Bold, bright, and back from the ’70s.
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All but synonymous with 1960s and ‘70s design, the mushroom lamp is being embraced once again by a new generation of design lovers.
Mushroom lamps aren’t just for retro-style rooms, however. With their artful pairing of straight lines and bold curves, they can complement myriad design styles. What’s more, they’re available in a vast array of materials, not just the glossy acrylic and plastic that dominated the ‘70s versions. Avintage mushroom lamp by Gabriella Crespi that juxtaposes brushed brass and bent bamboo reeds, for instance, is more luxurious than you might expect a mushroom desk lamp to be.
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Shedding light on mushroom lamps
Mushroom lamps have a longer history than most of their TikTok and Instagram champions realize. Mushrooms in general were a popular motif during the Art Nouveau movement, whose heyday was 1890-1910. As seen in the artwork of Alphonse Mucha, the glassware of René Lalique, and the architecture of Antoni Gaudí, Art Nouveau took much inspiration from the sinuous shapes of flowers and other plants. Louis Comfort Tiffany designed a series ofmushroom lamps at the tail end of the 19th century, using his patented iridescent Favrile glass and, in many instances, his leaded-glass technique.
In 1956, famed designer Massimo Vignelli worked with Murano glassmaker Venini to create theFungo (Italian for “Mushroom”) lamp. The lamp’s body and shade are one continuous, curvaceous piece of blown glass. Nearly a decade later, another innovative Italian designer, Giancarlo Mattioli unveiled the Nesso lamp. Made by Artemide of plastic and available in white or orange, this lamp is perhaps the most bolete-like in appearance—even though Mattioli claimed his inspiration was“the navel of a beautiful woman.”
As for why mushroom floor lamps and table lamps became the “It” lamps of the ‘60s and ‘70s, nobody is certain. Many contend that their popularity was an extension of Mid-Century Modern design, which emphasized bold, organic shapes and the use of resins, plastics, and other innovative manmade materials.
However, the reasons behind the mushroom lamp’s popularity, then and now, are less important than the lamp’s allure.
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Adding mushrooms to the mix
Aficionados of Mid-Century Modern style or space-age designs know that mushroom lamps mesh perfectly with their aesthetic. The quirky curves echo those of Eero Saarinen Tulip tables, Arne Jacobsen Egg chairs, and Henry Masonnet Tam-Tam stools. And of course, Tiffany-style mushroom lamps complement Art Nouveau, Arts & Crafts, and even Victorian interiors.
But the mushroom lamp’s curved top also makes it perfect for contemporary rooms, especially those dominated by straight lines and right angles (in other words, most rooms). That same rounded top can echo the curves of a semicircular sofa or a round table as well.
Whereas many styles of lamp could be considered too fussy for a minimalist room, a mushroom lamp fits right in. The silhouette is bold, but sleekly so, with no unnecessary embellishments, making it sophisticated in its simplicity. In fact, its sculptural elegance makes a cordless mushroom table lamp an eye-catching dining centerpiece, one that enables you to turn down the overhead lighting to create a more intimate mood.
The domed shade doesn’t just serve as an unexpected visual contrast to the lamp’s straight body. It also makes the mushroom desk lamp ideal task lighting because of how efficiently it directs the light downward. Likewise, a mushroom table lamp placed behind or alongside a comfortable armchair or chaise instantly transforms an overlooked nook into a chic reading area.
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Gathering inspiration from designers
Known for her unlikely medleys of materials, silhouettes, and motifs,Kelly Wearstler has added mushroom lamps to her mix. As bedside lamps in the rooms of her Downtown Los Angeles Proper hotel, for instance, they bring a layer of retro cool to the overall eclecticism. She has designed her own version of the lamp as well, pairing an alabaster shade with a choice of bronze or brass body for an almost decadent effect.
Laëtitia Wajnapel of design firmCinquième Gauche has also incorporated mushroom table lamps into several projects. In one home, the curves of a handcrafted lamp by Ceramicah echo those of an opulent sofa while providing a contrast to an angular floor lamp. In another, a gleaming brass Atollo lamp, a classic designed in 1977 by Vico Magistretti, introduces shine to a living room dominated by matte finishes and soft textures.
Another designer fan of the Atollo lamp isJean Charles Tomas. In a stately Parisian residence, he placed the lamp in both the home office and a bedroom for an injection of quiet glamour. He used a more organic version of the mushroom desk lamp, crafted of black and white glass, in a yacht collaboration, its fluidity a tribute to the waves visible through the window above it.
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Take your pick: glass, metal, and more
The most ubiquitous of the “mod” mushroom lamps were made of ABS plastic, acrylic, and similar manmade materials. This includes not just the numerous dupes present in just about every department store in the early ‘70s but also artful originals such as Danish designer Verner Panton’s Panthella, released in 1971, with a circular base that rises to an almost impossibly slender body, akin to that of the Tulip table.
The first mushroom lamps, however, were glass. Beyond the Tiffany and Vignelli lamps mentioned above, Murano glass manufacturers produced, and continue to produce, numerous variations on the theme. Because the shade and the body are one, when these lamps are on, the illumination appears to emanate from the entire object, the better to illuminate the masterful glasswork. Some Murano lamps are more abstract than others, and many of the most in-demand feature a tonal swirl pattern within the glass, adding another layer of curvaceousness. By marrying fresh forms and centuries-old craftsmanship, these lamps bring undeniable luxury to classical and contemporary rooms alike.
Photo Credit: Julien Fernandez/GAP Interiors
Mushroom lamps crafted of marble, alabaster, and other stones have a similar effect. The solidity and timelessness of the stone lend gravitas to what some might dismiss as a frivolous design trend, all while underscoring the lamp’s graceful proportions.
The 1960s saw the introduction of mushroom lamps that balanced frosted glass shades atop gleaming brass, brushed steel, and other metals. New and vintage mushroom lamps with this mix of materials can still be found today. Those with gold-tone metal bodies embody quiet luxury. So do all-metal versions such as the award-winning Atollo mentioned earlier. Made in gold and satin bronze finishes, they take on a burnished warmth when illuminated.
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Metal mushroom lamps can also provide a flash of color that speaks to the subtle whimsy of the shape. Case in point: Panton’s precursor to his Panthella, the Flowerpot. Made of enameled metal in numerous colors as well as in polished steel, it’s still manufactured by Louis Poulsen and is available as a pendant and a sconce as well as floor and table lamps. If it’s more whimsy you want, consider mushroom lamps that lean into the mycology of the design. With their white-dotted red domes, table lamps resembling the amanita muscaria mushroom species are fun additions to a family room, kid’s room, or den.
The newest of the mushroom lighting crop, and the most literal, are lamps and fixtures made from mushrooms. Furniture designer Sebastian Cox, for example, has started using mycelium fibers to createdomed pendants, whileDanielle Trofe uses mushrooms to make lampshades, sconces, and other lighting.
Whatever the form, mushroom lamps remain relevant decades after first commanding attention.
