The Electrician-Free Sconce

A few months into living in a new apartment, it's become clear that I'm one lamp shy of a fully-lit living room. It's perfectly fine in there, but I often wish that I could turn everything just a tick brighter without turning on the ghastly overhead light. And though I've considered another table lamp, or an arcing floor lamp, suddenly a sconce or two that don't require any wiring are looking more and more appealing. Here are the two that I've got my eye on. Best yet, neither will break the bank.
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The first that I've come across is the Hinge Sconce from the old budget modernist standby, CB2. What's more, it's on sale for a scant 50 bones. I like the shape of the lamp, which I'm sure is meant to mimic Arne Jacobsen's AJ series, but the black is pretty clean and I could easily see one on either side of the couch offering the illumination I need.

The Cord Lamp by Brendan Ravenhill.

The Cord Lamp by Brendan Ravenhill.

Another comes from LA-based designer Brendan Ravenhill, and the more time I spend fantasizing about it the more I dig the Cord Lamp. It certainly juts out further into the room (two feet), but I really like how it pivots and has a kind of early modernist, industrial vibe. It goes for $170 but if you buy from Ravenhill's website he gives $20 to Amnesty International.

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A classic, the Tolomeo lamp.

Finally, for those who want a classic, there's always the good old Tolomeo wall light by Michele di Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina.You can get them at Design Within Reach for $300, which might be a bit more than I'm up for spending. But if you can't live without a bit of 80s Italian design in your den, this is the jam.

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Got any wired sconces I've missed? By all means let me know in the comments section, though I'm leaning Ravenhill at the moment.

 

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Aaron Britt
Aaron writes the men's style column "The Pocket Square" for the San Francisco Chronicle and has written for the New York Times, the Times Magazine, Newsweek, National Geographic and others.

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