The best lighting transforms a room twice over — once when it's turned on, and again when it is turned off, just by simply being. By day, it's an object of sculptural beauty that contributes to an interior's character; by night, it shapes atmosphere, softens architecture and changes the way we experience the spaces around us. Increasingly, the most successful designs excel at both, blurring the line between functional fitting and a collectible piece of design.
What united our Style Awards judges when it came to this category was their delight in discovering a shared sense of warmth and personality among the winners. These lights flatter the people and things lit by them, they create intimacy and a welcoming ambience. From accessible high-street finds to artisanal collaborations that showcase the very best of British craftsmanship, every winner proves that thoughtful lighting remains one of the most powerful ways to elevate an interior, adding beauty, character and atmosphere with the flick of a switch.
Best in Class: Neo wall light by Original BTC x Buchanan Studio
It’s always exciting when two Livingetc favourites come together to collaborate, and heritage British lighting brand Original BTC made a very dynamic choice of partner in Angus and Charlotte Buchanan of Buchanan Studio.
Known for their innovative creative vision, they pushed Original BTC’s glassblowing skills into places neither had been before, creating an ice cream swirl of a pattern
in these delicately organic lights. "The wall light is my personal highlight, and the way that its whirls glow when it’s switched on. Super flattering to rooms and people alike," says editor Pip Rich.
Collection: Sablier by Bert Frank
Crafted from solid brass and frosted glass, Bert Frank’s Sablier collection includes pendants and double-ended wall lamps. Each shade is long and tunnels the light from the bulb into a beguiling form, a quietly elegant piece that doesn’t make a statement so much as gently enhance its surroundings.
"I can see this being used in so many different spaces, as a subtle hero of the scheme it’s placed in," says global editor in chief Sarah Spiteri.
Wise buy: All over glass table lamp by M&S
With its charmingly mottled surface and warm amber colour, this clever little piece emits a light as pretty and soft as the lamp itself. Proof that good design is alive
and well on the British high street, it’s the sort of easy-style addition that instantly brightens the dullest of corners.
"I can see this lamp in a very Tom Ford-ian, mid-century living room, on a mid-century walnut wood cabinet," says interiors editor Emma Breislin.
Bathroom: Tempo Siren wall light by Curiousa
The inspiration behind the Pastello range’s palette was the playful and optimistic colours of 1950s and 60s melamine tea sets, pretty picnic scenes and coloured bathroom suites. The mix of ceramic, glass and an ice cream-like approach to hues is a wonderfully energising combination.
"These are so fun that they help elevate the bathroom well beyond being just a purely functional space," says digital editor Hugh Metcalf.