere in the home. It will gently brighten the night for your baby or young child, create a romantic mood for you and your partner and protect your family from complete darkness during a blackout.

You can turn the light on/off by simply touching the edge of the hanger. If you touch and hold the edge of the hanger, the brightness will increase and decrease in intensity – allowing you to set the mood. When you find the right mood, simply move your hand away and the adjustment will be complete. The power and brightness control interface is identical when the drops are separated from the flower base too.

When you move the drop away from the base, the drop continues the light so you can even utilize it as you might a torch. The drops’ battery lasts for up to 10 hours after just a couple of hours of charging, which also makes it useful for overnight use, perhaps one as a night light in your child’s bedroom and the rest as mood lighting at a dinner party that runs late.”

17. Enchanting Light Forest Lamps

This enchanting “Light Forest” lightning system has the natural freedom of the vines that creep over the walls and softly take over space. Its lights extend through the walls and ceiling, crossing the narrow corners, growing where other lights will not go. And much like real plants, they are unpredictable, chaotic, and free.

“Light Forest” is a specially designed lamp, whose dimensions can be adjusted according to the wishes of the customers. The lamp is created by the Dutch designer duo “Ontwerpduo”, which converts awesome ideas into functional designs. Its scalability and variable dimensions make it unique. The lampshades are made of copper, while the body of the lamp or the branches are made of aluminum and plastic.

18. GEO Magnetic Lamp

GEO Magnetic Lamp is an innovative lighting unit created by Hyungwoo Uhm. In the designer’s words, “The core of this design is that this desk lamp can fulfill two different functions. At ordinary times, it is used as an illuminator which is changeable in height with the headlamp lifted to the top along the rail. And if the head part lowers down to the base along the rail with the help of magnetic force and over-lapped with the base part, light is emitted from the parting line and then this lamp can also be used as indirect lighting for a romantic mood.

The ball-shaped switch is attached to the very fine thread so that it gives an image that it’s suspended to the air. As the electric current flowing into each section varies in intensity, the current allows the spherical switch to shift its position to on/off and three different levels, which makes people adjust the intensity of illumination.”

19. Globe Lighting Collection

London-based Studio Vit has designed the Globe lighting collection. The ceramic lighting collection consists of small globe-shaped pendant lamps and large steel reflectors. The matt ceramic pendant lamps can be used on their own, grouped together, or to cast light on to reflectors in gloss painted metal. The collection explores how geometric volumes relate to each other and the juxtaposition of materials and light. The collection was presented at the Milan Furniture Fair 2013.

20. Heracleum Lamp

Heracleum is a modern LED lamp inspired by the Heracleum plant. The elegant lighting collection was designed by Dutch designer Bertjan Pot for Moooi. The Heracleum lamp is made of a metal wire frame and polycarbonate lenses and is suspended via an ultra-thin wire. In the designer’s words, “The white leaves/lenses ramify from one branch creating a very technical, natural structure. By using the technique of coating conductive layers, the lamp is very thin and delicate, A design not possible with wires.”

Photos: Nicole Marnati.

21. Host Lamp – Light With Built-In Humidifier

The Host Lamp is a unique light designed by Minsung Bae which works as a humidifier using the waste heat emitting from the lamp. In the designer’s words, “A lamp is one of the most familiar and useful products illuminating our room. However, the lamp emits a great amount of waste heat to make light, up to 95% of all its energy. The humidifier is a guest appliance getting its energy from the heat waste from its Host, the lamp. The humidifier would prevent the air in the room from drying up, attaching to its host.

When the lamp is turned on, TGMs, which is placed between the water and the aluminum heat sink, produce 2.4 voltage by the temperature difference between those. The voltage charges the humidifier working by AA cell battery. After all, the humidifier starts to work with the charged battery.” The TGM creates a voltage when there is a different temperature on each of its sides by the ‘Seebeck effect’.

22. Lightboy Lamp

German designer Yi-Cong Lu has designed the Lightboy lamp as a part of his collection Living-Tools. In the designer’s words, “LIGHTBOY is always at hand when there is need of a light. Hanging or leaning against the wall like a broom, or alternately standing alone, it can be conveniently placed anywhere. The adjustable lampshade illuminates the room in the most diverse ways.

LIGHTBOY is part of LIVING-TOOLS, a series of performative furniture that lets you adjust the room´s interior to its changing utilization requirements.”

23. Log Lamp

Australian designer Joel Booy has designed the Log Lamp in collaboration with HAW. In the designer’s words, “A Bunya pine that was knocked down during a flood and destined for wood chips is transformed into a free-standing lamp. Inspired by the juxtaposition of technology and nature, its organic form collides with a man-made, geometric shade.

The outer layer of bark and spikes on the log remains unaltered. They will gradually decay, allowing the piece’s appearance to naturally evolve over time. A product of the Booy & Haw partnership, this is part of a series of furniture created from salvaged and raw materials that would have otherwise ended up as landfill.”