When it comes to adding joy to your home, one of the most high-impact items you can choose is a curvy lamp.

Lamps immediately enhance the feel of your home by brightening your space and improving the quality of light. Most homes are overly reliant on overhead lighting (think: the boob light that’s ubiquitous in rental apartments), which often leaves a home feeling flat. Adding more interior lighting has been shown to improve energy levels, boost mood, and in some cases even improve serious symptoms, such as those associated with aggressive outbursts in Alzheimer’s and dementia patients. Spending a day in a too-dim space can disrupt the Circadian rhythm, sapping energy. Spending evenings in a too bright room, on the other hand, can disrupt sleep patterns. Adding lamps to a space creates a joyful, varied light landscape and allows you to tune your lighting for optimal brightness at each time of day time of day. For more benefits of light, see here.

Meanwhile, round shapes such as circles, spheres, and squiggles bring a whimsical feeling into a space. Research shows that while sharp angles cause activation in parts of the brain associated with fear and anxiety, round shapes don’t trigger that same activation. In other words, round shapes set us at ease. Because round shapes don’t pose any risk of injury, they invite freedom of movement and play. And since most rooms are box-shaped, round forms can help break up the linear quality of a space, introducing greater movement and flow.

18 Curvy Lamps to Bring Joy to Your Home

Curvy lamps kill two birds with one stone, softening the hard edges of your space while also brightening up dark corners. Curvy lamps often lean modern in style, but you can find traditional ones as well. They tend to have a lot of personality, adding a distinctive style in a relatively small footprint. And because they can move with you and work in different spaces, they’re a good long-term investment, especially for renters who may not be able to express their style through paint or wallpaper.

One misconception about curvy lamps is that they make a space look childish. In fact, many curvy designs are highly sophisticated. Some are even icons of 20th century design.

Here, I’m highlighting eighteen of my favorite curvy lamps, including classic and vintage designs as well as newer and more affordable options. One important criterion for inclusion on this list is that a lamp provides good illumination. (This is why you won’t see any curvy lava lamps in this post. While lava lamps definitely bring the round shapes, they don’t really light a space well, so we’ve left them off our list.)

1. Lampadaire Modulation and Petit Modulation

Axel Chay

Axel Chay’s design inspiration for this lamp is drawn from the evocative colors of the Mediterranean, where he loves to swim. I’m drawn to their unique, tubular twists and turns. Originating from France and made to order, the Lampadaire Modulation is composed of lacquered steel and a glass globe, available via the Future Perfect.

2. Nesso Table Lamp

Giancarlo Mattioli for Artemide

The Nesso Table Lamp, designed by Giancarlo Mattioli for Artemide in 1967, is an iconic example of a curvy lamp. An Italian design known for its unique mushroom-shaped form, its fluid and curvaceous design and vibrant colors have made it a celebrated symbol of the 1960s and a timeless example of pop art-inspired lighting. Search for a vintage one in great condition, such as this one here, or find it new.

3. Tubular Lamp

Craft Combine for Modern Lighting

This lamp is a result of a collaborative effort between the Seoul-based design studio Craft Combine and the South Korean Modern Lighting company. The Tubular lamp series is characterized by its borosilicate glass material, lampworking glass tube technique, and the incalmo technique, which is a refined glass-blowing method that allows different colored glasses to be combined without mixing.​ I like the way it drapes over a horizontal pole, a more relaxed version of a pendant light.

4. Sinerpica table lamp

Michele De Lucchi for Alchimia Memphis

For lovers of Memphis style, it’s hard to do better than the whimsical Sinerpica table lamp. Designed in 1978 by Michele de Lucchi for Studio Alchimia, the lamp features a pink round plinth holding a blue pole around which a green pole is wound holding a small yellow tube for an exposed bulb. Its playful design was considered very modern for the end of the 1970s period. Vintage example available here and other popular vintage sites.

5. Bugia Table Lamp

Giuseppe Cormio for Guzzini

The Bugia Table Lamp, designed by Giuseppe Cormio for Guzzini in the 1970s, would be such a cute addition to a desk or play space. I love it in yellow, though it also comes in white. Vintage available on Etsy and other vintage sites.

6. All Glass Table Lamp

Valasske Mezirici

Manufactured in Czechoslovakia during the 1970s, the All Glass Table Lamp by Valasske Mezirici is a sweet, whimsical option that is more affordable than many other vintage lamps from the same period. I love this one for a darker space because the translucent glass shade throws a lot of light. Vintage example available here.

