As our appetite for softer, more atmospheric lighting grows, there’s no denying that lamps have evolved dramatically in recent years. Today’s designs span everything from sandy-toned urn silhouettes with textured, rattan shades to sculptural metallic pieces dressed in glossy, space-age finishes. But while many are beautiful, few feel quite as playful as my latest discovery: Ed Heritage's innovative TILT Lamp.
Available to buy at Heal's, the clever triangular rechargeable lamp is rooted in the Japanese concept of Ikigai, which is all about finding joy and meaning in the small rituals of everyday life. In this case, the ritual is as ordinary as switching on a light.
“The idea first came while I was looking for inspiration in the lighting department of a high-end furniture store,” the designer tells Livingetc. “I was drawn to many of the classic designs, but I also noticed how many still relied on a corded switch. It is such a small detail, but in everyday life, it can become a real pain point, especially when the switch gets wedged between the bed and the wall, or disappears behind a sofa or table. That made me wonder whether the switch could be more than a practical necessity. Rather than hiding it away as a separate component, could it become part of the experience of using the lamp?”
The innovative TILT lamp, with its unique motion-controlled switch mechanism, came to Ed "after around 50 experiments," he shares. Rather than pressing a hidden button or fumbling for a cord, the lamp itself becomes the switch, transforming a tiny daily action into something tactile, intuitive, and unexpectedly delightful.
Like many portable lamps, it's charged via USB-C, and at full charge, you can expect up to 8-10 hours of use. Size-wise, it measures 11cm tall, 22cm wide, and 10cm deep, so it'll fit easily on bookshelves, window sills, desks, and consoles.
The lamp works in a deceptively simple way, Ed explains: "To turn it on or off, you gently tilt the lamp." And importantly, there is no visible switch. "The action of using the lamp is built into the body of the object itself," he adds. "The switch is no longer something you look for, but a gesture built into the object itself."
Crafted from European ash wood, the TILT lamp diffuses its glow through a misted glass orb at one end, while a small wooden knob at the other helps with the tilting action.
Crucially, though, designer Ed Heritage never wanted novelty to eclipse practicality. “What is important to me is that TILT does not abandon function for playfulness, but combines the two,” he explains. “It still works as a practical portable lamp, but the way you operate it creates a small moment of interaction."
"The gesture is intuitive and easy, but also a little unexpected,” says Ed Heritage.
That balance is deeply rooted in Ed’s design education. While studying Architecture, he became fascinated by Japanese minimalism and the work of figures like Tadao Ando, “where simplicity can still feel deeply emotional and atmospheric,” he says.
Later, during his MA in Product & Furniture Design at Kingston School of Art, conversations with a Japanese classmate led him to Ikigai, Ken Mogi’s influential exploration of the Japanese philosophy centered on purpose and joy in everyday life.
Balancing passion, purpose, and daily joy, Ikigai is all about finding meaning in small daily pleasures, relationships, and contributions to society. As Ed explains, “Ikigai is often translated as ‘a reason for being’, but what interested me most was the idea of making the mundane count, and finding joy in small everyday moments,” he explains. “The objects we live with every day can turn simple routines into small rituals."
"Good design can make those everyday moments feel more considered, intuitive, and quietly joyful,” says Ed Heritage.
Although the initial idea arrived back in 2018, the TILT lamp took years to refine. Convinced of the concept’s potential, Ed launched a Kickstarter campaign in 2021 and produced the first 100 lamps by hand in his parents’ dining room. “It was a huge amount of work, but also a real moment of validation,” he recalls. “Even with no real marketing budget, people connected with the idea and wanted to support it.”
Recognition soon followed. TILT won the LAMP 2020 Professional Table Lamp Award, appeared at Dutch Design Week, and picked up the 2023 Etsy Design Award for Lighting, judged by Sarah Jessica Parker. “Those moments gave us confidence to keep developing it,” Ed says.
Eventually, the lamp evolved into a rechargeable design, which “makes it much more versatile, while allowing it to be made to a higher standard, with better materials and a more refined finish,” Ed says. Now TILT is stocked by Heal’s in the UK — where Ed is part of the Heal’s Discovers scheme — as well as a retailer in Japan.
“It is a very small gesture, but it gives the object a sense of character and creates a moment of surprise in everyday life,” says Ed.
Before settling on the final design, Ed knew he wanted “a simple, quiet form, but with a small moment of playfulness built into the way it is used.” The movement itself became the defining feature.
And it's lived up to its potential. “One of the nicest things about showing TILT to people is seeing their reaction when they first discover how it turns on,” Ed says. “The first time people interact with it, they usually smile, then turn it on and off another five times. There is something very simple and human about that reaction. For me, that feeling connects back to the idea of finding joy in everyday moments. Turning on a lamp is usually something we do without thinking, but with TILT, it becomes a little ritual. I hope that feeling stays with people as they live with it. It still does for me.”
TILT’s story began with subtraction: removing cords and hidden switches. Like a lot of Japanese-inspired decor, this, along with the lamp’s geometric shape and natural materials, means it fits neatly into a minimalist aesthetic. But that playfulness transforms it into something far richer than your average minimalist lamp — geometric, tactile, and quietly humorous, it proves that 'less' can still leave a lasting impression.