Guide to a Minimal Cozy Desk Setup when you are WFH: Part 2 – Lamps & Lighting

Now we move on to lamps. Lighting is really a big game changer in any space, and lamps are the best way to achieve this.

I have learned so much about lighting and lamps, that info is spilling out of my head. I saw firsthand, how light can really change the mood of a spot.

There are so many things to consider in lamps. I had no idea.

Psst! If you have missed the first of the series, I fell down a literal rabbit hole a month ago, and am gathering all my insights into multiple part posts, with examples and actual product links, plus my take on them.

• Series: Cosy + Minimalist Aesthetic Desk Setups

I will give you what I see repeatedly pop up over and over again and what has endured through their hundreds of videos. I sometimes see paid partnerships or sponsorships from brands for certain things, but by the next video it is gone.

So I am also looking out for longevity in choice. I will also note afterwards, what I personally use / do and why.

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DESK LAMPS

Now these are important not only to add an aesthetic vibe to the space, but also to give a glow to your work, and a little extra ambient light. Rather than having strong light everywhere, little spots of light on your work, glowing around the room, looks a lot better than something harsher.

Here are some lamps I have seen that look quite modern on a desk.

• AUGE LIGHT – This wire lamp is so cute. It gives off a nice glow on the desk, and you can shake the wire inside (no really) to change it up, and it pops back up with a magnetic snap. It is very minimalist and sleek. You can even get a knockoff mini version of it here.
• HALO Mushroom – Literally looks like a modern mushroom lamp. Very chic.
• EDISHINE – A sleek, minimalist LED lamp that looks modern.
• ONEWISH Bulb Lamp – Get one of those cool Edison bulbs and it looks phenomenal on a desk.

These are just really beautiful additions to add a soft glow to your desk while being functional! Mood lighting is so important especially when working later into the night (which I do).

Look at some of these inspiration pictures (below, I have linked all of them):

I love the way they are used as decor, but also to give a warm glow around the room. I think some of them have a smaller footprint, unlike the ricepaper versions but there are so many out there, you can find one that will fit your style.

• Dawnwake Wave – This is just a cool looking lamp. Honestly. It is also dimmable and comes in various colours. (The actual one in the inspiration photos above that looks like the Dawnwake is this Zenply Lamp.)
• Shaped Wood – You can then put a little stuffie or a statue in front of it, and it looks really chic. It comes in circles, squares, it is really beautiful.
• Ricepaper Lamps – They come in various shapes but I rather like this oval bulb one which is modeled after the far more expensive Noguchi lamps (a famous Japanese designer). These are the knockoffs.
• Ikea Fado – To be honest, this is really simple and super chic. I like how it just sits there and gives off a warm glow.

 

Want even more lamps? Of course you do:

• Stunning gold rechargeable LED touch lamp – It looks sleek, like a candle. Or a mini version of those outside patio heaters.
• Minimal banker-style-esque lamp – I mean it isn’t because the lampshade is wrong but it reminds me of it.
• Camping lantern one also in a brass/gold – I like the frame around it, very lantern-style.
• This bird one is just cute – I MEAN LOOK AT IT.

My take on THE desk lamps

I am overwhelmed with the options. I do however, already own this really awesome folding accordion book lamp that is incredible.

I think I would like something like the mushroom lamp or the Ikea Fado because it gives a nice, pleasing, soothing glow, and is not as harsh as a sharp, modern lamp with LED strips, or a light bulb burning into my retinas.

Though, I will not rule out the Auge Wire lamp. It is really quite cool, almost like a firefly in a jar sort of vibe.

(That is another idea by the way, LED lights bunched up into a glass jar as a lamp).

MONITOR LAMPS

I was almost eye rolling at monitor lamps because I didn’t think they were useful at all, but apparently with more light on the monitor especially if you work in a dark room without much natural sunlight or at night without sun, you will need extra light on your monitors to help relieve eyestrain.

I myself noticed this once I tested it out with some book lamps (more on that later).

They have the versions that stand behind the monitor, or ones that clip onto the monitors and are more minimalist in nature. There are a LOT of options out there, so I thought I would weed out the black ones and show you ones with a nice colour or minimalist vibe.

• IKEA LAGERGÅNG – It is cheap & cheerfully short, so not meant for super wide monitors. It is USB-C and corded.
• BENQ LaptopBar – It is far more expensive but it is portable and comes in a nice colour.
• QUINTIS – Inexpensive. Works well with different light modes. Even comes with a remote. Takes 2 AA batteries.
• BENQ Halo – Seems to be the gold standard for monitor light bars. Corded with a USB-C.

My take on THE MONITOR lamps

I have the budget version of monitor lamps, but it is not as practical.

I use these exact 3 clip-on book lamps that I have clipped to my unused laptop which is propped up on a stand, and I use them to position light wherever I need. They are rechargeable, and I can switch them to full white, full warm or a mix of lights, plus adjust the dimming.

If I don’t have a laptop on a stand behind my laptop or if I don’t clip them onto my monitor, then they are not very practical, so I will certainly buy a new monitor lamp; just waiting for a deal of some sort if I can swing it.

