Three generations of women, one workshop in Puglia, and lamps made from the clay, stone and linen of southern Italy.
Updated on: October 31, 2026
Italian lighting is often associated with Milan, glass and engineering. Nassi Lamps tells a quieter story. Since 1960, the family workshop has made lamps in Puglia, the heel of Italy, where a dry, sunlit landscape shapes everything from the houses to the pottery. For three generations, the women behind Nassi have reworked the table lamp with traditional techniques and an understated, contemporary eye.
Today, the designer is Francesca De Giorgi, an architect by training. She sees each lamp as part of the room rather than an object placed in it, and she builds it from natural materials: travertine, terracotta, rattan and hand-sewn linen. Here is what defines a Nassi lamp, five designs to collect, and how to choose the right one.
The Philosophy Behind Nassi Lamps
Francesca’s approach is tied to her surroundings and her family. She grew up watching her grandmother and mother work with fabric, learning techniques from a slower, more deliberate time. Today, she reinterprets those methods for contemporary interiors. Materials sit at the heart of the process: she favors linen, terracotta and rattan not only for their texture but for the stories they carry. In her words, “Memory is as precious as the material itself.”
Consequently, Nassi works closely with local artisans and keeps techniques alive that might otherwise disappear, an idea we explore further in why artisanal techniques still matter and the persistence of artisanal craft in an AI world.
Contemporary Lamps Rooted in Puglia
Puglia is a region of sharp contrasts: harsh yet welcoming, austere yet full of life. Its whitewashed masserie and conical trulli, which Wallpaper* visited through Gaetano Pesce’s playful trullo, have long relied on local stone, clay and rush. Nassi’s designs carry the same qualities: simple at first glance, but with room for detail and personality.
The Sonora collection, for instance, draws on Puglia’s rural culture, pairing hand-turned terracotta bases with stitched rattan or linen shades. Meanwhile, the Roma lamps turn to stone, cutting travertine into squared and twelve-sided columns. Both read as heritage without nostalgia, and both suit homes far from the south of Italy.
How to Recognize a Nassi Lamp
Nassi has a distinct identity in Italian lighting design. Drawing on mid-century influences, its lamps combine clean lines, careful proportions and an almost architectural quality. These five features set them apart.
Restraint
Each form is reduced to its essentials, with nothing fussy or excessive. The shapes are geometric yet warm, from the soft curve of a terracotta base to the straight edge of a linen shade, so a Nassi lamp adds to a room without crowding it. For more lamps in this spirit, see our edit of minimalist lighting.
Natural Materials
Linen, terracotta, rattan and stone give every Nassi lamp warmth. Artisans turn the terracotta bases on a lathe using centuries-old techniques, and the linen shades are hand-sewn and entirely plastic-free. Furthermore, travertine, a porous Italian limestone, gives the Roma lamps weight and a surface that ages well, set off by nickel-plated brass details.
Mid-Century Influence
Although Francesca blends traditional and contemporary elements, the influence of mid-century design is clear. Pared-back forms and close attention to scale make Nassi lamps feel at home in mid-century interiors, where no piece is superfluous and every detail earns its place.
Geometric Shapes
Designs such as the Pyramid pendant are bold but understated. Their calm precision suits architectural spaces, and their simplicity lets them move between styles, from a neo-industrial loft to an eclectic living room or a rustic farmhouse kitchen.
Light and Shadow
Francesca designs each lamp for a particular light, whether the warm glow of a summer evening or the low ambience of a winter night. Fabric and woven shades filter and diffuse the bulb, casting soft shadows rather than glare. As a result, the light is both practical and atmospheric.
Made in Italy: Craft and Heritage
Nassi Lamps belongs to Italy’s long tradition of made-in-Italy craftsmanship. Each piece is made by hand in the same small workshop in Puglia where the business began, with lathe-turned terracotta and carefully sewn linen. Every lamp is made to order, so sizes and shade colors can be adjusted, and the wiring can be fitted for any country. Like weaving, lampshade sewing is a slow craft, and Nassi keeps it in the hands of the people who learned it.
