Why The Mushroom Lamp Makes For Great Accent Table Lamps

Have you notice that the stylish mushroom lamp is having a resurgence in popularity? Not that it ever really went away – design icons never do – but a mushroom table lamp goes so well with the modern love of mid-century modern furnishings that it is a natural choice for an accent table lamp. The mushroom is an organic shape and lends itself naturally to the design of accent table lamps. In addition to iconic mushroom lamp styles like the Panthella Lamp, Atollo Lamp, Bauhaus Lamp and the Snoopy Lamp, there are new contemporary riffs in the market.

7 Iconic Mushroom Lamp Styles

Here are 7 iconic mushroom lamp styles to inspire you in your search for your perfect accent table lamp. Sure, you may not be able to afford some/any of these specific designer mushroom lamps but if you recognise the style and what you like, there are some great replica mushroom lamps out there.

MT8 Bauhaus Lamp

The MT8 Lamp was designed by Wilhelm Wagenfeld in 1924 in the influential Bauhaus style. It uses simple geometric shapes comprising of a circle, cylinder and a sphere. The Bauhaus Lamp is in the collection of prestigious museums such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York City and the V&A in London. In an interesting twist, Bauhaus Lamps were supposed to look industrial but were in fact hand-crafted.  The Bauhaus Lamp used materials that were previously only used in industrial design.

Laurel Mushroom Lamp

This mushroom lamp was designed by Bill Curry for the Laurel Lamp Company in the 1960s. This mid century mushroom lamp design really reminds me of the love atomic shapes in midcentury design. Mushroom cloud over Hiroshima anyone?

Snoopy Lamp

I wasn’t sure about including the Snoopy Table Lamp because the lamp shade is not quite spherical. Yet, with the inclusion of the Guzzini table lamp with its lamp shade outgrowth, I figured why not – have you seen the shape of some wild mushrooms??

The shape isn’t spherical but more angular because the black metal lampshade is a nod to Snoopy, the Peanuts character. The Snoopy Lamp rests on a leaning Carrara marble cylinder. The Snoopy Lamp was created in 1967 by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Italian lighting company, Flos.

Guzzini Table Lamp

‘The mushroom table lamp was also produced by Italian manufacturers, Guzzini.

One of the designs was called Brumbery and designed by Luigi Massoni in 1969, this particular Guzzini mushroom lamp combines an acrylic shade with a metal base. It’s got a little bubble bit on the crown which can be lit separately from the rim making it multifunctional!

Panthella Lamp

The Panthella Lamp was released in 1971 and is considered an icon of Danish design. An acrylic hemisphere floats above an elegant acrylic base. It was designed by Vernor Panton and manufactured by Louis Poulsen.  It comes in different sizes from a Panthella floor lamp to a Panthella table lamp.

The Atollo Lamp

The Atollo Lamp was designed by Italian designer Vico Magistretti in 1977. It’s won designer awards and in the permanent collection of various museums for its elegant composition of geometric shapes – a cylinder, a cone and a hemisphere.


The Atollo table lamp achieves that rare feat of being sculptural and artistic. The Atollo Lamp for Oluce comes in various sizes and colors.

Onfale Table Lamp

The Onfale Tavolo Table Light was designed by Luciano Vistosi in 1978 and made by Artemide of translucent white glass. It comes in three different sizes with hand-blown Murano glass that makes the mushroom lamp shade look like crystal.

Contemporary Mushroom Lamp Design

Does your style verge on truly contemporary? The mushroom table lamp has been reimagined by contemporary lighting designers.

Check out the Flos Bellhop designed by Barber & Osgerby in honour of the launch of the London Design Museum in 2018.  This mushroom table lamp uses a rechargeable LED, is easily transportable and comes in several different colors.

 After all this French and Italian attention given to mushroom lamps, I had to find a Scandinavian mushroom lamp design. The simplicity of the mushroom lamp design works well with the clean lines of Scandi design as well.

The Orsjo Mushroom Lamp is another lamp that relies on traditional lines yet looks super contemporary. It was designed by Matti Klenell for Orsjo Belysning in 2002 and comes in either all white or white/red. It comes as either a mushroom table lamp or a floor lamp.

Where To Find Mushroom Lamps

Obviously the big names in Mushroom Lamps, like the Panthella Lamp, the Atollo Lamp and the Snoopy Lamp, can be found at reputable lighting stores. Finding an original Bauhaus Lamp though is trickier because there are many replicas. Your best bet for a Guzzini mushroom lamp and a Laurel mushroom lamp would be haunting antique and vintage stores as well as online emporia like 1stDibs.

A casual look at any vintage fair will probably unearth a mushroom lamp which you may find is perfect as your accent table lamp.

Finally, there are new versions of mushroom lamps which you can find at home stores like Abigail Ahern.

Here’s some inspiration for you!

Wegenfield Bauhaus Table Lamp; Flos Snoopy Lamp; Panthella Mini Table Lamp; Artemide Onfale Table Lamp;

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