I will say that they are VERY USEFUL. I use them in a pinch as Ring Lights for my face when I am on the rare video call, and they are great to clip in your car when you are searching around in a dark parking garage, or inside your wardrobe where you don’t have any light. I find them extremely practical.

That said, I will likely buy the Ikea version because I want to free up as much desk space as possible, and not have a lot of visual clutter, and this one plugs in with a USB-C cable, rather than taking batteries or needing a plug in the wall like the Quntis one.

WALL BACK LIGHTING

Who knew that lighting the wall, at the BACK of your desk setup would be so glowy and incredible?

It also helps with eye strain (yes, IN ADDITION to a monitor bar) because if you are in a darker room and focusing on a monitor, it can be extremely bright, while your room is dark, and it causes headaches. It is better to have a well-light, back-lit monitor so that it gives a glow and your eyes a bit of rest from the contrast of a dark wall/room and a bright screen.

There are so many options for this.

You could buy lamps, you could buy LED light strips, you could use a lamp and hide it.

Here are some of the inspo of what I saw as how beautiful the backlighting can look to give you room a glow:

And these are the main products mentioned in their posts (you need a wall behind your monitor and about 2cm of space to let the light bounce off something and glow).

You can have them freestanding beside your monitors (or behind), or attach them to the back of your monitors with 3M stickers.

They also change colours, and come with different vibes – Northern Lights, Galaxy, and so on. These are the ones I saw the most in the videos but each company has a wide range to suit your needs (some even have ones that look like mini globe projectors).

Pssst!

One of the images above (sort of cut off) has the cutest bunny lamp from @clara.crossings as shown below.

This is how you DIY that adorable Rabbit Lamp it.

Oh, and this is why you would want to put back strip lighting (maybe?) behind your desk:

 

• GOVEE Light Bars – These are two light bars that you attach to the back of the monitor with 3M stickers. USB powered.
• Philips Hue Bars – Just like the GOVEE bars, but they can stand on your desk beside your monitor. USB powered. If you don’t like bars themselves, they also come in a light strip.
• WOOHLAB Painter Lights – This is a device that looks super sleek to sit behind your monitor. Has Galaxy / Northern Lights as a vibe. USB powered.
• LED Light strips – Any brand will do, really. Cheap light strips with a button that turns on and off. Just stick them to the back of your monitor with 3M strips. USB powered.

MY TAKE ON WALL LIGHTING

I don’t have a computer or monitor against a wall ,but if I did, I likely would never do a coloured or moving lights sort of deal, but I do like the idea of backlighting against the wall as it stops the strain on your eyes from focusing just one one bright monitor or screen.

I would likely do the LED strip option, cheap and cheerful, or the Philips Hue Bars because I would attach it to my monitor, I would get a good glow and not have to see any cords.

But as it stands, I don’t need this option for now.

WALL MOUNTED LAMPS

Here are other types of mood-enhancing lamps you could add to your workspace.

There are some seriously cool designs you can create that are out there such as these:

I really like the look of them, and some are even touch sensitive, meaning you can turn them on and off with a touch, or tap them to make them do things, or. change up their colours. I would even say they could be stacked on a shelf, why not?

Here are where they come from:

• GOVEE Glide Hexas – You can put them in any configuration you want and the app controls the colour and can even sync to your home devices to music.
• Philips Hue Gradient 65″ – Same family as the other standing Philips lamps, but it is a sleek LED strip light that you can bend, change the colours off with an app or sync with your home devices to music.
• Nanoleaf – These panels come in various shapes and you can customize your own design. It is really endless.
• Cloud – Neon cloud lamp lights. Again, another fun touch.

MY TAKE ON WALL LAMPS

I won’t be doing this. I already have artwork on the walls, and don’t need more decor in that regard, let alone to figure out the lighting situation!

ADORB LAMPS

The aesthetic for cute, kawaii, or very ‘cosy’ aesthetic lamps are also very much in style right now.

This is to add a bit of fun to your desk when it gets dark, or if you are working or studying late into the night. Honestly, they aren’t as much lamps as they are just fun pieces of decor to add a BIT more mood lighting or a vibe to your space. It can be quite relaxing, and if it provides emotional support, it would be a huge bonus.

• Toast lamps – They are ridiculously cute.
• Moving jellyfish – They do actually move their tentacles and come in various colours.
• Wood Mushrooms – Again, if you are going for a forest theme…!
• Neon Word Lamps – I like this Good Vibes one, but you can find plenty of sayings and pick the one that speaks to you

MY TAKE ON ADORB LAMPS

This is not my vibe or aesthetic.

I am more of a modern-monochromatic-leafy sort of vibe … but I am definitely loving the Toast lamp the best, but I am not that much into kitsch, as much as I admire it. I also like the neon word lamps, but I may get bored of the saying, hence why I wouldn’t necessarily go for it.

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WANT MORE?

This is the series that has all of the posts: Cosy + Minimalist Aesthetic Desk Setups.