The most minimal lamp?

February 21, 2015 1:34 PM

I'm looking for a small minimalist lamp to use with a Philips Hue LED bulb (standard size light bulb). Maybe a skinny lamp like this, but a bit more narrow, not too tall, with a black shade? Or something else? The more minimalist, the better, but hopefully not cheap looking (though inexpensive is a plus!)

I'm having trouble finding any nice options that aren't white. Can you recommend anything? I'm thinking black or silver because it will be on a black shelf against a dark red wall, and I want it to blend in rather than stand out when it's off.

posted by 2oh1 to Home & Garden (10 answers total)

I'll tell you that a black shade will dampen the light. I had dark shades that were beautiful, but useless for task lighting. Just an FYI on that, and probably why you're not finding a lot of options.

Here's one on Amazon, it's spendy though.

This one is cheap, but kind of sixties retro modern. It also comes in chrome, if that's fun for you.

You could get this, and then sub out a black shade.

Here's a wicker lamp, not too modern or minimalist looking.

Here's a multi colored one that has red in it.

Here's a Wall Sconce, would that do?
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:51 PM on February 21, 2015

Response by poster: "I'll tell you that a black shade will dampen the light."

No worries about that, as I already own one lamp with a black shade. In this case, I'll be using it to add a bit of ambiance (I'm actually going to be adding a pair of them. Ah, symmetry!)
posted by 2oh1 at 1:53 PM on February 21, 2015

This lamp from Target is pretty simple.
posted by belladonna at 2:41 PM on February 21, 2015

Response by poster: That's a great lamp, but it's really big for the narrow space I'm working with. I need something 7 inches wide or less - preferably less - and hopefully under 12 inches tall.
posted by 2oh1 at 2:48 PM on February 21, 2015

This one is along the same lines of the one you posted - and in the small size just fits your size limits at 7" diameter by 10" tall, and comes in several color options that I think would work for you.
posted by brainmouse at 2:59 PM on February 21, 2015 [1 favorite]

I'm looking for a small minimalist lamp to use with a Philips Hue LED bulb (standard size light bulb). Maybe a skinny lamp like this

I have that exact lamp. It's a really great lamp and it looks very good with a hue bulb in it; I've considered getting a second one when I next get some more hue bulbs. I'm a little confused about the color request (and advice) because in my experience with a hue bulb you want as neutral a lamp and shade as possible. I actually ended up taking a color hue bulb out of a red lamp I have because it turns out to look really odd with the color set to anything except neutral white or cool. This c&b one is actually probably the best shade I have for hue -- it skews a bit cool but has much better optics than anything a price bracket down. If you are using the white only bulb then this doesn't apply I suppose.

The one slight downside of that lamp is that it is a dimmer (rather decent quality one), so you are paying a bit more for something you don't need or want with hue. It also feels slightly bigger than I expected from just viewing it online and looking at the dimensions.
posted by advil at 7:39 PM on February 21, 2015

Response by poster: "I'm a little confused about the color request (and advice) because in my experience with a hue bulb you want as neutral a lamp and shade as possible."

I've been using Hue since it was released in 2013. I already have three Hue bulbs in use, one of which is in a lamp using a black shade and it works quite well. In my experience, shades with colors should be avoided for Hue, but white, gray and even black work nicely. A black shade can be particularly nice in the right spot because the light is directed upward and downward, but not outward (because the black shade blocks a lot of the light, obviously).

The reason I want a black shade for this lamp is because I want it to look nice when it's off. It's going to be in a spot where there's no white or beige at all - it'll be on a black shelf surrounded by gray or black office stuff against a dark red wall. I want the lamp to disappear into its surroundings when it's off rather than stand out. If I put a white lamp there, it's going to stand out like a sore thumb. In terms of actual light, I want most of the light to shine upward here, not outward.

I'm starting to think about bailing on the idea since I haven't been able to find a suitable lamp. Maybe I'll find a way to use Hue Lightstrips instead for this spot. Or, maybe I can find a way to use a sconce as a standard lamp? A Hue bulb in a vase shining straight up would be great even though I'm not really looking for a spotlight.

Hhhhmmmm... I don't know. I didn't realize it'd be this hard to find a small narrow cylinder lamp with a black shade and nearly no base. I just assumed I wasn't looking in the right places. I'd swear I saw exactly what I'm looking for a while ago, but I can't remember where... ah well.
posted by 2oh1 at 8:31 PM on February 21, 2015

Ikea has some cylinders, but not sure they will meet your specific criteria.
posted by AppleTurnover at 1:28 AM on February 22, 2015

If you find the perfect lamp with the wrong color shade, you could just have a new custom shade made. Or you could modify the shade by spraypainting the outside, attaching an opaque black cover to the shade (fabric or paper), or rebuilding it completely.
posted by belladonna at 5:47 AM on February 22, 2015

Response by poster: hades, that looks like a fantastic idea. I actually want two of these lamps (for symmetry!), which is why that first one you linked to doesn't thrill me - though I sure do like it and it's tempting... but your "Probably" suggestion could be perfect if I can find a small enough shade or figure out how to make one, and figure out how to attach a shade to it.

It looks like you've given me a great potential starting point...
posted by 2oh1 at 6:43 PM on February 22, 2015