Kartell is best known for bold design, and its lighting is no exception. This guide starts with the Teresa lamp, then looks at Kartell's other table, floor, cordless and pendant lights, with simple pointers to help you choose the right one for each room.
The Teresa lamp
The Teresa Lamp is designed by Ferruccio Laviani, and its sinuous curves evoke the gentle unfurling of petals while casting a warm, inviting glow. Its unexpected volumes and graceful contours give it a distinctive presence.
Size matters here: at 50cm across, Teresa is a statement piece rather than a discreet bedside light. It is happiest on a sideboard, console or large side table, where it has room to breathe. Give it a clear surface with perhaps one or two objects beside it, and let the shape do the talking.
Table lamps: statement or task?
Before choosing a table lamp, decide whether you want it to set the mood or light a job. Kartell does both.
For mood, the Bourgie Lamp, also by Ferruccio Laviani, unites baroque classicism with technological innovation. Its ornate base is made of three decorated, interlocking elements, and the large pleated shade creates a multitude of reflections when lit. A special system lets you hang the shade at three heights, so it can be adjusted to suit its spot. If you prefer a softer, more contemporary finish, the Bourgie Mat Lamp has a soft-touch matt finish and shade heights of 68, 73 or 78cm.
For working light, look at the Aledin Tec Table Lamp by Alberto and Francesco Meda. It is an LED task lamp with two articulated polycarbonate arms, whose aluminium rods also carry the current, and its flat head casts a direct, focused beam that you can adjust by moving the diffuser. It is ideal for a home office or study desk. Its sibling, the Aledin Dec Table Lamp, has a faceted cone-shaped shade that casts a wider, more atmospheric light, better suited to living rooms and bedrooms.
Cordless lamps for dining tables and terraces
A rechargeable lamp is one of the most useful things you can own, because it goes wherever you need light without a trailing cable. The Battery Transparent Portable Table Lamp by Ferruccio Laviani reinterprets a classic lampshade silhouette in translucent colour. It gives up to eight hours of light from a single charge and is rated IP54, so it is as useful on a terrace as on a dining table.
If you want more presence, the Big Battery Portable Table Lamp scales the design up to 37cm, with a faceted shade that gives a warm, sparkling glow. Prefer to leave it plugged in? The Big Battery Wired Table Lamp is mains-powered, ready to light a bedside table, desk or console all day.
Floor lamps and pendants
Philippe Starck's Angelo Stone Lamp rethinks the classic bulb-and-shade layout: the LED sits on the stem and lights the underside of the cap, where lenses create a play of reflections, while the one-piece moulded shade spreads the light evenly. At 173cm, the floor version is a good option beside a sofa or reading chair.
Over a dining table, a pendant sets the tone for the whole room. The Big FL/Y Transparent Pendant Light is the largest version of Ferruccio Laviani's FL/Y, with a shimmering, iridescent finish that recalls a soap bubble. At 83cm across it makes a dramatic centrepiece over a large table. For something more decorative, the Bloom Pendant Lamp is covered in tiny transparent double-corolla flowers on a polycarbonate frame and comes in three sizes, starting with Small at 28cm.
How to choose
- Measure first. Check the width of your sideboard or table against lamps like Teresa (50cm across) or Big FL/Y (83cm).
- Match the light to the job. Focused task light for desks, softer diffused light for sitting rooms and bedrooms.
- Think about power. If there is no socket nearby, a cordless Battery lamp solves the problem neatly.
- Layer it. Most rooms look best with light at more than one level: a pendant overhead, a lamp at table height and perhaps a floor lamp in a corner.
Browse our full range of Kartell lighting or the wider lighting collection. If you would like help choosing, visit the shop in Somerset or contact the team for advice.
