Lamps for the office - form and function



OFFICE LAMPS

You need good lighting whether you’re sitting in your office for a whole day or for just a couple of hours. There are two factors to consider – effectively lighting the area where you’re going to be working and choosing the correct lighting for the type of work you’ll be doing.

Your workspace needs to be lit clearly and practically – a high-quality flexible desk lamp is a good start. Another very good idea is combining natural and artificial light if that’s possible in your office. If you spend most of your work day using a computer you’ll need even more light on your workspace – aim for a smooth transition between your working light and your screen.

Form and function go hand-in-hand when creating good lighting, and good lighting is a vital part of creating the right working environment.


An LED desk lamp?

LED office lighting creates a better working environment and saves you money. An LED light source will provide the most effective lighting of your workspace, and there are several other advantages to LEDs that are worth keeping in mind when you’re shopping for a new office lamp.

LED bulbs have long lifespans – from 10 to 25 years – so it’ll be quite a while before you need to replace one. They also use much less energy than conventional incandescent bulbs, and you’ll notice the difference on your electricity bill. One last advantage to LEDs is that they don’t give off heat so they won’t affect the indoor climate of your office.

We’ve put together some suggestions of lamps that are well-suited to desks and offices, both with and without LED. Desk lamps don’t necessarily need to use LEDs, but we think that they’re the optimal choice.

The Kelvin table lamp from the Italian brand Flos is the perfect lamp for offices and workspaces. Its built-in LED light source projects all of its light output downwards onto your workspace, which is exactly where you want it.

This elegant and functional desk lamp also has a tiltable head, making it even easier to adjust the lamp to meet your needs. Kelvin is also outfitted with a 3-step touch dimmer. It is also available in two sizes and four neutral colours – black, white, chrome and anthracite.

Image from Pinterest
This lamp was inspired by leaves on a tree – the shape of the lamp changes as you tilt the head in the same way that leaves change shape as they dance on the breeze. The Leaf table lamp from the Danish brand Muuto is perfectly suited to use on a desk and works well as both a work lamp and a reading lamp.

Leaf has a built-in dimmable LED light source so you can adjust the light intensity to suit the situation. It is available as both a table lamp and a floor lamp and comes in white, black, green and grey.

Image from Pinterest
Muuto’s Wood table lamp is a modern interpretation of the classic and popular architect’s lamp. This unique lamp radiates contemporary Nordic cool and is ideal as both a reading lamp and a work lamp.

Wood comes with a halogen bulb included but you’re free to buy an LED bulb instead if that’s what you would prefer. This gorgeous lamp is crafted from dried and white-oiled pine and has a white PVC cable.

Image from Pinterest

Lamps and the office ceiling – what you need to know

Before you choose a ceiling lamp or pendant for your office, consider your desk. It’s always a good idea to get the most out of the natural light in the room, so you should position your desk so that any daylight comes from the side – this helps to avoid reflections on your computer screen. The same principle applies to artificial lighting. Placing a ceiling lamp or pendant either over or just in front of your screen will create reflections, so we recommend positioning it to the side instead. Experiment with different locations before you get your toolbox out and install the lamp permanently. Height is a factor too. Our advice is to hang a pendant a minimum of 120cm over your work surface, but if your office has a high ceiling you can hang the lamp as high as you like.

We’ve put together a few examples of great-looking office pendants and ceiling lamps.

The PH 5 pendant from Louis Poulsen is a true design classic. This wildly popular lamp works just as well in the office as it does in the rest of the home. Thanks to it’s multi-shade system PH 5 provides diffuse lighting and is 100% glare-free.

This lovely pendant is available in a wide selection of colours that fit in with today’s decorating trends and also comes in different sizes. PH 5 produces high-quality working light, effectively covering your workspace without blinding. The PH 5 lamps were designed by Poul Henningsen.

Image from Pinterest
Being from Philips Hue is a simple and stylish ceiling lamp that is a perfect addition to the office. It projects light directly downwards into the room as well as laterally out to the sides, which reflects off the ceiling and out into the room. This clever lamp comes with the Hue White Ambiance system, allowing you to adjust its intensity and colour to the level you need.

For optimal working light you should set the colour temperature to about 4,000 kelvin; for an extra boost of energy, bump it up to 6,500 kelvin. Being has lots more practical features, making this ceiling lamp particularly useful in the Office. Being is available in black and white.
Lexine Pendant Silver from Arcchio is a classic ceiling lamp for big offices. The lamp has a lovely and simple design that blends seamlessly into any surroundings from its suspended position on the ceiling. Lexine is fitted with an integrated LED light and a matte surface that distributes the light in a uniform, comfortable, glare-free way. You can even place multiple pendants together for a wider glow that reaches all corners of the office.
The elegant and uncomplicated design of the Flat S1 pendant from LIGHT-POINT means that it’s another great office option. It has a built-in LED light source, minimising its profile and allowing you to hang it lower than other pendants without disturbing sight lines. It provides soft, comfortable and glare-free light that is ideal for office use.

