Except for the obviously portable kind, most lamps are designed to be left alone where you installed them, especially if they’re placed on walls or ceilings. Even desk lamps are rarely moved unless you’re redesigning your interior or replacing it with something else. You don’t even have any direct interaction with lamps these days, especially smart ones that you can either command with your voice or automate away completely.

In complete contrast, this lamp is almost designed to be played with. Yes, even for the variant that would hang from your ceiling. With a design that seems inspired by some fantasy clockwork contraption, this 3D printed Gear Cube Lamp brings more than just light but also an interactive experience that’s nothing short of a large fidget toy.

Designer: Ruven Bals

Playing with a lamp sounds a bit foolhardy. After all, there is heat as well as electricity involved. Even more worrisome if it’s a design that was just 3D printed and assembled on your own. And yet, that’s part of the adventure with this Gear Cube Lamp, which feels like a journey from start to finish, one that admittedly has a satisfying ending if you do reach the destination.

At first glance, the lamp looks simply like an elaborate cube with pieces whose internal edges are shaped like the tooth on a gear. Twist one corner, however, and all the other pieces turn in sync with each other. It’s reminiscent of the inner workings of a mechanical clock, or some steampunk contraption that threatens to unravel reality with each turn.

Making this elaborate interactive lamp is as much a puzzle as it is a work of art. You 3D print no less than 17 parts of different shapes and sizes, assembling them with the same precision as a model ship. You can opt to use a glueless construction, in which case you need to 3D print 24 additional connectors, or you can fall back to using glue when all else fails.

The end result might very well be worth all that effort, because you will have a lamp that is not only a light fixture but also, in some ways, a toy. The desk lamp variant definitely fits this better, as it can be within reach and easily lets you twist and turn the corners to get your mind wandering. At the very least, it’s an interesting decorative lamp whose form you can change every so often to add a bit of flavor to your space.

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Apple’s latest experiment in robotics feels like a love letter to Pixar’s Luxo Jr. The tiny, energetic desk lamp that hops onto the screen before every Pixar film has always been more than just a mascot—it’s a symbol of character-driven storytelling. Now, Apple’s researchers have taken that same playful, emotive energy and brought it into a real-world robotic lamp, designed not just to function, but to interact, express, and even entertain. Researchers at Apple presented a paper titled ‘ELEGNT’ (Expressive and Functional Movement Design for Non-Anthropomorphic Robot) along with a comprehensive video of the lamp in action.

There’s a poetic connection here. Steve Jobs, the man who shaped Apple’s design philosophy, was also the visionary who helped Pixar become an animation powerhouse. The DNA of both companies has always been about creating technology that feels approachable—whether through the friendly curves of an iPhone or the lifelike expressions of an animated toy. Apple’s robotic lamp embodies that same philosophy, proving that robots don’t need to be powerful to be meaningful. They just need to be relatable.

Designers: Apple Machine Learning Research Division

Developed by Apple’s Machine Learning Research division, this robotic lamp is more than an automated light source. It gestures, reacts, and even sulks when it’s left behind. A demonstration video shows it performing tasks in two modes: “Functional,” where it simply executes commands, and “Expressive,” where it adds personality to its movements. The difference is striking. Instead of cold efficiency, the expressive mode makes interactions feel natural—like the lamp is part of the room’s social fabric, not just an object within it.

In one scene, the lamp hears music and starts swaying, an irresistible display of curiosity. In another, it glances outside before describing the weather, as if pausing to check for itself. When it reminds a user to drink water, it nudges the glass forward—not as a command, but as a gentle encouragement. These small but thoughtful gestures tap into something deeply human: the way we naturally ascribe personality to objects that behave in familiar ways.

This is why anthropomorphism in robotics matters. People don’t just want machines that work—they want machines they can connect with. A robot that can convey joy, hesitation, or even mild disappointment is far more engaging than one that simply executes tasks. It’s a lesson we’ve seen play out in animated films for decades, and it’s one that robotics engineers are beginning to embrace. In a way it also helps shed the impression of robots being scary (Skynet, Terminator, Transformers, Ultron) by embracing more delicate, humane characteristics instead.

Apple’s research aligns with earlier reports from Mark Gurman suggesting the company is developing a home robot with an articulating arm and an iPad-like interface. Speculated to launch by 2026 or 2027, it could integrate with smart home systems and even act as a companion device. If Apple is serious about bringing robotics into consumer spaces, this expressive lamp could be a glimpse of what’s to come.

