‘Gatto’ table light by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos

The form: A wire-framed curved shape, reminiscent of a peanut, covered in spray-on webbing. What makes it special: Designer brothers Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni created ‘Gatto’ (meaning ‘Little Cat’) in 1962. By this time, the Milan-based siblings were well-known figures of Italian design for their high-profile exhibition work and avant-garde furniture items, including the ‘Mezzadro’ tractor seat stool and ‘Sella’ monopod stool with bicycle seat. From a material perspective, the ‘Gatto’ light takes a leaf out of the book of George Nelson’s iconic ‘Bubble’ lamps, developed a decade earlier, using a similar spray-on web-like plastic material that was originally developed for mothballing American naval vessels at the end of World War II. The table lamp provides the same soft diffused light found in the brothers’ earlier pendant designs, due to the silkworm cocoon-like exterior, but is far less aggressive in shape. Whether the name comes from the lamp’s silhouette or just the quiet demeanour of the light when it’s placed on a surface is anyone’s guess, but its ability to add a special quality to any space is undeniable. Expect to pay: $749 for the ‘Gatto Picolo’ (31cm) or $949 for the 58cm-high version. The larger model features an electronic dimmer. Buy from: Euroluce, euroluce.com.au.