The Flat S1 pendant is available in black and white. Its simplicity and unpretentious design means that it’s easy to incorporate into any design scheme and any home.


Desk lamps, ergonomics and you

Good lighting is a must when you’re sitting at your desk, hard at work. When that lighting takes the form of a desk lamp, it’s important that the illumination comes from the side and below eye level – that’s the best way to avoid reflections on your computer screen and being blinded by the lamp. We recommend placing the lamp on the opposite side from your dominant hand, i.e. if you’re right-handed, position the lamp on the left, etc. (A final tip on avoiding screen reflections – if you’re working near a window, position your screen at a 90° angle to the window.)

It’s a good idea to opt for a desk lamp that’s flexible/adjustable so you can position it exactly where you need it. A lamp with asymmetrical light distribution is another practical choice since it increases the amount of illumination projected sideways onto your work surface.

While desk and tables lamps are the most common choices for lighting your workspace, largely because of their flexibility and portability, we’re seeing wall lamps in more and more offices. There are lots of practical, adjustable wall lamps on the market that are ideal for office use – we hope you’ll be inspired by the examples we’ve included below along with a few excellent desk lamps.

The Tolomeo table lamp from Artemide is one of the world’s most popular table lamps, with high light output and exceptional flexibility.

The lamp’s entire body is adjustable, giving you complete control over its light. Tolomeo’s design is stylish and uncomplicated, and it’s clear that form follows function. This gorgeous table lamp is available in aluminium, black and white and will fit easily into almost any office. The larger Tolomeo lamp family contains other table/desk models in a range of sizes and colours.

Image from Pinterest
For a truly classic table lamp, look no further than the AJ table lamp from Louis Poulsen. This elegant and beautiful lamp’s unique shape was created by design legend Arne Jacobsen. It’s a perfect desk lamp, providing the asymmetric light distribution that’s optimal for work.

The striking lamp head also tilts so you can aim the light precisely where you need it.

AJ is available in 10 gorgeous colours – the lamp in the image is in light petroleum.

Image from Pinterest
The 265 wall lamp from the Italian brand Flos is an outstandingly useful lamp – it can replace a table lamp, a floor lamp and a pendant. 265 has a 2-meter-long arm, giving you a huge amount of flexibility and precision in terms of illuminating your office.

265 is a striking and very attractive lamp whose gorgeous design will adorn any office. In terms of both ergonomics and adjustability, it’s hugely practical. This wall lamp strikes a perfect balance between aesthetics and performance and might even help increase your productivity! 265 is available in black and white.

Image from Pinterest
The Bestlite BL6 wall lamp from Danish producer GUBI is a timeless classic with a beautifully stylish design. It’s a flexible lamp, as both the lamp head and the arm are adjustable. BL6 is ideal for office use since you can precisely adjust the illumination on your workspace.

Throughout its long history BL6 has been a favourite of architects and designers and has made their working hours more pleasant and productive. This lovely wall lamp is available in nine different colour combinations and is certain to brighten up your office.
Kimya Table Lamp Brass/Marble from Lindby is an incredibly elegant and decorative design with the power to transform any boring desk. The lamp is a sophisticated combination of a lovely marble base, an exquisite brass frame, and beautiful ball-shaped lampshade with a visible bulb that completes the lamp’s visual expression. You can use a decorative bulb with a matte surface to minimise glare, and you can also go for a dimmable bulb so you have control of the brightness. If you want a functional light source and an aesthetic element for your office, Kimya is the perfect solution.
Eleni Table Lamp White from Lindby has a simple and modern design, not to mention high functionality that makes this lamp an absolute must-have for your desk. You can toggle between four settings from 3000 to 6200 Kelvin, which ranges from a warm white to a cool light. You can also change the brightness as you see fit, so you always have the perfect light. You can even set the lamp to turn off automatically after 60 minutes. Furthermore, the arm and head are both incredibly flexible, so they can be tilted and adjusted to face whichever direction you need. This modern, energy-saving lamp spruces up your desk.

Eleni also comes in an elegant black colour– find it here

Profina Table Lamp Bronze from Lindby is a classic design in a modern and stylish edition. The lamp has a timeless and exclusive expression that spruces up your office. The lamp consists of a polished frame in bronze or rust, ensuring a stunning contrast with the raw white lampshade that can be adjusted as you see fit. The raw white glass lampshade emits a soft and comfortable light in every direction, and to turn it off, you tug on the pull switch that takes you back to the old days. The iconic design has stood the test of time, so the aesthetic and timeless lamp is ready to adorn your office for years to come.

Find the Profina lamp in the beautiful rust hue here!

If you have any questions or need advice, feel free to contact our friendly and knowledgeable Customer Service team via mail, phone or chat – they’re happy to help out!
FIND OUR RANGE OF OFFICE LAMPS HERE