Ascent floor lamp - 1 light source - Black, white shade Elstead

Ascent is a floor lamp from Elstead Lighting's own range, made in England. Its base is a slim column with a square cross-section that tapers towards the top, in black-painted steel with small polished nickel accents. On top sits a white, slightly tapered shade in faux silk on a hard backing.

Dimensions and placement

The lamp is 181 cm tall and the shade is 46 cm wide — that is the space to leave beside a sofa, armchair or sideboard so the shade does not catch on the wall or the furniture. It weighs 11.7 kg, mostly in the steel column, so it stands firmly and does not tip over from an accidental knock as easily as lighter designs.

It runs from a plug, with no installation and no electrician. It is a Class I fitting, which means it needs a socket with an earth pin.

Light source

The lamp takes one E27 bulb of up to 60 W. No bulb is included, so you choose the colour and brightness yourself; for a living room, warm 2700–3000 K light is the usual choice. The manufacturer states that the fitting works with dimmable smart bulbs, so brightness can be adjusted through the bulb itself, without fitting a dimmer.

The faux silk shade on its hard backing keeps its shape, hides the bulb and diffuses its light rather than showing a bare source.

Which interiors it suits

Ascent is a modern design: a geometric column with no ornament and a smooth shade, in a clear contrast of black and white. It works in a living room and in a dining room, where it can light a corner or the space beside the table. The lamp is for indoor use only. The Ascent series also comes with polished nickel and with a dark grey or black shade.