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I’m not sure what the verdict is on mushrooms for 2024 trends, but Ingo Maurer’s Lampampe feels like a strong contender for a favorite in the lighting category. Over the years, I’ve spotted it in the background of different interior settings where tastemakers reside—you might recall seeing it in the pages of AD in 2021, specifically inside the primary bedroom of a New York City townhouse designed by Giancarlo Valle. (Lampampe can be found in his family’s home in Connecticut as well.) Or perhaps you were even further ahead of the curve and clocked it in the guesthouse at Jonathan Sheffer’s Sagaponack, New York, home in 2018. It wasn’t until late December that I finally saw the table lamp up close while shopping at BOMI in SoHo and I haven’t been able to shake its delicate silhouette from my mind since then.
Designed in 1980, the Lampampe table lamp is constructed out of crinkled case rice paper and metal. It’s the kind of object that makes me wish I hadn’t been my harshest critic in art class as a kid because maybe I could have gone on to invent a sculptural masterpiece that is both beautiful and functional. The late designer is most famous for his best-selling Uchiwa lights, which originally went into production in 1977 and saw a huge resurgence in 2020 with the collective yearning for ’70s decor. According to Anthony Barzilay Freund, editorial director and director of fine art at 1stDibs, his lighting casts a “magical luminescence” that fills a room with natural beauty. “Ingo Maurer was among the most influential lighting designers of the late 20th century and his influence is still being felt today,” he says. “Its recent popularity, possibly owes to the pandemic-era rise in the purchase of lamps, accessories and decor, while movies like House of Gucci have created a demand for 1970s furniture in general.”
When it comes to lighting fixtures, it feels like there are die-hard Isamu Noguchi lovers and then everyone else. (If you’re not already aware, I’ve developed what can only be diagnosed as a lamp addiction.) “Handmade paper lamps, such as Maurer’s and Noguchi’s Akari designs, are increasingly popular among collectors not just because they feel classic and timeless,” he says. “Their paper shades create a soft, beautiful light—and who doesn’t think our current crazy world looks better when viewed through some soft, gentle lighting?”
Bomi Jin, founder of BOMI, notes that paper is such a versatile material that can adapt to any space, so it makes sense that so many consumers would gravitate toward paper lamps and lanterns for their own homes. She thinks Lampampe is the perfect alternative for design enthusiasts that are more open to expanding their horizons and exploring other options on the market. “I think people are looking for something a little more different than Noguchi,” Bomi says. “Noguchi is definitely classic, but hopping on to another designer is really great.”
If Bomi hadn’t randomly stumbled upon Lampampe in a store in Seattle almost a decade ago, she might not have ever known about Maurer at all. “I found out about Ingo Maurer because of the lamp and I became a fan of his work,” she admits. “It was the other way around, I knew the lamp first and then got to know him, so that was interesting.”
While Bomi prefers quiet interiors that create a sense of stillness, she appreciates objects with a fun, playful twist like Lampampe. “I don’t want things to be screaming out loud, ‘Look at me, I’m pretty,’” she explains. “This lamp can be quiet and bold at the same time. The fact that it’s using the paper texture gives a humble presence to it too…. I like a space with breathing room that’s not cluttered so your eye can rest on the objects and things that you curate.”
Lampampe is especially popular in the Scandinavian region, which has a very distinct interior design style defined by clean lines, natural materials, neutral colors, distinct textures, and quality craftsmanship. In the wake of the pandemic, pastel palettes and wiggly shapes infiltrated the scene with a boom of interest in Danish design as the avant basic aesthetic took shape across the globe. During a time where we had never felt more collectively isolated, riding the carousel that was this particular trend cycle was the gateway to an enclave of unadulterated thrills, and a temporary distraction from the chaos that awaited outside our perfectly curated (and cluttered) homes.
Rhya Johnston-Wallace, head of marketing and digital at FRAMA, has been lamp-sitting a Lampampe for the past year. Now that she’ll have to return it to her friend, Rhya is planning on buying her own. “The balance between [Ingo Maurer] pieces being sculptural but also very thoughtful in terms of use really struck me,” she writes in an email. “Living in Scandinavia, a softness in lighting is so paramount, and every time I saw Ingo Maurer lighting, I was attracted to the gently diffused light.”
“I love that the Lampampe is both an art piece and a functional necessity,” Rhya continues. “Soft, warm light all wrapped up in a sculpture. I also love that it’s playful. Taking a very classic lamp shape and adapting it in a somewhat unconventional material for that shape is really clever. Despite its size, it doesn’t feel like it’s taking up unnecessary space. It felt somehow essential to the room.”
Rachel Émilia, founder of Merde, was introduced to Lampampe through the home goods store Artilleriet. “It spoke to me with its somehow naive, almost clumpsy and overdimensioned feel,” she recalls in an email. “I wanted a light source for my corner table that didn’t just disappear into the background. I looked at a couple of cheaper lamps, but all of them just felt so ridiculously small given the ceiling height.” Once the lamp finally arrived at her Stockholm home, it was much bigger than expected, but Rachel doesn’t regret making the €930 purchase from Nordiska Galleriet. “I’m so happy I went for it, and hopefully it will stick with me forever,” she adds.
Rachel views Lampampe as a versatile piece that can work with any design style. “I mainly decorate my home with vintage furniture and details, and I tend to make it messy with too many things going on,” she explains. “I love the way Lampampe acts as a sculptural piece tying the room together. In a way it’s a very [androgynous] design, massive in size but delicate in its material.” In comparison, Rhya’s aesthetic is a mixed bag of cultural references across Scandinavian, French, Japanese, and Italian design, with an emphasis on objects that tell a story. “Every corner and surface has either a stack of books, ceramics, small spoons, crafted brooms, etc. that make the space feel full and thoughtful,” she notes. “I’m definitely not a minimalist.”
So could this shift toward Lampampe and away from the Murano mushroom lamp indicate a new era of design aesthetics? Is the pendulum swinging in the direction of metamodernism? (I’m also putting my money down on a full-blown ’80s decor revival, so watch this space.) “I would say it’s popular among the design-inclined and relatively unknown among the masses,” Rhya says. “I often see it in the wild in Copenhagen, but less so in my hometown of Vancouver.” Rachel also attests that the lamp has a stronger presence online now than it did before getting it last year. “It’s always a balance getting a great design piece for your home, but it’s more fun when less people have it,” she concludes.
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