Designer Ferruccio Laviani was active in Italy’s Memphis design movement of the 1980s but it’s the Bourgie Table Lamp designed for Kartell in 2003 that he’ll be remembered for. Although recreated in polycarbonate (the material of the decade) its reference to Louis XIV grandeur is unmistakable. More accessible than the original Baroque table light. The Bourgie fuses apposing elements: classic and contemporary; minimal and indulgent, to make it an eternally relevant piece.
It looks simple but the plissé effect on the shade gives a magical light and the baroque silhouette of the stand resembles delicate crystal. In 2003 these features matched the boom time of consumption, whilst in today’s more humble times, we turn to its pared-down glam quality as a guilty form of escapism.
No matter what the prevailing mood, there’ll be something in the design to hold on to. Snap one up for just £160 and wait. A grand investment indeed.