On a recent holiday in Sweden it’s no surprise that I came across a fair few IKEA staples, however there was one lamp, the TÄRNABY, that I kept seeing styled in hotels and family homes alike, and now I can’t stop thinking about it.
I first spied the TÄRNABY styled on the dining tables of a subtly 1940s-inspired restaurant. The dimmable table lamp is styled to look like a oil lamp, and looks so different to the designs I’m used to seeing from the flatpack giant I was shocked to turn over the lamp and see the IKEA logo.
Priced at a humble £19, this lamp needs no IKEA hack to look beautiful in a space. It isn’t new to IKEA, but doesn’t have the fame of the cult BILLY bookcase or the paper pendant, but it really should.
One I had noticed it, I kept spotting the traditional style TARNABY lamp on windowsills and nestled up on bookshelves. Since returning to the UK I’ve also spied it on the Instagram grids of some of my favourite home influencers.
While the lamp lends itself to the more traditional home decor trends doing the rounds at the moment, including the popular cottagecore aesthetic, interior stylist Laurie Davidson points out that its Scandi design means it can be styled in many different ways.
‘As a stylist I’ve always used enjoyed using lighting to create mood, and this TÄRNABY lamp does exactly that, in a very understated fashion,’ explains Laurie. ‘It’s one of those designs that I’ve seen styled in many different settings – having been inspired by a kerosene lamp means it works well in more traditional settings, yet the simplistic design lends itself to more modern Scandi schemes too.’
‘To me, the beauty of this lamp is that it’s easy to move into any room as you need it. Would it work in a living room on a coffee table or sideboard? Yes. Does it work if used on bedside tables? Absolutely. And the fact it can be dimmed to adjust the brightness means you can use it to set moods and as a practical addition.’
To prove just how versatile this lamp can be, while I envisage the lamp styled in a cosy mountain cabin, contrastingly Laurie’s first thought was to pair it with a coastal theme.
‘If I were to design a scheme around this lamp I think I’d like to go for something coastal. It’s the sort of lamp I could see propped on a stack of books by a window overlooking the ocean.’
The lamp is available in three different colours including anthracite, beige and dark yellow. While I can see the first two being the most versatile to dot around a home, I love the idea of using the yellow version to add a pop of colour to a traditional Shaker Kitchen, or creating a striking contrast against a pink wall.
The bulb is sold separately for £3.50, but for less than £25 in total this underrated IKEA lamp is a steal.
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