For now, this experiment serves as a reminder that technology doesn’t have to be rigid or clinical to be useful. The best machines aren’t just the ones that perform tasks efficiently—they’re the ones that make us feel something. And if a desk lamp can make you smile just by hanging its head in disappointment, Apple might be onto something special. You can read the entire research paper on Apple’s website here.

The post Apple Researchers Built A Pixar-Style Robot Lamp That Moves And Emotes Like A Living Creature first appeared on Yanko Design.

Lamps do more than just illuminate our surroundings. They can very well change the mood in a room, especially ones whose designs are visible to everyone. The lights could give off a cool vibe that encourages productivity, or it could have a warm glow that makes you feel comfortable and at peace. Sometimes the lamp designs themselves turn a room’s narrative in a certain direction, from nature-inspired organic forms to minimalist, modern, and geometric shapes.

Lamp designs don’t have to be elaborate and complicated to have such effects. Sometimes, just the combination of form and materials is enough to be associated with certain themes and emotions. This standing floor lamp, for example, has a simple bar bent at an angle and a textile cover, but these already effectively convey the atmosphere of a city street mixed with the softness of a pasture.

Designer: Amuni Studio

Traditional street lamps cast a unique glow on the world of the night. Given their utility, their light can sometimes be harsh and cold, but it also offers safety and confidence in the dark of night. The shape of these lamps has almost become iconic, and one only needs to see the silhouette to make the association.

Corium is a standing floor lamp design that does exactly that, using the simple shape of a lamp arm bent forward at a slight angle. The lampshade is also nothing more than a long sheet of metal curving over the length of the light element like an arch. A layer of proprietary recycled leather is draped over this shade, adding a touch of organic texture and warmth to the composition.

In a way, Corium represents contrasting elements that find their harmony inside the modern home. There is the street lamp that is a staple of outdoor urban lighting, while leather is more closely associated with nature and fashion. Utility and luxury, coldness and warmth, light and shade all come together in a simple yet striking design that gives light in its own unique way.

Created using Luxion Technology (luxion.com)

Initially designed to be a pendant lamp, Corium is also an experiment in designing and producing a product entirely done in Latin America. In addition to components sourced locally, the talent and manufacturing involved were also done locally. It gives the lamp an even deeper narrative and a value that transcends its surface appearance.

The post Standing floor lamp uses recycled leather to mix urban boldness and cozy warmth first appeared on Yanko Design.

We’ve seen many striking lamp designs inspired by beautiful things in the world. Most of them get their cues from nature, taking inspiration from the moon, trees, or even mushrooms. While that in itself is a form of art, it takes more creativity and skill to turn something uninspiring or unsettling into a stunning and elegant design. This desk lamp, for example, looks soothing and calming in the dark, and you’ll probably never guess that it was made by repurposing an existing object that is associated not with beauty or elegance but with blood, pain, and wounds.

Designer: Kairi Eguchi

You might not be familiar with its name, but the pus tray is a common sight in hospitals, operating rooms, and TV shows depicting such scenes. Often made of stainless steel or even plastic, the kidney-shaped vessel is often used to collect pus but is sometimes depicted to hold bloody cotton, surgical tools, bullets, and other things that might come out from a body during surgery. Even the name alone carries a very negative connotation, and one can hardly imagine such a medical device being used for something less disturbing.

POND, however, proves that presumption wrong. It is part of a project that attempts to give new meaning to existing products, transforming them for a completely different and almost opposite purpose. In this particular case, a white-coated tray serves as the base for a cylindrical lighting element that’s placed not in the middle but near the edge of the tray. In daytime or in bright light, the lamp already looks interesting because of its unique shape, but the real magic happens when it becomes the only light source in a dark room.

The bowl virtually becomes a literal pond of light, using the natural contours of the tray to create an enchanting play of light and shadow. Unlike other lamps, the outward-facing surface of the pus tray is completely devoid of illumination, creating an effect not unlike the dark side of the moon. The curves and gently diffused light work together to create a soothing effect, the complete opposite of the proper medical use of the pus tray.

Given its bowl shape, POND can also be used as a container of sorts for small items. Of course, those objects will interfere and interact with the light, but that, in turn, could create an even more interesting visual, like fish swimming in a mystical pond of light.

The post Beautiful lamp fixture is made from an unlikely medical equipment first appeared on Yanko Design.

