Here Are The World’s Most Copied Lighting Fixtures
Are you buying the real thing, or a fake? Here's how to find out, and how much these really cost.
A lot of thought, time, and work go into good design, and most important product designs take years to create, prototype, and fine-tune. Quality materials are used, and production is topnotch, hence the prices. When a reproduction of an item is made, you may not notice it from afar, but once you see it up close or use it for the long run, you’ll definitely see the difference.
We suggest you always go for the originals. Here’s a primer on the most copied lighting fixtures out there—you’ve probably spotted one or two in a restaurant or home somewhere!
Bourgie Table Lamp
Designer: Ferruccio Laviani for Kartell
Year: 2004
Price: P17,000 (crystal and black), P28,000 (silver) - prices also depend on size and height
Feruccio Laviani designed the Bourgie Lamp for Italian furniture company Kartell in 2004. The combination of classic Baroque silhouettes and modern materials make this table lamp a standout that goes well with a number of interior styles. For the lamp’s 10th year anniversary, Kartell invited 14 designers to put their own spin on the polycarbonate lamp, including world-renowned designers Pierro Lisonni, Philippe Starck, and Patricia Urquiola, among others.
Available at Dexterton, 38th Street, Bonifacio Global City; 772.2029; www.dexterton.com
Small Fl/y Suspension Lamp
Designer: Ferriccio Laviani for Kartell
Year: 2002
Price: P12,500
The pendant lamp is reminiscent of the swinging '60s and '70s. The shade is made from transparent methacrylate, a form of acrylic and comes in a variety of colors and can be hung individually or grouped together for a striking statement.
Available at Dexterton, 38th Street, Bonifacio Global City; 772.2029; www.dexterton.com
Anglepoise Original 1227
Designer: George Carwardine
Year: 1935
Price: P39,288 and up (depending on size)
Designer George Carwardine specialized in vehicular suspension systems before he invented and patented a spring mechanism that catapulted the design of an industrial style table lamp into a classic. This design enabled the unprecedented freedom of movement and perfect balance of the lighting piece. Anglepoise still uses the same design from the 1930s of the Original 1227 table lamp to this day.
Available at Anglepoise, 3/L MOs Design Center, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
PH5 Pendant
Price: US$946 or P47,345.41
Designer: Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen
Year: 1925
In 1925, Poul Henningsen won the International Exhibition for Decorative Arts for one of his designs of the PH Lamps, which was put to production for Louis Poulsen the following year. The lighting fixture is made using bands of concentric tiers that allow soft lighting (glare reduction) while evenly distributing light in a room. The timeless design is almost a hundred years old but still looks great today.
Available at Louis Poulsen, Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Ayala Ave., Makati City; 830-2230; www.livinginnovations.com.ph
Artichoke Lamp
Price: US$9,737 to $17,186 or P487,317.38 to P860,124.93
Designer: Poul Henningsen for Louis Poulsen
Year: 1958
The iconic Artichoke lamp followed the PH Lamp in 1958 with the same concept of providing 100 percent glare-free lighting. The Artichoke lamp is quite heavy using the same principle of multi-layered metal, but this time, in leaf-like form to compose its shade. The modern, dynamic form is elegantly crafted and creates dramatic lighting best used in larger domestic spaces or elegant commercial interiors.
Available at Louis Poulsen, Makati Shangri-La Hotel, Ayala Ave., Makati City; 830.2230, www.livinginnovations.com.ph
Beat Shade Stout
Price: P103,348
Designer: Tom Dixon
The Beat collection came from an advocacy by Tom Dixon to revive metal craftsmanship in Jaipur, India in 2012. The different designs of the collection are suggestive of the basic proportions and techniques of the city’s traditional brass work. Each piece has beaten marks on the inner side of the shade adding and elegant contrast to the matte black exterior shade. It’s a popular design, and a lot of reproductions of this lamp have been spotted lately!
Available at Tom Dixon, 3/L MOs Design Center, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Tolomeo Tavolo Table Lamp
Price: P11,500 and up, depending on size and finish
Designers: Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina for AtemideYear: 1986The Tolomeo table lamp was inspired by fishermen's movement of rods to support nets. Artemide offers various sizes and versions of the lighting fixture from ceiling lights to floors lamps and clip-on lamps—all with the same weighted base and pivoting lampshade. These lighting fixtures are also fully adjustable with the use of steel tension cables attached to multiple connected arms. As the most affordable piece listed here, we highly recommend you get the real thing.
Available at Dexterton, 38th Street, Bonifacio Global City; 772.2029; www.dexterton.com
Cage Piccola Suspension Lamp
Price: US$1,073 to $1,536 or P53,803.44 to P77,019.65
Designer: Diesel for Foscarini
Year: 2009
Miners and workers' lamps inspired the Cage Suspension Lamp. The protective metal wires became a decorative element to the lighting fixture. This piece is best suited for a modern industrial interior and can be made to look elegant with a bronze finish variant.
Available at Studio Dimensione, One Parkade, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Three-Arm Lamp
Designer: Serge Mouille
Year: 1953
Price: US$7,375
The Three-Arm Floor Lamp exudes a mid-century modern feel with its handcrafted fluid shades that add elegance to the lighting piece. Each shade can be oriented differently, which can give a diverse look to the interior depending on its position. This lamp has only been gaining popularity recently, as seen in the proliferation of reproductions of the hanging version.
Available online from Design Within Reach
This article originally appeared in Town & Country Philippines. Minor edits have been applied by Real Living editors.
