Christen Pears: A book collector’s Bauhaus choice

Apart from books, there are three things essential to a good home library: sturdy shelves, a comfortable reading chair and an excellent lamp. The lamp should be easily adjustable, cast a large pool of light and look good in its surroundings.

The Luxus Table Lamp designed by Christian Dell does all of these things with aplomb.

Dell was born in Hesse in Germany in 1893. He originally trained as a silversmith and his skill with metal informed his later career as an industrial designer. From 1922 to 1925, he worked as the foreman of the metal workshop at the celebrated Bauhaus in Weimar.

Founded by the architect Walter Gropius in 1919, the Bauhaus was a revolutionary school of architecture, design and applied arts that boasted Wassily Kandinsky, Mies van der Rohe and Marcel Breuer among its key figures.

Its curriculum, which included both fine arts and crafts education, was aimed at removing the distinction that had always existed between the two. Gropius wanted to create a single art form that could produce objects suitable for modern living in a world that had been changed irrevocably by the First World War.

The Bauhaus school lasted only a few years; it was forced to close its doors in 1933 by the Nazi regime but with its emphasis on simplified forms, functionality and the idea that mass-produced objects could still be works of art, it became one of the most influential movements in 20th-century art and that influence continues to be felt today.

Dell is credited with a key role in developing the metalwork curriculum at the Bauhaus in Weimar but after the school moved to Dessau in 1925, he was appointed director of the new metalworking course at the Frankfurt School of Art.

It was here, alongside his teaching, that he began to design lighting, including the Kaiser Idell range which included floor, table and pendant lamps and for which he is now best known. The name draws on the name of the original manufacturer, Gebr. Kaiser & Co, and the term ideal which is a reference to the word idea and a play on the designer’s surname.

The 6631-T Luxus Table Lamp is perhaps the most famous of his designs. With its geometric shapes and precise engineering, it bears all of the hallmarks of Bauhaus design. It was originally designed in 1931 and launched on the market in 1936 after which it quickly became the top model in the Kaiser series and it remains a bestseller today.

I discovered the work of Christian Dell several years ago when I was looking for wall lights for my Pilates studio. I wanted a design that was somewhat industrial but also stylish and I quickly settled on Dell’s distinctive Scissor Lamps. I bought vintage versions, a little worn here and there, but still in perfect working order, which illustrates what I firmly believe: good design always lasts.

Walter Gropius encouraged the students at the Bauhaus to look at an object’s function before deciding on its form, a concept in which Dell was clearly well-versed. The Luxus Table Lamp consists of a heavy base, an elegantly curved arm and Dell’s trademark domed shade but its deceptively simple looks conceal some very clever engineering. The patented swivel joint and clamp at the base mean it can be adjusted to an angle suitable for whatever task is at hand.

As a keen reader and avid book collector, I’m always looking for the perfect lamp. I’m usually drawn to mid-century design, but the Luxus is timeless and I knew it would work well with my decor. I had originally earmarked for the reading corner in my living room where I keep my vintage Penguin books. Its curvaceous form beautifully complemented the lines of my armchair but without a sufficiently high table to stand on, it didn’t work there quite as well as I’d hoped.

Instead, I moved it to my little library in a converted barn as a temporary replacement for another vintage Dell design, the Tiltable Table Lamp, whose bakelite switch now needs replacing after more than six decades of service.

It turns out that the Luxus is the perfect desk lamp. It looks classic and elegant and I particularly like its broad shade which creates a large pool of light for when I’m working. That marriage of form and function is something I always look for in design so although very different in style, it’s a wonderful partner for the table and chairs in the library created by another master of functional design, Borge Mogensen.

Today the design is manufactured by Fritz Hansen. It is made from high-quality materials - steel and brass - and the lampshades are hand-painted in a range of finishes which will complement any space.

To blend in with my interiors, I chose the special edition with a brass finish which was released to celebrate the centenary of the Bauhaus. It sits perfectly with the mid-century furniture in my living room. The Luxus Table Lamp is a Bauhaus icon but 90 years after its creation, it still looks modern and continues to be relevant.

Feeling inspired? Don’t forget to tag us in your posts on Instagram @nest_co_uk: We would love to see how you style your favourite table lamp’s in your homes, the possibilities are endless!

This article was created in collaboration with Christen Pears. Discover more of Christen’s stunning mid-century home @christenpears.

Photography by Christen Pears.