If you’re hiking up a mountain or going on long walks and trekking, you probably need to carry as little as possible. However, you also need to have a lot of necessities with you especially if it’s an overnight hike. Three things you definitely need are a water bottle, a lamp or light source, and a compass. Usually, these are three different things that you carry. But a designer has come up with a way to have all three in just one item.

Designer: Anantvijay

The Beacon Bottle for Hikers is a product concept for something that hikers can carry that has different functionalities. The way that it’s designed is that it looks like a lamp that serves as your light source but it also looks like a water bottle for your hydration needs. And yes, it is both. Plus, there’s even a compass on the cover so that you get another bonus with this item and it lessens the items that you need to bring with you.

The body of the bottle even has a textured surface so that it’s easy to grip while you’re drinking. The light-emitting component is at the bottom of the bottle and can be attached and detached easily with a threaded mechanism. If you detach it from the bottle, you can still use it as an independent light source. The charging part has a type-c port and you can still use it even when it’s charging.

The compass is integrated into the polypropylene bottle cap while the handle is designed for easy carrying or can also be attached to the backpack or hung on a tree branch. The body of the bottle is made from polyethylene terephthalate so it shouldn’t be that heavy. If all you need is to hydrate and have something to light your way (and give you direction), then this is a handy tool to have during your long hikes.

The post Beacon Bottle is a drinking and lighting solution for your long hikes first appeared on Yanko Design.

We may not consciously notice but a lot of our time slips away as we mindlessly scroll through our phones, and the Phase lamp from a London-based studio Relative Distance offers a refreshing antidote to the distractions of modern life. Designed to mirror the moon’s real-time orbit around Earth, this ethereal piece of functional art creates a profound connection with our celestial neighbor.

Designer:  Relative Distance

Phase is no ordinary lamp. It’s the result of four years of meticulous design and engineering, capturing the moon’s timeless essence. From the moment the light crosses the glass, it reveals intricate details of the lunar landscape, offering a delicate and almost hypnotic experience. The lamp’s co-founder Roland Ellis notes that Phase allows us to “have a relationship with something that is a monumental part of our existence,” evoking a sense of calm and a deeper awareness of time and space.

The journey of creating Phase began with a stunning image released by NASA in 2014, which mosaics 15,000 wide-angle photographs of the moon’s surface. This image is meticulously applied to smoked glass, framed by a case made from a mineral composite, reminiscent of materials that could one day be used to build on the moon itself. The slim form and minimalist design of the lamp reflect Relative Distance’s philosophy of maximizing impact through a simple, almost magical object.

Phase’s interface is as simple as it is functional. Users can set the date, time, and brightness with just three buttons. It offers three different modes: a full synchronization with the lunar cycle, a fully illuminated moon, or a short animation showcasing the moon’s phases. There’s no need for apps or Wi-Fi, reinforcing the idea of disconnecting from the digital world and reconnecting with nature’s rhythms.

One of the most captivating aspects of the lamp is its attention to detail. The lamp’s caseback is crafted in two tones, Ilmenite and Feldspar, inspired by the minerals found on the moon’s surface. These materials, combined with the innovative lighting and diffusion technology, make Phase an object of both scientific and artistic significance.

What sets Phase apart from typical lighting is its ability to capture the true essence of moonlight. The quality of the light is soft and diffuse, creating a natural, calming glow that stands in stark contrast to the harshness of phone and computer screens. The highly controlled optics and fading technology evoke the subtle gradients of the moon’s light, drawing the viewer into an intimate experience with this celestial body.

The experience of living with Phase is unlike any other. It prompts us to slow down, become more aware of our surroundings, and reflect on the passage of time. The lamp’s slender form and immersive lighting create an almost surreal suspension of disbelief, allowing us to experience the moon as if it were within reach.

Set to debut at the London Design Festival on September 14th, Phase stands as an icon of contemporary design, innovation, and space exploration. Each lamp is handmade to order in Relative Distance’s London studio, with diameters available in 60cm and 120cm, making it a stunning centerpiece in any space.

The post Meticulously-textured Moon Lamp Brings The Charm Of The Lunar Rock Into Your Home first appeared on Yanko Design.

