The Best Floor Lamp – The Alfred Tripod

Part film-set, part camp-site, with a bit of floodlit hockey game thrown in, the Alfred Floor Lamp is the most unusual lighting piece we’ve seen in a while.

My office is run – and design-vetted – by an interiors collector, partial to tarted-up industrial cast-offs. Every piece that crosses the threshold needs his approval; it’s taken three months to choose a wall clock. On a first look at the Alfred Lamp however, he was sold. It was sold too, after its very reasonable price tag – £149 – was disclosed.

It is a curiously atmospheric piece; bringing stage and set equipment into a domestic scene is alluring idea. You can bathe in your limelight without getting up from the sofa – here’s the lazy man’s 15 minutes of fame.

Spec

Structurally, it’s beautifully simple. It’s light enough to manoeuvre with ease, unlike the traditional, heavy-based oak floor lamps I grew up with. As befits a utility-style tool, it’s made for you to get your hands on. Dim it yourself by adjusting the grate over the lamp, and you can yank the actual light whichever way you want.

The tripod structure gives it height adaptability, from 1.15m – 1.6m (stick low, we say, for the most flattering light).

And magically for a floor lamp, it takes up minimal floor space. You can fit a box of magazines (an archive of The Gentleman’s Journal, perhaps?) under the legs for efficient urban living.

What with

Its clean lines suit a Nordic-style interior, especially if you choose natural wood for the tripod legs.

It’s the obvious floor lamp choice for a pared-back, industrial-vibe interior. However, we can also see it sitting on a vibrant woven rug or in front of a hectic piece of modern art; its clean design means it will work around, not interrupt, your other key pieces.

Very malleable, but with a strong character; the Alfred lamp is exactly how we like our design.

By Charlotte Beale