The iconic lamp that features in countless houses in our archive – and it’s under £200

Anglepoise Original 1227 Desk Lamp, Black

Quite often when digging into the House & Garden archives, we’ll come across a trend for a particular item or feature that persistently pops up in all sorts of houses. Sometimes it will be a recent phenomenon, such as La Redoute’s Madotto rug, beloved by designers such as Beata Heuman, or a multitude of living spaces decked out in Farrow & Ball’s ever-present and versatile ‘Setting Plaster’. On other occasions we’re playing eye spy with a classic piece of design such as the Eames Chair or Tulip Table, that has remained in production and is always on trend, whether seen in House & Garden in 1975 or 2025.

This is the case with the icon of design that is the Anglepoise lamp, with its immediately recognisable, adjustable sprung base and fluted shade, all style and substance, form and function. Just like the word ‘hoover’, in common parlance, ‘anglepoise’ is used interchangeably to denote both the brand of lamp and the style of lamp, a sign of its historic, trailblazing status. As described on their website, in 1932, ‘George Carwardine unwittingly creates the first Anglepoise by inventing a new kind of spring. He discovers that they can support pivoting arms to form a flexible mechanism that responds to the most delicate touch – and stays put.’ This is the secret sauce of the Anglepoise – the ease with which its height and angle can be changed to suit its purpose.

Carwardine, a car designer, had been playing around with vehicle suspension when he came up with his lamp idea. He patented it in July 1932 and initially manufactured it under his own business: Cardine Accessories, based in Bath. Those early lamps carried the name ‘The Anglepoise’. It all went so well that in 1933 Carwardine entered into a licensing agreement with Herbert Terry and Sons based in Redditch. And in 1935 the first eponymous 1227 Anglepoise lamp was switched on.

Anglepoise + Paul Smith Type 75 Floor Lamp, Edition 1

Anglepoise Original 1227 Giant Floor Lamp

Anglepoise Type 75 Desk Lamp Margaret Howell, Yellow

There have been many variations of the archetypal Original 1227 desk lamp, with different shapes of shade, colour and finish, as well as floor lamps, wall and ceiling versions. The Giant floor lamp is a playfully oversized version of the desk lamp, scaled up to three times the size of the original. Collaborations with designers such as Paul Smith and Margaret Howell, as well as the National Trust, have resulted in some surprising new colour ways, breathing new life into the vintage design.

As well as its timeless look, sturdy build and versatility, Anglepoise lamps are also very reasonably priced – the Original 1227 desk lamp is currently £175 at John Lewis. Whereas many other pieces of similar status will set you back thousands of pounds, with an Anglepoise you can own a piece of design history for a high street price tag. Below, we delve into the wealth of rooms, past and present, that feature this British icon of lighting, and select some of our favourite models so you can get the look.

The earliest mention of an Anglepoise in House & Garden that we have come across is from a feature in 1959 on decorating university accommodation, where the trusty lamp can be seen studiously fulfilling a purpose as a university desk essential in several photos throughout the feature. Unsurprisingly, the desk lamp is very well-suited for use in a working space, due to its directional light that can be repositioned at will.

The Conde Nast Publications Ltd

The Conde Nast Publications Ltd

In more recent years, the home office has been a common place to find an Anglepoise, with Lonika Chande and Retrouvius utilising them to inject a pop of vibrant colour atop desks, whereas Ted Jefferis kept it neutral with a subtle cream Anglepoise in the study of his Sussex home.

A bright red 1227 echoes the deeper scarlet of the walls and blinds of this home office by Retrouvius

Anglepoise Original 1227 Desk Lamp National Trust, Buttermilk

Anglepoise Original 1227 Desk Lamp, Mid Red

In Ted Jefferis’ study, an Eames ‘EAG Side Chair’ sits alongside the cream Anglepoise

Paul Massey

An Anglepoise sits amongst a quirky collection of objects on this eclectically decorated desk in a home in Bray, with interiors by Christopher Howe

Lucas Allen