RattanGlow Woven Wall Lamp

A woven rattan shade does something no solid shade can: it lets light through the gaps in the weave as well as out of the openings, so the wall around the fitting picks up a pattern of small bright points and soft shadows. That patterned cast is the whole reason to choose rattan over an opaque sconce, and it is most visible in a dark hallway or a bedroom in the evening, where the fitting stops being a light on a wall and becomes something closer to a projected texture. Unlit, the same weave gives the piece real presence during the day. Natural fibre reads as handmade even from across a room, and because each shade is woven by hand the exact tension and spacing of the weave vary slightly from piece to piece, which is either the appeal or the objection and is better known in advance. In a room dominated by hard surfaces, painted plaster, glass and metal, a woven fitting adds warmth in a way a painted one cannot. It is also very light, so it makes no unusual demands of the wall it goes on and installs like any ordinary sconce, which is not true of a comparably sized shade in ceramic or plaster.

Being clear about the category is worth doing, because it determines whether the lamp will satisfy. The light this produces is decorative and atmospheric rather than functional: it makes a hallway feel considered, gives a bedroom a warm low glow at the end of the day, and puts a pool of texture on a wall beside a reading chair. It will not let you read small print comfortably for an hour, and it is not the right fitting to light a room on its own. Used as one element of a layered scheme, alongside a ceiling light and a lamp or two, it does exactly what a decorative sconce should. Bulb choice matters more here than with a solid shade, since the source is partly visible through the weave. A warm bulb keeps the whole effect soft and complements the natural fibre tone; a cold bulb fights the material and makes rattan look grey and lifeless. Where it works best is in the positions where light is needed and floor space is not available: either side of a bed in place of table lamps, along a hallway, at the turn of a staircase, or flanking a mirror. Two mounted symmetrically almost always looks more deliberate than one placed centrally.

Rattan is a natural material and wants to be treated as one. It is happiest in a dry indoor position at a stable temperature, so a bathroom wall, an unheated porch or anywhere it will be repeatedly damp and then dry again will eventually loosen the weave. An ordinary bedroom, living room or hallway poses no problem at all. Keep it out of prolonged direct sunlight, which will lighten natural fibre unevenly over a period of years on the side facing the window. Cleaning is best done with a soft dry brush rather than a cloth, since a brush reaches into the weave where dust actually settles and a cloth simply passes over the surface; a vacuum on a low setting with a brush attachment works well for an annual clean. Avoid water, solvents and polish entirely. Installation depends on the wiring at the mounting point, so decide the position first and confirm a supply exists there or can reasonably be run before buying, since retrofitting a wired sconce onto a wall with no feed means chasing a cable into plaster or accepting surface trunking. If mains wiring is not something you are comfortable with, it is a short job for an electrician.

• Shade: Handwoven rattan - casts patterned light through the weave
• Handmade: Weave and tone vary slightly between pieces
• Light: Decorative and atmospheric, not a reading light
• Bulb tone: Use a warm bulb - cold light dulls the natural fibre
• Mounting: Hardwired indoor wall sconce; needs a supply at the fitting point
• Placement: Dry indoor walls; avoid bathrooms, porches and direct sunlight
• Care: Soft dry brush or a vacuum brush attachment; no water or solvents

Shipping options, cost and delivery estimates are calculated at checkout once you enter your address. Our full shipping and return terms are published in the store policies linked in the footer.