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Grab your feather duster and clear a space on your nightstand: There’s a lighting trend that you’re going to want to get your hands on. The only thing is, it’s not new at all. Pleated lampshades, last popular in the latter half of the 20th century, are back in full force and they deserve a spot in your home. “Their texture, whether a textile fabric or a recycled material, diffuses light beautifully and adds a quiet elegance to any space,” says Amanda Jacobs of Louisville-based firm Amanda Jacobs Design.
While they’re having an especially big moment right now, to her, they’re a strong investment. “They’re timeless,” the designer adds. For Jacobs, it’s all about picking the right base. Or, even better, finding one with a pleated base. One of her current favorites is hanging out at H&M Home right now.
H&M Home Pleated Paper Table Lamp
While this affordable mint green pick skews modern, the designer has a soft spot for pleated shades of all styles (mid-century, rustic, vintage). Here are a few others Jacobs has been eyeing:
TOV Corrine Table Lamp
This one is also discounted and also swathed in pleats, but it’s got a much softer look than H&M’s paper version. It’s available in a natural jute, beige linen, or patterned cotton fabric.
Greenrow Camille Candlestick Table Lamp and Printed Pleated Shade
Floral pleats can feel fresh depending on the base below. Jacobs is a fan of this combo that stems from a cranberry-hued glass stand with visible hardware.
Urban Outfitters Home x Wooj Design Pleat Table Lamp
Brooklyn-based lighting studio Wooj created an optical illusion for Urban Outfitters: this light looks like it’s blowing in the breeze but it’s perfectly still. The whole thing is made out of post-industrial polyethylene from the medical industry.
Mrs. Alice Burnt Bamboo Rechargeable Lamp
No outlet? No problem. Tote your pleated light from room to room with this portable version that can easily live on a dinner table or bookshelf.
Rowena Interiors Ceramic Table Lamp with Pleated Shade
Picture this graphic beauty in a space where the walls are color-drenched in terracotta.
CB2 x Kara Man Scrunch Table Lamp
Squeeze this light in any corner that’s in need of a little personality. In a kitchen with stark white cabinets or on top of a basic oak dresser are two ideas to start.
Anthropologie Grecian Bust Table Lamp
Jacobs has personally used this quirky table lamp in projects because it checks two boxes (lighting! sculpture!) in one go.