15 Creative Lamp Ideas

Looking for creative 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 cool and weird lamps to view products you can buy online today!

1. Alien Abduction Lamp

Alien Abduction Lamp, designed by Lasse Klein is a unique lighting unit that is shaped like an alien flying saucer or a UFO. The lamp is based on the plot that an alien race is abduction cows and people. A light source inside the UFO body lights up the windows and the cone-shaped glass beam. The glass cone, when lit looks like the beam emerging from the UFO to abduct the people and livestock.

To make this design more authentic, the designer has placed some small dolls inside the glass cone which are hung in such a way that they look like being abducted by aliens. The glass is frosted to diffuse the light enough to spread it in all directions. Check out the pictures.

2. Bang! Turn Off The Lamp In Bond Style

Bitplay has created a new lamp Bang! which looks like any other at first look but it does not come with a switch. Then how to turn off the lamp? For that, there is a gun. Yes, you will feel like a bond every time you switch on or off the lamp. The more funny part is, the lampshade moves sideways every time you shoot the gun. If you want to give your bedroom a funny makeover then you must have this cool lamp. Clapping your hand to turn off the light every night is now an old era. Take a look at this funny lamp.

3. Coil Lamp

American designer Craighton Berman has created a unique and innovative light called Coil Lamp. Here is some information by the designer, “Coil Lamp the domestic table lamp to the absolute minimum of defining elements. A single electrical cord coils around what appears to be an empty volume, defining the iconic form of a table lamp and ultimately powering a single light bulb. The entire lamp is created exclusively from a 100-foot extension cord that has been wrapped around a laser-cut clear acrylic form. This simple transformation elevates the status of the humble extension cord to the realm of domestic design.”

The lamp is available in two forms; Handmade Coil lamps which are hand-coiled by the designer himself and come ready to plug in and use and a DIY Coil lamp kit which allows the buyer to participate in the design process by having them wrap their own extension cord to complete the form.

4. Icon Family Lamps

Spanish designer Damián López has presented his latest lighting series, ICON at the Valencia Hábitat Fair 2011. The series is consists of a table lamp, a floor lamp, and a pendant lamp. The lamps are designed like a lampshade. “Each lamp is obtained from the spare wood inside its larger version, allowing an optimum use of the material.” The lamps are available in natural beech, white, and black matte.

5. Silhouette and Eclipse Lamps

Angela Jansen and Ger Jansen of Dutch design firm Light Light have created the Silhouette and Eclipse lamp series. Both lamps have integrated levitation technology which makes a part of the lampshade float when switched on. The designers have combined the memories of the old fashioned lamp with advanced electromagnetic components to create a truly unique lamp design.

The Silhouette Lamp has a handcrafted wooden base with a high gloss black finish. The conical shaped lampshade is manufactured in matte black fabric with a pearl white inner furnishing.

The Eclipse Lamp has a transparent glass base. The drum-shaped lampshade is finished in either matte black or reflective silver.

Energy-efficient LED light are used to lower the power consumption.

6. Standing Gourd Lamp XIII

Standing Lamp XIII is a wonderful sculptural lamp made from gourds. Designed by Polish artist Przemek of Calabarte, the lamp creates amazing lighting effects on wall and floor like an incredible artwork. The lamps are made from the dried and lignified fruits through a process of manual perforation and framing. As the shape of each fruit is different and framing is done manually, each lamp is unique and one of its kind. The bulb is inserted through a small hole that is locked by small magnets. The thorns on the body are of two sizes, 9cm, and 6cm, and are made of oak wood, painted with natural oil, and finished with black waxed strings. Check out the pictures below.

7. Suspension Lamp ‘Bob’

Bob is a suspension lamp designed by the Italian brand Pulsar Lighting. In the designer’s words, “The lamp connects the earth to the sky…similar to a cloud in perpetual movement.” The lamp is made of enameled ceramics, but its soft curves and forms make it looks like it’s flying. From some angles, it looks like a UFO and from others, it looks like a bunch of clouds hovering above your room. The elegant ceiling lamp is available in various colors and uses energy-saving LED lights. Check out the pictures.

