RAILS Table lamp
by Gwendoline Porte · Paris, United Kingdom

Lamps are grouped by where they sit. Table lamps stand on a surface, including desk lamps for task light and bedside lamps for low, warm light. Floor lamps stand on the floor and include arc, tripod, torchiere and column forms. Wall lamps mount to a wall, sconces among them. Ceiling lamps hang or fix overhead as pendants, chandeliers or flush mounts. Everything else — cordless, outdoor, candle-lit — is a variation on one of those four positions.

A base or body, a socket that holds the bulb, a switch, a shade or diffuser, and the cord and plug. Traditional constructions add a harp — the wire frame arching over the bulb — and a finial that screws down to hold the shade on it. Contemporary and sculptural designs often merge base and diffuser into one form with the socket hidden inside, in which case there is no harp, no finial, and no removable shade.

By shape: drum, cylinder, empire, cone, coolie, globe and bell, plus irregular forms in handmade work. By material: fabric and linen for soft diffusion, paper for an even glow, glass for brightness with sparkle, metal and ceramic for directed light downward, and stone or alabaster for light that appears to come from within the material. Shape decides where the light goes; material decides how it feels.

Four figures: the diameter across the top, the diameter across the bottom, the slant height down the side, and the fitting type. Measure the widest point for the bottom diameter and measure slant rather than vertical height on any sloping shade. If you are replacing a shade, measure the old one and check the fitting — a shade that fits the dimensions but not the fitting is no use.

Two proportions work reliably. The shade should be roughly one third of the lamp's total height, and its width one and a half to two times the width of the base. It must also be deep enough to conceal the socket and bulb from anyone standing or sitting nearby. A shade narrower than the base looks top-heavy; one much wider swallows the lamp.

One that puts 400–800 lumens onto the page from beside or slightly behind your shoulder, with a shade deep or opaque enough that you never see the bulb. Position matters more than power: light coming over your shoulder onto the page beats a brighter lamp facing you. Add a second, dimmer source in the room to reduce the contrast between page and surroundings, which is what actually causes eye fatigue. Adjustable table and floor lamps suit reading best; translucent sculptural pieces are for atmosphere.

Dry first, and gently. Dust fabric and paper shades with a soft brush or a lint roller, working from top to bottom, and never wet paper. Fabric shades tolerate a barely damp cloth on a small mark, tested somewhere hidden. Glass, ceramic and metal shades can be wiped with a damp cloth and dried at once. Always switch off and let the bulb cool first, and support the shade rather than pressing against it — handmade frames are not as rigid as they look.

Decide first whether you want patina, because most designers do. Unlacquered brass and copper darken over months into the finish the piece was designed to reach, and that process is not damage. If you prefer it bright, polish occasionally with a product made for the metal and dry thoroughly. If a piece is lacquered, do not polish it at all — dust it, since polish removes the lacquer unevenly. Ask us which finish a specific piece has.

Dust dry, and often, since dust dulls a glaze faster than anything else. Use a barely damp cloth on glazed ceramic, stone and glass, drying immediately, and never spray liquid onto a fixture. Keep paper, textile and untreated wood dry, and out of direct sun where fading is a risk. On unglazed or raw surfaces, avoid solvents entirely. We can supply the maker's own care notes for any piece.

No. Everything here is sold as a complete designed object, because the shade and base are conceived together and are frequently one piece. If you need a replacement shade for a lamp you already own, an established shade maker is the right supplier — and if something on a piece bought from us needs attention, contact us and we will approach the studio.

Both are common projects, and neither is something we supply parts for. Rewiring is straightforward work for an electrician and legally restricted to one in some countries; conversion kits for vessels exist but require careful drilling and strain relief, and a poorly made conversion is a genuine fire risk. If the appeal is a one-off object with real material character, buying a finished piece from a maker gets you there without the risk.

Living rooms want several: a floor lamp beside the seating, one or two table lamps, and something overhead on a dimmer. Bedrooms want low, warm light at bedside height and little else. Home offices want directed task light plus a second source to soften screen contrast. Hallways want wall lamps, which take no floor space. Dining rooms want one considered piece over the table rather than several small ones.

It varies by piece, and switching is worth checking as carefully as the light itself. Lamps with standard E14 or E27 sockets can usually be dimmed with a compatible bulb and an inline or plug-in dimmer, even where the lamp itself has a simple on/off switch. You will also find pull chains, rotary dimmers, touch-sensitive bases and inline cord switches — a detail that matters most on a bedside or a hard-to-reach piece.

Many are unique or produced in limited editions, and most are made after you order in the designer's studio, with lead times stated on the product page. A unique piece exists in one example, so once it sells it is not repeated. If you want a pair or a set, order in one batch so glazes, glass color and grain match, and tell us any fixed deadline before you buy.