Six fresh table lamps to make your place modern now … and to auction
off as design classics later. (See you on eBay in 2027.) — Rob Brinkley

Bourgie Table Lamp

Now this is what we call seeing the light. Designer Ferruccio Laviani employs crystal-clear
polycarbonate to hint at the inner workings of the curvy little Bourgie, a thoroughly modern
update on a baroque shape. Its height is adjustable, so you can use it as a floor lamp in your lounge or as a table lamp in your boudoir. Decadent. $287 at Design within Reach, (800) 944-2233, www.dwr.com.

1. Celeste Table Lamp

An illuminating architectural presence, indeed. The hand-wrapped shade of silken white cotton strands bridges twin metal uprights that come in dark bronze and satin nickel finishes. Approximately 19 inches tall, $80 at Crate & Barrel, (800) 967-6696, www.crateandbarrel.com.

2. Unity Accent Lamp

Oh, that amazing Eva. The prolific Ms. Zeisel — she’s been designing since the late 1920s — shapes Nambé’s trademark metal into pure organic magic and tops it with a robust little shade. Approximately 10 inches tall, $125 at Nambé, (800) 443-0339, www.nambe.com.

3. Porcini Paper Lamp

Finding inspiration in the plump and curvy porcini mushroom, superstar designer Jasper Morrison wraps Japanese washi paper tightly around a lightweight metal frame. The result? A delicious glow. Available in three sizes: 12, 18, and 26 inches tall; $210 to $430 at Ameico; (888) 350-8765; www.ameico.com.

4. Sophie and Isabella

It’s a material whirl: Sand-casted aluminum in a fetchingly organic shape by Venezuelan industrial designer Pablo Pardo (who has created everything from Fisher-Price roller skates to car concepts for DaimlerChrysler) gets topped by a white polycarbonate diffuser, and, voilà, you see the light. Sophie is 12 inches tall, and Isabella is 18 inches; $80 and $124 at UncommonGoods; (888) 365-0056; www.uncommongoods.com.

5. Oval Aluminum Table Lamp

Move over, Henry Moore. This handwrought aluminum beauty — even its oval shade is woven by hand — has all the artful presence of a sculpture that you’d see in a major museum, much less in a living room. Approximately 25 inches tall, $125 at Pier 1 Imports, (800) 245-4595, www.pier1.com.