Nice-Looking Lamps Are No Longer Expensive
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Lamp technology has progressed to the point that good lighting doesn’t need to be expensive. Although there are plenty of fancy lights out there, there are so many great-looking ones under $100 — like a German resin mushroom one former Strategist staffer used as a bedside light, a handmade scalloped pendant, and the LED light bar and metal Ikea sconces I use in my own home. I’ve rounded up 20 options for every table, corner, or wall in your space, including some cordless, portable lamps and easily adjustable task lamps beloved by architects.
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Two cool-toned metal lamps from the enigma that is Zara Home.
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Marrakech House Raffia Lamp
A beautiful striped raffia lamp from the Etsy Store Marrakech House. (More colors and patterns here.) This listing only includes the lamp’s body and not the electrical kit, but that’s an easy fix — you can use a cheap $8 pendant kit from Amazon and an LED lightbulb.
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A portable, rechargeable, aluminum, and silicone lamp from Memphis Group founding member George Sowden.
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Woods Clamp Lamp
When in doubt, get a clamp lamp. Architect Peter Dumbadze is a fan: “I’ve used these lamps for years, as I can buy them at my local hardware store,” he says. Try angling the shade towards a wall to prevent the light from being too harsh and directional.
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Two food-themed lamps from Urban Outfitters to pair with a tomato candle or radish bowl.
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A plug-in picture light is a fun, slightly campy way to display your wall art.
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I’ve never seen a lamp shaped like this; it is so charming, like a front porch with the light left on. I also love its little rounded metal feet.
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An Amazon dupe of the Conchiglia lamp, designed by Luciano Buttura and Luigi Massoni for the Italian design company Guzzini (its stuff is expensive, but also a great source for lamp inspiration).
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I love Hay’s neon-tube LED (I mount mine above the kitchen cabinets to avoid ever turning on the Big Light). Curator Elizaveta Shneyderman calls it “an excellent sub-$100 vibe hack.”
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A pendant lamp from Duzy Designs, a designer-favorite Etsy store with handmade shades in a million different patterns, colors, shapes, and sizes.
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Architect Daniel Frisch loves this inexpensive, highly adjustable desk lamp, which has 25 different settings for color temperature and brightness.
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A mini-lamp from Wooj made from 3-D-printed recycled plastic.
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This sturdy cordless lamp is normally over $100, but a few colorways are deeply on sale, including firetruck red, terra-cotta, and bright orange.
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A bulbous, cordless, dimmable lamp from Bulbsquare, a great source for inexpensive lamps.
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This cute German resin mushroom would make a good bedside light. It comes in several colors, including pale green and metallic copper.
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Fado Lamp
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Varmblixt Lamp
Two very good Ikea lamps: a glowy orb that has been in the catalogue for years and a newer doughnut-shaped light that can be used as a table lamp or wall-mounted as a sconce.
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Ikea Smyg Sconce
We have a couple of these vintage Ikea sconces, and they’re great — they’re no longer in production but are easy to find on eBay and Etsy for around $30 to $40.
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The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