7. 7 Arms Floor Lamp

Gaetano Pesce

If you’ve read Joyful, then you know that Gaetano Pesce is the ultimate playful designer, with a childlike perspective even in his 80s. The 7 Arms Floor Lamp features multiple curvy arms branching out from a central point, creating a dynamic presence that exemplifies Pesce’s exploration of organic forms and vibrant colors. More info on how to purchase one vintage or at auction here.

8. Mini Panthella Lamp

Verner Panton for Panthella

The Panthella lamp has long been a favorite of mine. Designed by Verner Panton for Louis Poulsen, the Panthella is smart reissue that honors Panton’s iconic design from 1971. (For more on the history of this design classic, see here.) No one does curves like Panton, full stop. Panton originally wanted this lamp to be made of metal, but it wasn’t possible at the time. In this reissue, Poulsen used contemporary technology to make it the way Panton originally envisioned. Available in lots of great colors here.

9. Gregg Outdoor Floor Lamp

Ludovica and Roberto Palomba for Foscarini

This pebble-shaped lamp, designed by Ludovica and Roberto Palomba, is one of the few beautifully designed curvy lamps specifically for outdoor use. Looks especially fun in a collection. Available here.

10. Lampe Straws

Julie Lansom

Handmade in the south of France, the Lampe Straws combines Austrian-blown glass with lacquered metal. Part floor lamp, part sculpture, this lamp comes in two shapes and six colors, allowing for multiple customization and grouping options to fit different decor. Made to order here.

11. Snoopy Table Lamp

Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for FLOS

I didn’t realize until recently that this iconic 1967 Castiglioni design was inspired by the famous cartoon character, but it just makes this design all the more appealing. The Snoopy Table Lamp is timeless and iconic piece that features a curved, marble base with a stylized, arched shade, creating a playful and striking visual presence in any space. While many curvy lamps from this period are symmetrical, this lamp adds an element of asymmetry. The Castiglioni brothers are masters of balance, which you can see in the way the shade perfectly offsets the angle of the base. Available here.

12. Teig Lamp

Schoolhouse

Schoolhouse’s Teig Lamp is a cute, affordable curvy lamp. With its petite silhouette and poppy colors, this lamp would be a sweet addition to a bookshelf or corner. Available here.

13. Speckled Ceramic Table Lamp

Anthopologie

For a more traditional take, Anthopologie has some great options, including this one with a curvy ceramic base adorned with a speckled glaze. While many curvy lamps bring a lot of color, this one has a softer, more textured appeal that makes it fit for bohemian, coastal, or organic decor styles. Find it here.

14. Sinus Lamp

Ettore Sottsass for Stilnovo

The Sinus Lamp, designed by Ettore Sottsass for Stilnovo in 1972, is just such a unique piece of design. It’s hard to find decor items with this particular wiggly curve, and yet it has a kind of solidity too. I love that this piece throws a lot of light and acts as a kind of sculpture as well as a lighting fixture. Vintage example available here.

15. Lampe À Poser / Applique Donuts

Axel Chay

This lamp kind of looks like a lightbulb in a life preserver. It makes me smile, and yet there’s something sophisticated about the proportions. I also like that it can be either a sconce or a table lamp depending on how you choose to display it. Available here.

16. Arco Floor Lamp

Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for FLOS

The FLOS Arco Floor Lamp, designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in 1962, is a truly iconic lamp. Its arched stainless-steel stem and suspended arc-shaped shade were inspired by street lamps and intended to provide overhead lighting without the need for ceiling suspension. With a heavy marble base and a counterbalanced design, the Arco lamp extends up to 8 feet, bringing a curve at scale to your space. Available here, as well as vintage.

17. 12″ Table Lamp

Entler

This lamp is an awesome find because it’s available in so many different configurations, sizes and colors. It’s almost like you are custom-designing the lamp just for your space. With a curvy, space-agey design this piece can offers a fun little contrast to so many decor styles. Available here.

18. Organic Shapes Sconce

Sarah Sherman Samuel for West Elm

I love Sarah Sherman Samuel’s work, and this affordable piece brings a flowerlike, organic shape into the home without being frou-frou or showy. Available here.

There are many other ways to add curves through lighting and we’ll continue to add to it as we find more ideas. If these ideas are out of budget, you can also DIY a curvy lamp using a wine bottle or ceramic jug and a drum shade.

Do you have any favorite curvy lamps? Share them in the comments below!

Top image: Julie Lansom