They’re classy, they’re versatile, and they’re surprisingly affordable. In this post we turn the spotlight on brass table lamps, showing some of the different styles available, from classic to contemporary. Plus there are tips for using designer brass lamps in your interior design, matching brass bases with lampshades, and everything else you need to know…

Why 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.

And now we do it as classic brass colour for a retro, antique feel (above); and a bronze finish which gives it a much more understated, contemporary look:

Same brass table lamp, but two very different vibes, especially when combined with contrasting lampshades.

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 technical specifications – then brass is a perfect material. It naturally seems to convey character and history – and we love lamps that feel like they have a story attached.

This Cuthbert table lamp above, 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 Whistler (below). It’s made of brass but the colour is silver, reminiscent of candlelight and lavish dinner services and possibly even masked balls… - Unfortunately the Whistler is no longer available, but please take a look at our extensive range of table lamps here

 

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, paired with a square linen lampshade:

- Unfortunately the Wellington is no longer available, but please take a look at our extensive range of table lamps here

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.

Crescent in white marble

This lamp (above) – called, appropriately enough, the Crescent – uses inverted crescents of marble set in solid brass: two very contrasting materials, but it works beautifully.

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. For example, if you like the art nouveau style – all linear designs, flowing curves and natural shapes – how about something like the Pina with its pineapple motif?

- Unfortunately the Pina is no longer available, but please take a look at our extensive range of table lamps here

Four tips for using brass table lamps in interior design

And finally, here are some more brass table lamp tips to inspire you in your home 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. Actually, we got this tip from one of our customers, who said of our Wexford: ‘Our spec was to acquire striking, statement lamps to lift an otherwise ordinary Victorian fireplace. The Wexford lamps fit the bill perfectly… and have actually turned our fireplace into a striking feature and focal point.’ 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. Something like this would make a striking feature when placed in an entrance hall space…

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 of brass table lamps here…