8. Thin LED Tube Lamp SHY Light

New York-based designer Bec Brittain has created a unique lighting unit called SHY Light. The lamp uses energy-saving thin LED tubes. You can change the shape of the lamp which also changes the light-emitting angle, to create a different feel and look in your room any time you want. In the designer’s words, Reminiscent of crystalline structures, the SHY light used the spare beauty of thin LED tubes to define the edges of its shape; in this way, the function of the piece is created by the form of the piece and vice versa. The modular system allows for many configurations, like ceiling lights, floor lamps or growing out from a corner of the room.” Check out the pictures.

9. Box Lamp

London-based designer Alex Hammond has created the Box lamp. In the designer’s words, “A laser-cut dotted pattern creates the silhouette of a retro lamp within a pine box. As a result of the bulb positioning, the emitted light is reflected from the internal wooden surface providing a warm, cozy glow. Ideal for a bedside reading light.”

10. Fisherman Lamp

Mattias Ståhlbom of TAF Architects has designed the Fisherman lighting collection for Swedish company Zero. The lighting collection includes pendants and floor lamps. Following is some information from the designer, “Glass fishing floats were once used by fishermen in many parts of the world to keep their nets afloat. (…) Many of them are still afloat in the world’s oceans, primarily the Pacific. Norway was the first country to start production and use of glass fishing floats around 1840, and they can still be found in local boathouses.

Christopher Faye, a Norwegian merchant from Bergen, is credited for their invention. By the 1940s, glass had replaced wood or cork. Later the floats have been replaced by aluminum, plastic, or Styrofoam.” (Wikipedia)

Like fishermen’s glass floats, the lamp has also transferred to contemporary materials. And as a useful fishing tool has transformed into a romanticized, nigh-kitsch item used in fish restaurants, it is also time to move lamps into a new positive context. When placed indoors, with increased size and a new function as a lamp, we still recognize it, but look at it in a new way.

Rope-making is now a very rare handicraft in Sweden and it has been extremely hard to find the knowledge on how to knit this kind of round net structure. Finally, a small company, located at Hönö on the Swedish west coast, specialized in making rope- and net applications for the fishing industry managed to do it. Each net is hand knitted using the simplest tools imaginable.”

11. Sand Light

Barcelona-based design studio alien and monkey have created the Sand Light. The lamp is made from sand using traditional ceramic techniques. From the designers, “Using traditional ceramics techniques, we have developed a new material using one of the earth’s most abundant natural resources, sand, to create ephemeral lamps.

These products can be used for a long period of time and, due to the elements, crumble back to sand dust at the end of its lifecycle.”

12. The Moon Light

Japanese design studio Nosigner has designed The Moon Light, a lamp inspired by the full moon. The lamp is designed based on the image and data received from the Japanese lunar orbiter spacecraft Kaguya. The lamp was on display at the Dwell on Design exhibition. In the designer’s words, “Everyone in Japan affected by the earthquake prayed to the super moon, the biggest full moon in a cycle of 18 years.

‘The moon’ is the light of our hope. This bright object, composed of LED lights, is based on lunar orbiter Kaguya’s accurate 3D topographic data of the moon.”

13. Unique Lamp Design Inspired

Samal Design has created a unique lamp collection inspired by the design of football. The shade of the lamp resembles a football, with separate parts that can be automatically opened in order to produce different kinds of illumination. Made of metal with wooden parts, the Foot lamp collection consists of a floor lamp, table lamp, and ceiling or hanging lamp. Check out the pictures.

14. Unique Light Forest

Light Forest is a new design of ceiling lights designed by Ontwerpduo. The design consists out of different parts that can be connected to the ceiling. In the designer’s words, “Step by step the light system is overgrowing the ceiling as it was. It is possible to get one or much more light points exactly where you want them. Also, a wall light is possible. Obstacles or height differences are beautiful to use with these lights.”

15. Well Light

Slovakia based design studio MEJD have created the Well Light. Inspired by the traditional water wells, the lamp features a simple wooden handle mechanism that changes the bulb depth inside the glass container. By changing the position of the bulb, you can change the intensity of the light.