We’ve come across a wide variety of lamp designs with an even wider assortment of lampshades made from different materials using different methods. Of course, the most common are made of metal, plastic, or glass, as these are easy to come by and manufacture in this day and age. They’re not exactly sustainable in the long run, though, even if some are considered to be such. They might not be easily renewable or they take a lot of energy to produce, generating carbon emissions and waste in the process. This particular lighting collection, however, really takes eco-friendliness to heart by using a material that’s not only sustainable, biodegradable, and renewable, it can also be easily grown in a lab rather than manufactured in a factory.

Designer: Danielle Trofe, Lujah Brown (MushLume)

Mycelium is becoming quite a star in the design industry despite its modest and literally down-to-earth roots. They are practically mushroom roots consisting of a complex branching network that, in the natural world, are used to distribute water and nutrients to plants while themselves also serving as food for organisms living in the same soil. Recently, mycelium has become the focus of many research and design experiments that use it as an alternative to typical materials like fabric or even concrete.

MushLume, and obvious wordplay on its origins, harnesses the properties of mycelium to create lamp designs that are not only striking but also friendly to both the Earth and humans as well. But rather than take the painstaking work of gathering mushroom roots from the wild, the fungi are instead grown into a hemp substrate that eventually solidifies inside a mold. Once matured, the new structure is removed from the mold heated, and dried to become practically any lamp form you can think of.

The result is a material that checks all the sustainability boxes. It uses very little water and energy to make, significantly reducing carbon emissions and waste. The material is also biodegradable, which means you can eventually throw it out into a backyard compost or landfill and it will safely decompose over time. That said, they are expected to last for years so you won’t need to do that any time soon.

MushLume lamps also bring a distinctive aesthetic to any space. Their raw and rough surfaces almost resemble concrete from a distance but are incredibly lightweight in reality. The texture and patterns, which are unique to every lamp, also add some character to the design, while also giving the diffused light a warm tone. MushLume definitely challenges the conventions of designing and producing products, though there still needs to be more testing to see if mycelium can really scale up to be the mass-grown foundations of future products.

The post Concrete-like lampshades are actually made from mushroom mycelium first appeared on Yanko Design.

Step into the realm of illumination innovation with the GRAU Salt Lamp, a veritable titan in the world of portable lighting solutions. From the meticulous craftsmanship of German engineering emerges a luminary that transcends mere functionality, becoming a beacon of elegance and innovation that redefines the very essence of lighting.

Designer: GRAU

At first glance, the Salt Lamp presents a sleek silhouette, crafted from the finest powder-coated aluminum, with a base that whispers of luxury with its rubberized touch. However, beneath its stark exterior lies a wealth of innovative features designed to elevate your lighting experience to new heights.

You can effortlessly control your lighting experience with just a touch, as the Salt Lamp’s touch-sensitive top responds to your every whim, offering a radiant glow of up to 450 lumens. But wait, there’s more. Dive into the subtleties of sunset with GRAU’s ingenious sunset-dimming feature, painting your space with hues that mimic the warmth of the setting sun. From the golden embrace of dusk to the fiery hues of twilight, three distinct light curves—Sunset Orange Light, Golden Light, and Neutral Light—beckon you to curate your ambiance with finesse.

Powered by USB-C rechargeable batteries, the Salt Lamp boasts an impressive runtime of 150 hours on a single charge, extending to a remarkable 500 hours when set to the dimmest setting. GRAU has engineered the lamp with easily replaceable battery units in a nod to sustainability, ensuring longevity and minimizing environmental impact.

Navigating the lamp’s features is a breeze, thanks to its intuitive design elements. The inclusion of a smart LED battery indicator keeps users informed of the remaining battery life, while the innovative “Magic button” enables seamless operation and effortless color adjustments.

Adding to its allure, the Salt Lamp is available in four chic colors—black, yellow, white, and red—inviting you to choose the hue that speaks to your soul, complements your style, and becomes an extension of your aesthetic narrative. Priced at €399 (USD $426), the Salt Lamp represents a worthwhile investment in both functionality and design excellence.

The GRAU Salt Lamp stands out as a beacon of innovation and sophistication. Whether illuminating your workspace, enhancing your home ambiance, or accompanying you on outdoor adventures, this portable luminary is poised to redefine your lighting experience, one radiant moment at a time.

The post German-engineered Elegance Redefines Portable LED Lighting And Brings The Sun’s Hues Into Your Home first appeared on Yanko Design.

