Home help: 19 October

Light up your life with this illuminating selections of desk lamps

As darkness falls, lamps shed the essential light required to work by. In the trade it’s called task lighting – lights with a small focus beam that can be angled and sometimes lowered or raised. Metal-shaded anglepoises in bright colours, derived from those used on factory workbenches, are very fashionable nowadays. B&Q’s selection includes the Isaac, which comes in zingy lime green, coral and white; or the Manon, in matt black (£29.98), has a smart, masculine feel.


Anglepoises make good bedside lights too. An iconic British design (one used by Churchill during the dark days of the Second World War) is Bestlite. It was designed in the 1930s and is still in production today – as an adjustable desk lamp or wall lamp that can be angled to illuminate. There are plenty of stockists of Bestlite, including The Conran Shop in London. Heal’s also stocks a good selection of desk lamps and anglepoise lamps.

At M&S, find the Conran Globe Task Lamp (£89), and Conran Double Task Light. The former is 1930s in feel with a white metal shade and oak stem. The latter has two conical shade lights emerging from a central base – perfect for two people working together.


1. Isaac coral desk lamp, £14.98, B&Q: 0843-538 8027, www.diy.com

2. Anglepoise Type 75 mini desk lamp, £165, Heal’s: 08700-240780, www.heals. co.uk

3. Bestlite 1 table lamp at The Conran Shop, £419: 0844-848 4000, www.conranshop.co.uk

4. Anglepoise Type Original 1227 desk lamp, £149, Heal’s: as before

5. Conran Double Task Light at M&S, £145: 0845-609 0200, www.marksandspencer.com

Email your design enquiries to Hugh St Clair at homehelp@lady.co.uk