Everyone seems to point out orange lighting, so I’ve picked out 20 of the best retro orange table lamps covering all budgets.
I’ll be honest, finding an orange lamp used to involve trawling through a lot of vintage or secondhand shops. Then a lot of browsing through eBay. But things have changed in the last few years.
Orange is back. Yes, you can still find some vintage lamps but don’t expect to get anything cheap these days (unless you get VERY lucky). However, do expect to find some good options on the wider internet and high street.
A lot of classics have been reissued, and some new designs have appeared, too. Orange is no longer seen as a throwback shade—retailers and makers now understand that a growing number of people want authentic shades from the past. Orange was pretty much the go-to shade from the late 1960s into the 1970s. It was bold, bright, and vibrant. For the same reasons, there’s a demand for that shade again, along with a nostalgia for a bygone era.
So check out my 20 of the best retro orange table lamps, which hopefully include something for every budget, with a mix of designer reissues and high-street affordability.
1. 1960s Artemide Nessino table lamp
An update of a 1960s classic, the Nessino is the modern-day take on the Nesso design.
That lamp won the first prize in an Artemide/Domus competition in Milan in 1965 and went into production not long after. A statement design of the era, it’s both eye-catching and mood lighting. As you can see, it’s available in various colours—but the orange is the one to have.
Made in Italy and available once more, you can pick one up for just over £150.
Find out more at the Made In Design website
Note also that Amazon sells one that looks very similar, but retailing for just £15. Make sure you compare and contrast the details before you purchase the cheaper one, though.
2. Habitat Ngami mushroom LED touch table lamp
Alternatively, go for a high street light if your budget is tight. There are plenty of options, including this one.
Available via Habitat or Argos (which are pretty much the same stores these days), this is a small and affordable take on lamps of the 1960s and 1970s. It has a woven cord, tap-on/tap-off control, and an orange finish. Again, other colours are available, too.
Just £25 for this one.
Find out more at the Argos website
3. Munro rechargeable touch lamp at Dunelm
This is another affordable high-street tribute to the past. Orange is one of three colours available for this lamp.
Like a growing number of lamps, this one is portable and touch-controlled. It charges via USB and offers about five hours of power/light. It has a three-stage dimmable feature and an appealing look even when the light is switched off.
The other appealing thing is the price – £18 for this one.
Find out more at the Dunelm website
4. Tom Dixon Bell Lamp
Yet another modern interpretation of the past. But this one is firmly in the premium section.
I love Tom Dixon’s designs, and I have featured them in the past. They are well-made, stylish, and have plenty of retro charm. This one pretty much sums it up.
This steel lamp has an amazing fluorescent orange shade. It has an integrated LED light source (replaceable via the maker), three levels of light intensity, touch control, and, of course, that lovely bell shape.
A light that works in contemporary or retro settings, especially in orange. It retails for £416, with a smaller version also available.
Find out more at the Made In Design website
5. Verner Panton Panthella mini LED table lamp
Another LED lamp, which is fast becoming the standard. But there’s nothing standard about the look of this design classic.
Originally designed in 1971, the round shade and flared base have become calling cards for space-age design. This version is a more compact version of the original, so it has the same look—an aluminium base and a steel lampshade—but a little smaller.
There is also new technology within, such as LED lighting and a timer function if you want it to go off as you drop off. Just over £350 for one of these in orange.
Find out more at the Made In Design website
6. Verner Panton 1970s Wire Table Lamp
The perfect way to follow a Panton classic is to mention another one in orange.
This statement design from 1972 is available in different sizes, including a floor version. But I’m talking table lamps, and this one consists of a steel wire spiral crowned by a hemispherical plastic lampshade. The Bulb is housed in a small metal reflector, also hemispherical, which guides the light into the lampshade.
Very cool, the lamp retails for £598.
Find out more at the Made In Design website
7. 1960s Eclisse metal table lamp by Artemide
I have one of these in my home office, and I love it. Sadly, it’s not in orange.
When I picked mine up, white was the only option. But now you can get one in orange, too. And it’s a step up, to be fair.
Designed in 1965 by Vico Magistretti, it’s a lovely piece of design, something you can’t help being drawn to. But it’s also a lamp, with the sliding shade at the front controlling just how bright the light is.
For a design classic, £150 seems reasonable – and it will get admiring glances wherever you use it.
Find out more at the Made In Design website
8. Lucide Cato retro table lamp in orange
I have seen this design at several retailers, so shop around if you are considering it. Regardless of that, I quite like the design.
It is a modern light but with obvious inspiration from several mid-20th century reading light designs. There’s nothing wrong with that. A metal base, a glass shade, an old-school bulb for the light source and an in-line switch for control.
£78.99 gets you one.
Find out more at the Lighting Direct website
9. Handmade mushroom touch lamp by B Studios
File under cute, but also affordable for something handmade.
This glass lamp is another LED design and, according to the maker, ‘emits a good amount of light.’ It’s also useful as a night light. It is operated with a battery-powered on/off touch control, and the light turns off after 15 minutes to save power.
£38 is the price.
Find out more at the Etsy website
10. Vintage telephone phone table lamp
No, this isn’t going to be just a selection of mushroom-shaped lights. I’m going more quirky, too, as with this one.
Again, there are plenty of shades to choose from, but the orange finish fits the bill.
