w153 Île Multi-Purpose Clamp Lamp

Design  Inga Sempé
Manufacturer  Wastberg
Dimensions  8.5" x 8.5" x 4"
Colour & Materiality  Shade & base: aluminium, Reflector: ABS, Diffuser: PMMA

Just as with folding chairs compared to normal ones, clamp lamps don’t have the same status as table lamps. It seems unfair, as clamp lamps are very useful. Maybe it is linked to their unique use and the fact that when not clamped they look like infirms, unable to stand on their own without losing their balance or falling over.

I was always impressed by the clever clamp lamps of my childhood, used in all country houses as you could get them really cheaply in hardware stores. It’s very simple: a clamp attaches to the socket of an incandescent bulb and a cone shade sliding on the bulb to direct the light. A masterpiece. So, to bring back the happy and light typology of the clamp lamp, the aim for w153 Île was to allow for more uses for a basic clamp lamp, making it a multi-purpose lamp. There is a flat base, allowing it to stand on a flat surface. The Lamp can also be mounted on the wall. And, last but obviously not least, there is a clamp to clamp the lamp wherever you need it."