5 Nassi Lamps to Collect
Roma Dodecagon Medium Table Lamp In White Travertine by Nassi Lamps
A twelve-sided base of white travertine carries nickel-plated brass details and a hand-sewn, plastic-free shade. Indeed, the facets of the stone repeat in the pleats of the fabric, so the lamp reads as one solid form. At 35 x 35 x 52 cm (14 x 14 x 20 in), it anchors a console or a sideboard, with the shade in white, dark blue, lemon yellow or brick red.
By Nassi Lamps
€1,470 incl. tax
Roma Squared Table Lamp In White Travertine by Nassi Lamps
A square column of white travertine rises into a cube of hand-sewn fabric, with an optional top diffuser to soften the glow. Notably, the stone keeps its natural pores, so each base carries its own pattern. From 29 x 29 x 44 cm (11 x 11 x 17 in) in the small size, it comes in three heights for a bedside, a desk or a sideboard.
By Nassi Lamps
€950 – €1,370 incl. tax
Pyramid Pendant Lamp In Textiles by Nassi Lamps
An iron frame wrapped in pure linen gives the Pyramid its generous, tent-like silhouette, with a pleated option that adds texture. Moreover, the fabric warms the light as it passes through. Available 65 cm (26 in) or 45 cm (18 in) wide, it hangs best over a dining table or in an entryway.
By Nassi Lamps
€1,280 – €1,920 incl. tax
Sonora Rattan Table Lamp In Clay And Textiles by Nassi Lamps
A lathe-turned terracotta base holds a light, basket-like rattan shade, edged in leather and removable at the top. Specifically, the weave lets the bulb show through as a soft point of light, much like a lantern on a Puglian terrace. At 30 x 30 x 45 cm (12 x 12 x 18 in), it suits a bedside table or a relaxed living room.
By Nassi Lamps
€840 incl. tax
Sonora Small Table Lamp In Terracotta And Linen by Nassi Lamps
Clay and linen, the two materials of rural Puglia, meet in the Sonora Small: a cylindrical terracotta base and a hand-sewn shade in pure linen. As a result, the light is warm and diffuse rather than bright. At 30 x 30 x 48 cm (12 x 12 x 19 in), it brings a calm glow to a reading corner or a bedside.
By Nassi Lamps
€1,028 incl. tax
How to Choose the Right Nassi Lamp
Start with the room and the light you want. In a clean, pared-back interior, the Roma Squared or Roma Dodecagon in travertine gives a grounded, sculptural base. In a farmhouse or rustic space, the Pyramid pendant adds texture over a table. For a coastal or relaxed room, the Sonora Rattan brings a laid-back glow, while the Sonora in linen is the softest option for a bedroom.
Then think about scale. A bedside lamp of about 45 cm (18 in) keeps the shade near eye level when you sit up in bed, while a console or sideboard can take a taller lamp of 50 cm (20 in) or more. Over a dining table, hang a pendant about 75 to 85 cm (30 to 33 in) above the tabletop, and choose a width roughly half that of the table. Finally, pick the shade color last, from white, dark blue, lemon yellow or brick red, to match the textiles already in the room. Browse more table lamps and pendant lights to compare.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are Nassi Lamps made?
Every Nassi lamp is made by hand in the family workshop in Puglia, in southern Italy, where the business began in 1960. Local artisans turn the terracotta bases and sew the linen shades.
What materials do Nassi Lamps use?
Natural materials only: travertine, terracotta, rattan and pure linen, with nickel-plated brass details on the Roma lamps. The shades are hand-sewn and plastic-free.
Who designs Nassi Lamps?
Francesca De Giorgi, an architect by training and the third generation of women to run the workshop.
Can I choose the size and shade color?
Yes. Nassi lamps are made to order, most come in several sizes, and the shades are offered in white, dark blue, lemon yellow and brick red. The wiring can be adapted for any country.
Is travertine a good material for a table lamp?
Yes. Travertine is a dense Italian limestone, so it gives a lamp a heavy, stable base. Its natural pores mean each base is slightly different, and it only needs a dry or lightly damp cloth to clean.
