From timeless classics to modern marvels, here's everything you need to know about brass table lamps…
They’re classy, they’re versatile, and they’re surprisingly affordable. In this post we turn the spotlight on brass table lamps, exploring different styles from classic to contemporary – and introducing our revolutionary new rechargeable brass table lamps.
We’ll also share some tips for using designer brass lamps in your interior design, pairing them with lampshades, and everything else you need to know…
Why Choose a Brass Table Lamp?
… Because it’s lovely brass, of course! Beautiful, soft, smooth, buttery brass. It’s just a perfect material for table lamps: that warm metal basking in a pool of light looks great in any room. But it’s also incredibly versatile, and designer brass lamp bases can be finished in various different colours for different effects, or sculpted to evoke different styles and periods.
We realised just how versatile brass can be when we came up with the Trafalgar table lamp. This was actually a mistake that turned out to work: we rescued an offcut of brass from the workshop floor, and lamp-ified it. A few tweaks later, we ended up with one of the most elegant and stylish table lights around.
Designer Brass Table Lamp Styles
If your room has a theme – whether that’s classic, contemporary, retro or modern – you can usually find a table lamp to complement and enhance it. Here are some more examples of the versatility of brass as a material…
Antique Style Brass Table Lamps
If you want your table lamp to look like it’s been handed down the generations – but with the convenience of modern functionality – then brass is ideal. It naturally suggests character and history – and we love lamps that feel like they have a backstory.
This Cuthbert table lamp, for example, has a naval-inspired design (which is why it's named after Vice Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, a hero of Nelson’s navy), so you could pretend it’s been in your family since the Battle of Trafalgar.
Or for a very different but no less characterful antique look, how about something like the Spindle table lamp? It’s made of solid brass but the finish is antique silver, reminiscent of candlesticks, lavish dinner services and possibly even masked balls…
Classic Brass Table Lamps
If you’re after a classical look in your table lamp, then go for a column style, inspired by the architecture of Ancient Rome. Again, you can choose from various different colours – and for a shade, try a square style and a natural material to complete the ‘classic’ look. This is a solid brass Wellington table lamp in antique bronze, paired with a square linen lampshade.
Or for a contemporary twist, try pairing a classic column lamp with a patterned shade. The Sedgwick table lamp is made entirely from cast brass and constructed and finished by hand.
Retro Brass Table Lamps
If retro is your thing, brass and glass make for a wonderful combination. For example, if you like the art deco style with its sleek lines and striking geometric shapes, the eye-catching Romi table lamp in brass with an elegant glass dome casts a beautiful glow.
Contemporary Brass Table Lamps
Such is the versatility of brass, that contemporary designers can use it to create stunning modern table lamp designs. You don’t have to go too wacky for a striking, contemporary feel:
The lamp above – called, appropriately enough, the Crescent table lamp – uses inverted crescents of marble set in solid brass: two very contrasting materials, but it works beautifully. Meanwhile, the Pick table lamp, below, has a clean, contemporary style, complete with a swivel knuckle joint at the base and the top, so you can angle the light to just where you want it. Made from pure brass with an antiqued finish:
Unusual Brass Table Lamps
As we said, you don’t have to go too wacky… But if slightly unusual is your thing, brass can do that too. How about the Skellig table lamp, which features lovely roundels of burnt wood and brass, for a look that’s both striking yet elegant:
Rechargeable Brass Table Lamps
Brass has been used to make lovely decorative household objects for centuries – and now we’ve brought it right into the 21st century, with our revolutionary range of rechargeable table lamps. With our cordless lamp technology, there’s no need to worry about cables or power supplies - offering you the ultimate in lighting flexibility. With this in mind, we have re-imagined our popular Trafalgar table lamp in smaller form, as a beautiful, portable cordless table lamp:
The beauty of rechargeable table lamps is you can literally put them wherever you like. The Phileas rechargeable table lamp in brass (below) is perfect for taking with you on your travels, and will add a touch of class to any picnic or outdoor party:
Or for a classic look, the Freya rechargeable table lamp in brass (above) is modelled on a beautiful old candlestick and makes a wonderful addition to any space - the living room, the dining room, even the bathroom…
Four Tips for Using Brass Table Lamps in Interior Design
1) Pair up brass table lamps on a mantelpiece
Table lamps don’t only have to be used on tables! If you find a smallish brass table lamp you love, why not buy a pair and use them at either end of a mantelpiece? They can really turn a fireplace into a feature. Another tip: if you have to fit a lamp onto a relatively narrow space, like a mantelpiece or a small table, try a square shade as these will fit flush against the wall.
2) Use a designer brass table lamp as a bedside lamp
There’s no reason why a bedside lamp should be a purely functional object with all your designer lamps on show in the living room or hallway. Treat yourself to a beautiful brass table lamp in your bedroom – or better still, a matching pair of them.
3) Match with brass floor lamps and pendants
Obvious enough really: carry the brass lighting theme through your house with brass floor lamps and brass pendant lamps.
4) Make a statement in your entrance hall
A large, flamboyant table lamp is a really effective – and really quite affordable – way to make a big design statement, especially when combined with a similarly large and flamboyant shade. The Bamboozle – with its bamboo-like cast brass column – is a brilliant example.
So that’s why we love brass table lamps so much. They can make a statement or blend subtly into your décor. They can be classic or contemporary, decorative or practical, retro, vintage or just plain unusual. Browse our collection here…