Desk lamps cast a light into our dark corners
A look behind the scenes at things in our homes and where they came from
A light bulb went off when Toni Segvic replaced his old, outdated desk lamp a few years ago. The self-described “lover of lamps” was in the dark about all the options, which made him think other shoppers might also be.
“My head was spinning,” recalls the Croatian tech enthusiast.
So he created “looneylumens.com to help people find the right desk lamp for their needs. (Lumens are the measure of a light bulb’s brightness. Wattage is the amount of energy needed to produce the light.)
Anything you do at a desk or study space calls for targeted or task lighting. Having the proper “trusty sidekick” can reduce eye strain, boost productivity and make it easier to read, study or look at a screen, advises Segvic, who spends long hours at his computer.
His site includes lists of best lamps and bulbs for various tasks and locations, along with advice on choosing one.
Replacing his own swing-arm, Cclamp-mounted lamp with a modern
model made “a big difference!” Segvic told the Star.
The $75 LED beam has a brightness-level control and adjusts for different tasks. The manoeuvrable hinged arm also has a digital display for time, date and indoor temperature, plus a USB charging port.
Nothing that fancy for late Stone Agers who chased away the dark by burning a piece of moss soaked in animal fat and held in a shell or hollow rock. Lamps were later filled with fish or olive oil with a wick added to focus the flame.
In the Middle Ages, glass containers were filled with water, oil and a floating wick. Kerosene lamps were introduced in the 19th century but it wasn’t until after Thomas Edison patented his incandescent light bulb in 1879 that the earliest desk lamps began to glow.
Still popular today is the classic banker’s lamp or green lamp, originally called the Emeralite for the colour of its glass shade. Designed in 1909, the brassstand lamp was first used by financial institutions for its ease on the eyes during long hours of bean-counting.
Enthusiast Sean Williamson calls it “arguably the most famous desk lamp of all time” on his website, thebankerslamp.com. It’s popped up in numerous movies and TV shows including “Murdoch Mysteries,” “Seinfeld,” “Friends,” “Jaws” and “Breaking Bad.” There’s even a Facebook group for green lamp spotters, totalling 103 members.
But for angle adjustability, the banker’s lamp can’t hold a candle to British car designer George Carwardine’s invention
in the 1930s.
Drawing on his expertise with vehicle suspensions, he used springs and pivoting arms to create a task light called Anglepoise.
Since then, other lamps have achieved star power, including the plastic mushroomshaped Nesso, a product of the Artemide design firm in the mid-1960s. The lamp adorned Roger Sterling’s desk in the “Mad Men” television series.
Artemide later introduced the Tizio, a two-armed metal desk lamp that moves in four directions. Described as an abstract giraffe look-alike, it was the must-have status symbol of the ’80s.
Designer Richard Sapper credited his “table full of junk” for the idea.
“I needed a lamp with very long arms that could be placed very far away, where I might have room to put it,” the Orlando Sentinel quoted him as saying in 1985. Two years later, little eyes lit up over Lampy, a gooseneck in the animated film “The Brave Little Toaster,” in which appliances and other electronics come to life. The literate Lampy, who uses his electric cord as an appendage, has moments of brilliance and dislikes the dark, according to Disney.fandom.com. Topping the high-tech heap these days is Dyson’s $850
Lightcycle Morph that’s controlled by an app and adjusts colour temperature and brightness for your age, task, mood and local daylight. With 360degree manoeuvrability, the slim stand delivers light in four formats: task, indirect, feature or ambient.
For Toronto home decor YouTuber Alexandra Gater, “lighting is so, so important” for both functional and decorative purposes.
“It’s the easiest way to make a space beautiful, warm and inviting,” says Gater, who specializes in budget makeovers and helping millennials decorate rental spaces.
Desk lamps are also affordable with many under-$100 options, she adds, noting she found a sleek little tilting type at HomeSense for less than $20.
Gater also suggests Etsy and Ikea for lots of choice in desk lamps.
Opt for “bigger and bolder,” try trendy with a mushroom style or repurpose an oldschool table light, she says.