Hopping from one table to the other. The Bellhop Rechargeable LED Table Lamp, Matte Black from FLOS reminds one of the dapper hotel bellhops through its hat-like shade, go-anywhere convenience, and friendly silhouette. The simple black of this product was drawn from the stereotypical architect attire--from Konstantin Grcic’s black-on-black suits to Rem Koolhaas’s long-sleeved polos--calling to mind the color’s association with the introverted. However, black can make a powerful impact on design spaces, evoking power, prestige, and authority. Designers E. Barber and J. Osgerby also enjoy creating works inspired by things that move. The duo poetically imagines this table lamp like the candle and bellhop always at one’s side. The duo achieves the candle and bellhop’s convenient quality with a battery-powered design, offering up to 24-hour functionality via USB-C cable charging. This tech works quietly into the piece’s minimalist cylindrical base. A polycarbonate shade rests above as a bell shape, adding to the design’s poetic motifs. LED light streams out of the shade without glare, casting a warm pool of light that dims with a stepped switch on the base.

FLOS was first established in 1962 in Merano, Italy, to produce high quality modern lighting. This Italian lighting company continues to do so to this day by collaborating with talented international designers and researching the latest lighting technologies and materials. Resulting FLOS lighting fixtures are daring and provocative, yet uphold the fundamental principles of good design.