The Estova TL is a 540mm mid-century table lamp with anarched antique-gold arm and a fluted opal shade, on a wood-look base one E27 globe to 25W, not supplied, on1.8metres of flex.

It plugs into a power point. Our page said itmust be installed by a licensed electrician. It has1.8metres of flex and is ClassII double insulated. Fit aglobe and plug it in. Removed.

A word of credit, because it is rare. The Estova is sold asa Walnut finish, and its own description says plainly that the base andcolumn are crafted from iron finished in a realistic wood-look.

That is honest, and almost nothing else in this catalogue does it. There areseveral other Walnut and Oak productshere whose pages leave you to assume timber. The Estova tells you. So: this is apainted iron lamp with a convincing timber finish which is a perfectly goodthing to be, and it means it is consistent, will not vary piece to piece, andwill not mark or dry out the way real wood can.

If you specifically want real timber in a table lamp, ask us theJacona‘s base genuinely is wood.

The fluted opal shade two effects at once

The shade is opal and it is fluted, and those do different things:

• Opal diffuses completely. The globe is invisible and there isno glare from any angle which on a lamp at eye level beside a chair or a bedis what makes it comfortable.
• Fluting gives the surface structure. The vertical ribs mean the shade doesnot glow as one flat panel: it glows in soft vertical bands, brighterwhere each flute turns. So it has depth and detail without any glare at all.

That combination completely hidden source, visibly textured surface is the whole quality of the lamp, and it is why the Estova reads as designed ratherthan merely shaded.

The arched arm, and what it puts the light over

The gently arched antique-gold arm is not decoration. Itcarries the shade out beyond the base, which is what makes the Estova useful:

• The base sits on the table and the light falls beside it, so thelamp does not light its own footprint you get the pool where you want it, overa book or a work surface, rather than over the lamp.
• At 540mm tall with a 340mm reach, it willlean over a chair arm or the edge of a desk, which a straight-column lamp of the sameheight cannot.

That reach is also why the weight matters, and here it isgood. An arched lamp is front-heavy by design the mass is out overthe arm. At 2.5kg on a 180mm base, the Estova iswell counterweighted, and considerably better balanced than severalstraight lamps in this catalogue that weigh half as much on narrower bases.

The globe is hidden, so the choice is simple

One E27 to 25W, not supplied. Nothing shows through opal, sobrightness and warmth are the only decisions. Usewarm 2700K against antique gold and awarm wood-look finish, cool white reads green and flattens both.

Dimming depends on the globe. Our record saysNo; the datasheet and the page both sayglobe dependent, and they are right. On a plug-in lamp that needs aninline or plug-in dimmer and beside a reading chair it is well worth doing,because dimmed low a fluted opal shade becomes a soft column of banded light ratherthan a lamp. Ask us and we will match the pair.

A note on our data. The shade’s material is recordedtwo ways: the datasheet says resin and our record and page both sayfabric. A fluted opal shade is not fabric, so we havepublished resin and asked Telbix to confirm. It matters for cleaning:resin wipes; fabric does not.

ClassII double insulated,IP20 indoor and dry locations only. 540mm high, reach340mm, base 180mm.

Where it works

• Beside reading chairs and desks the arch puts light where you need it.
• Bedsides, where no glare at eye level matters.
• Mid-century, warm-modern and Scandinavian rooms.
• The wood look is a finish on iron and its page says so, which is to its credit.
• Warm globes only cool white flattens the gold and the timber tone.

Specifying it

540mm high, reach 340mm, base180mm, flex 1,800mm,2.5kg, in iron with a wood-look finish, an antique-gold arm and a flutedopal (resin) shade. One E27 globe to 25W,not supplied; dimming is globe dependent and needs an inline orplug-in dimmer. 240V, plug-in no electrician required,ClassII double insulated,IP20 indoor and dry locations only. Warranty is three years, as a replacementwarranty.

Supplied and supported by Lights For You.

Questions

Is the base real walnut?

No it is iron finished in a realistic wood-look, and to its credit the lamps own description says so plainly, which almost nothing else in this catalogue does. That is a perfectly good thing to be: it is consistent, will not vary piece to piece, and will not mark or dry out the way real wood can. If you specifically want real timber, ask us about the Jacona.

Do I need an electrician?

No. It has 1.8 metres of flex and is double insulated fit a globe and plug it in. Our page said otherwise, which was wrong.

What does the fluted opal shade do?

Two things at once. Opal diffuses completely, so the globe is invisible and there is no glare from any angle which matters at eye level beside a chair or bed. The fluting then gives the surface structure, so it glows in soft vertical bands rather than as one flat panel. Hidden source, textured surface: that combination is the quality of the lamp.

Why is the arm arched?

To carry the shade out beyond the base, so the lamp does not light its own footprint you get the pool where you want it, over a book or a work surface. At 540mm tall with a 340mm reach it will lean over a chair arm or the edge of a desk, which a straight-column lamp of the same height cannot.

Is it stable, given the arm?

Yes better than most. An arched lamp is front-heavy by design, and at 2.5kg on a 180mm base the Estova is well counterweighted, considerably better balanced than several straight lamps here that weigh half as much on narrower bases.

Can I dim it?

With the right globe and an inline or plug-in dimmer. Our record says No; the datasheet and page both say globe dependent, and they are right. Beside a reading chair it is well worth doing: dimmed low, a fluted opal shade becomes a soft column of banded light rather than a lamp.

Is the shade fabric or resin?

Resin, which is what we have published though our record and page both said fabric, while the datasheet says resin, and a fluted opal shade is not fabric. We have asked Telbix to confirm. It matters for cleaning: resin wipes, fabric does not.