It’s made from an authentic vintage GPO rotary dial telephone, with a flexible chrome gooseneck fitting added so you can position the light to suit. It’s also fitted with a 3W LED capsule bulb, an on/off in-line switch as standard (you can upgrade to a dimmer), and a 12v power supply.
A statement design as well as a practical piece, it sells for around £150.
Find out more at the Etsy website
11. Avery orange table lamp at Urban Outfitters
Another compact number, both in terms of design and price.
It has a translucent design, made mainly of metal but also with some plastic. It’s portable, works on batteries, and has a retro look that’s very appealing for the price.
That price is just £19.
Find out more at the Urban Outfitters website
12. Habitat Gloss glass table lamp
This is another lamp from the Habitat/Argos stable (and possibly available at Sainsburys, too), but it has a very different design.
You might not even think it was a lamp. It has the look of a vintage Scandinavian vase. Orange on the outside and white on the inside, it uses an LED bulb to create that ‘cosy’ glow from within, with an in-line switch powering it on and off.
Another one that’s good value at just £20.
Find out more at the Argos website
13. 1960s Snoopy lamp by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
It is one of the priciest on the list. In fact, this 1960s classic is likely the most costly of the bunch. And for good reason.
Why Snoopy? Well, for an obvious reason. This lamp was designed during the Peanuts heyday, and the designers decided to create a lamp loosely based on the iconic cartoon dog.
A snout-shaped metal shade is combined with a precisely angled marble base, and a clever integral touch dimmer is added in the modern era. Its beauty pulls you in, but the light’s functionality seals the deal.
An orange finish is one of three or four currently available, and if you want it in your living room, you are looking at something just above the £1,000 mark.
Find out more at the Heals website
14. 1950s Arne Jacobsen AJ metal table lamp
As you can see, there is a family of these designs, which all date back to 1957.
Arne Jacobsen designed the AJ lamp in 1957 for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, for which he was also responsible. Over the years, the colour palette for this modernist classic has been expanded, with the latest selection including this rather fetching orange shade.
Clean lines, sharp angles—this is a timeless design and perfect as a reading light. The larger one costs just over £1,000, but it is cheaper if you are willing to go smaller.
Find out more at the Made In Design website
15. Elements two light lamp at Dunelm
Another one for the budget-conscious. In fact, two lights for the price of one.
The lamp (also available in green) has more than a hint of the 1970s about it. It has two frosted glass shades attached to a polished chrome metal base. You’ll need a couple of bulbs, which are not included.
You can pick this one up for £45 in Dunelm’s affordable Elements range.
Find out more at the Dunelm website
16. Payton Flowerpot table lamp in tangerine
Ok, this is tangerine rather than orange, But there isn’t a great deal of difference between the shades so I’m claiming it.
This is another Verner Panton reissue, this time an updated take on a 1968 design that’s still incredibly popular today. And yes, it’s another design we have in our house.
This one was produced to celebrate 25 years of the Made In Design store. Only 500 were produced in this shade worldwide, so it’s a future collector’s piece.
The portable take on the Flowerpot here is made of polycarbonate but is a replica of its big sister, albeit on a smaller scale. One big difference is that this one is equipped with a battery and a USB charging cable with a magnetic connector, combining to offer a 10-hour runtime when unplugged.
That trademark steel shade also functions as a dimmer, allowing you to increase or decrease the intensity of light. £159, you get one.
Find out more at the Made In Design website
17. Signatures Kinoko glass table lamp at La Redoute
Something a little different but still unmistakably retro.
One of a group of in-house designs at La Redoute to showcase the retailer’s design team, it’s inspired by the 1970s. It has a double-coloured glass shade, an iron structure covered with epoxy paint, and light via an LED bulb.
Note also that each piece is unique, as the glass is hand-blown and may vary slightly from one product to another. £145.
Find out more at the La Redoute website
18. Lop square table light by Bang
It looks like some mad design experiment from the 1960s. But the Lop lamp is more recent than that.
The lamp was successful at the Archiproducts Design Awards 2023, with the judges noting its ‘hypnotic’ use of light via the sphere in white opaline glass that appears to ‘float amidst acrylic strata’.
It looks amazing, and in a retro setting, it really does look the business. It is available in two sizes, the bigger one selling for £236.
Find out more at the Made In Design website
19. Amber retro rocket lamp
You would think there is very little ‘modern’ about this particular lamp. But you would be wrong.
Designed as a tribute to midcentury modern lighting, this is a 3D-printed lamp. You can’t get more modern than that.
But it looks so good—every bit a retro lamp—despite being crafted from corn-based and biodegradable materials. Oh yes, an ambient LED bulb is also included.
All of that and a reasonable price of around £40.
Find out more at the Etsy website
20. Orange Vespo Table Lamp
And last but not least is another quirky design. And no, that’s not a spelling mistake.
I suspect the use of ‘Vespo’ rather than ‘Vespa’ is due to rights issues. But you know where the inspiration has come from, regardless.
Yes, the classic Italian scooter. This is a handcrafted take on a vintage scooter in light form. Produced from solid cast aluminium, it also has a polished aluminium nose, a lacquered burnt orange finish, and a long-life LED bulb.
A talking point as well as a light, it sells for £145.
Find out more at the Scape website
I think that’s it. If I see any other interesting designs, I’ll update the rundown. Please let me know if you see any. Or if you sell any.
