Ava Travertine Table Lamp

This table lamp is 50cm on every side, with a natural travertine base and a natural linen shade. It weighs 6.7kg and takes an E27 globe up to 40W at 240V. Each base carries its own markings, because travertine is a natural stone.

Travertine is a sedimentary stone with natural voids running through it, so the base will show open pits and tonal banding that vary from piece to piece. That is the material behaving normally, and it is why a stone base reads differently from a moulded one at close range.

At 6.7kg this is a substantial object for a bedside table, and the weight is doing a job: a 50cm shade catches a knock easily and the stone keeps the lamp upright.

Stone and linen is the most forgiving pairing available in a lamp. Both are neutral, both are textured, and neither dates, which matters on a piece that will outlast several changes of scheme.