Lamps are some of the things that you either look for functionality or design. Well, you can always go for both as well but sometimes other considerations like budget, space, and aesthetics will make you choose either or. Portability is not something that you really think about when it comes to this kind of accessories but it is something that’s nice to have. And as we’ve been seeing a lot of flat pack products lately, we knew we would get something like this for lamps.

Designer: Kazuhiro Yamanaka

Tsubomi, named after the Japanese word for bud, is a vacuum-sealed flat pack that opens up and becomes a lamp. It is inspired by a couple of Japanese traditional cultural things: paper-folding and the Shoji screens that we see in doors, windows, and room dividers. It’s basically like a crumpled piece of paper put into a vacuum-packed flat rectangle package that “magically” becomes a source of light once it is unfolded.

What’s interesting about this is that even when unfolded, the paper still shows the wrinkles and creases and that is intentional. The designer actually wants this product to challenge the idea that only those items that are “perfect” in form are considered beautiful. With this lamp, the plain white or grid pattern are able to highlight the wrinkled, imperfect appearance of the lamp. If you choose the grid, you even get a tinted lighting that will illuminate the surface that is lighted by the lamp.

The material used for the lamp is actually a special plastic compound that is used in the aforementioned Shoji screens that we see in traditional Japanese establishments. So with the Tsubomi lamp, you get the best combination of traditional materials and practices but with a contemporary functionality because of its flat-packed form. And you get a portable, pretty lamp of course.

The post Vacuum-sealed flat pack lamp unfolds into a Japanese inspired lamp first appeared on Yanko Design.

Space, with its vastness and complexity, has always captivated the human imagination. Our solar system, a celestial ballet of planets and stars, has inspired various aspects of human life and design, from ancient sundials to modern-day innovations. The COSMOOVAL lamp series is a testament to this inspiration, drawing on the phenomenal interconnectivity of our solar system to create a collection of lamps that not only illuminate spaces but also tell a cosmic story.

Designer: LFD Official – Seohyun Nam, Nam Woo Kim, Doyoon Kim

The designers of Cosmooval drew inspiration from the celestial bodies in our solar system, considering the way they influence our planet and the intricate dance of light and shadow they create. The lamp series incorporates key elements such as expandability, limitation, transparency, and immateriality to bring the essence of space into our living environments.

The design process began with the creation of a mood board, reflecting the tension and spatial dynamics of the universe. Simple basic figures, inspired by solar and lunar eclipses, shooting stars, and planetary movements, were arranged to evoke the mood of the cosmos. A clay mockup emphasized stability through the use of circles and triangles, laying the foundation for the lamp series’ structural elements.

Several idea sketches were explored, with the initial focus on a triangular structure within three circles. As the design evolved, proportions, details, and interactions were refined in subsequent sketches. The final design selected a form that considered materials, structure, and user interaction, resulting in three distinct types of lamps within the Cosmooval series.

Each lamp in the series offers a unique interaction with light, adding to the overall cosmic experience. The ceiling lamp, representing expandability, spreads light by adjusting the angle of an oval disk. The table lamp, embodying limitation, controls light brightness through the movement of a red sphere, mimicking the motion of a shooting star. The floor lamp, combining transparency and immateriality, simulates orbiting planets and solar eclipses, changing light intensity as the red sphere is manipulated.

Cosmooval, derived from the fusion of “Cosmo” (space) and “Oval” (ellipse), is more than just a lighting solution; it is an artistic representation of the cosmos. The series serves as a visual metaphor for planets, satellites, and shooting stars, moving in harmony with their orbits.

The ceiling lamp symbolizes the expansiveness of space, spreading light with three ovals arranged in a stable manner. By pulling the red sphere attached to a string, users can open and close the ovals, controlling the brightness and essential light in their space.

In the table lamp, a triangular structure controls the concentrated light source. Moving the red sphere along a diagonal line mimics the motion of a shooting star, allowing users to experience the fleeting brightness associated with celestial phenomena.

The floor lamp embodies transparency and immateriality, recreating the orbits of planets and solar eclipses. Pushing the red sphere sideways changes the shape and intensity of light, providing a dynamic representation of the passage of time and celestial revolutions.

The Cosmooval lamp series transcends conventional lighting, offering users an immersive experience that connects them to the wonders of our solar system. Through innovative design and thoughtful interaction, these lamps bring the cosmos into our living spaces, reminding us of the beauty and complexity of the universe that surrounds us.

The post An Interactive Lamp Series That Brings The Cosmic Moments Into Interiors first appeared on Yanko Design.