19 of the best modern table lamps for mastering mood lighting (2024)

With a hand-carved natural stone base and curved metallic shade, this design offers a compact hit of the US designer’s signature glamour. Choose from white marble with an antique brass shade or black marble with polished nickel. Approx £1,378, kellywearstler.com

Colourful and lightweight, this pleasingly asymmetrical table lamp by Christophe Mathieu has real personality. It’s available in a range of punchy tones, but we love this sophisticated red. £183, aram.co.uk

This affordable option deserves design kudos well beyond what the price tag would suggest. The pleated paper will softly diffuse light, which makes it well suited to a bedroom or reading nook. £24.99, hm.com

Our first ever lighting launch is a veritable design pick ’n’ mix in the most fashion-forward materials and finishes. Designed to complement each other the six bases and six lampshades are all complementary to ensure there is no wrong combination – it’s all about what suits your personal aesthetic. From £450, lightsandlamps.com

A thoroughly contemporary update on a Victorian gas lantern, this clever collaboration between sustainable lighting brand Tala and British stalwart Farrow & Ball is completely cordless and will keep going for an impressive 24 hours. £275, tala.co.uk

With a low, rounded form reminiscent of louche 1970s furniture and a shade moulded from paper pulp, this smart design cements the burgeoning London-based studio as one to watch. £385, glassette.com

A lesson in clever contrast, this table lamp by Space Copenhagen juxtaposes the industrial appeal of an anodized aluminium base – complete with columned detail – with a textured, light-diffusing canvas shade. Battery-powered, it can operate for eleven hours. £145, twentytwentyone.com

Taking its inspiration from the domed skyline of Venice – this one’s handblown glass – Italian design duo Chiaramonte Marin’s portable and rechargeable lamp for the Czech lighting brand will look as at home inside as out. £1,785, chaplins.co.uk

Created in collaboration with Croatian design studio Regular Company, this sculptural design hinges on the elegant sweep of its arm. Options include brass, brushed steel, matt black and taupe-like ‘Cashmere’. £189, finnishdesignshop.com

In black lacquered steel and mouth-blown smoked glass, Swiss lighting designer Patrick Zulauf’s design for French brand Ligne Roset is sleek and sculptural in equal measure – with an unusual flame-like bulb. £247, ligneroset.com

If The Queen’s Gambit didn’t convince you of the style credentials of chess, FontanaArte’s latest limited-edition reissue surely will. Created by Milanese artist Bobo Piccoli in 1968, the ‘Re’ and ‘Regina’ lamps are inspired by the game’s king and queen pieces. Their ethereal glow can be controlled via a dimmer. From approx £1,570, fontanaarte.com

Designed by Form Us With Love for lighting brand Ateljé Lyktan, the ‘Pluggie’ table lamp is dimmable, portable and has two USB ports to charge devices from, making it an ideal companion for those who prefer to work untethered from a desk. £129, ateljelyktan.se

Paris-based duo Quaglio Simonelli may have found perfect balance in their discreet ‘Aluna’ lamp for Bolia. Clean lines and a tiltable design make it well suited to desks or any detailed work. Approx £360, bolia.com

This mushroom-like marble and glass lamp from Danish brand Vipp – better known for its much-coveted kitchens – is all about ‘the unexpected composition of complementing materials,’ says chief designer Morten Bo Jensen. From £377, skandium.com

British designer Matthew Williamson has designed the ‘Phileas’ as part of Pooky's new rechargeable range. Pair with one of his colourful shades, or opt for the simplicity of woven rattan to offset the ornate base. Base £115; shade £42, pooky.com

Originally launched in 1936, Christian Dell’s modernist masterpiece has become an enduring symbol of Bauhaus design. The once-pioneering swivel joint means the lamp can be adjusted by loosening the clamp or moving the shade. £560, fritzhansen.com

According to British lighting brand Houseof, their playful ‘Curve’ design is equal parts table lamp and sculpture. At under £100, it’s a brilliant way to buy into statement design without a major investment. £99, houseof.com

Beautiful Italian marbles from the 1970s provided a starting point for Danish designer Aleksandar Lazic, whose instinct for structure is plain to see in this well-balanced design, with its conical travertine base and bronzed aluminium shade. £540, nest.co.uk