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In an October 5, 2026, report, Fatih Arslan shared a tour of the designer lamps in his home, describing their histories, materials and how he uses them. He says the collection is primarily about collecting and personal attachment, while noting that similar-looking, lower-cost lamps and secondhand finds are available.
Designer and writer Fatih Arslan published a tour of the lamps in his home on October 5, describing pieces by Artemide, Louis Poulsen and Isamu Noguchi alongside the reasons he chose and placed them. The report offers readers a first-person look at a collection of historic designs and draws a distinction between buying a lamp for its light and collecting one for its design and history, much like how soft architecture prioritizes form and feeling.
Arslan says he regularly shares lamps on social media and decided to write about the ones he owns after people asked about their brands and models. He also says he designed a lamp himself. The home tour includes the Artemide Tolomeo Mini, the Tizio Micro by Richard Sapper, several Noguchi Akari models, two Louis Poulsen PH lamps and an Arne Jacobsen AJ wall lamp.
Among the pieces, Arslan describes the Tolomeo as a practical desk lamp designed by Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina in 1987; it won the Compasso d’Oro in 1989. Sapper’s Tizio, designed in 1972, uses its arms to carry electricity and counterweights to hold the lamp in position. Arslan says the Tizio Micro is a smaller version of the original.
The Akari lamps are made from washi paper, which Arslan says gives their light a soft glow, similar to the ambiance created by light therapy lamps. He notes that the series began after Noguchi visited Gifu, Japan, in 1951, and says the lamps are still made by hand at Ozeki, a family-run workshop there. His tour also covers the PH 5, designed by Poul Henningsen in 1958, the glass PH 3/2 and an adjustable AJ wall lamp designed by Jacobsen for Copenhagen’s SAS Royal Hotel.
Design History in Everyday Rooms
Arslan’s account connects recognizable household objects to their designers, manufacturing methods and original uses. For readers, that history helps explain why these lamps are collected as design objects as well as used for lighting. His descriptions also make practical differences clear: the PH 5’s layered shade system hides the bulb, while the Akari paper shades diffuse light and the Tolomeo can be repositioned for desk work.
The report also addresses price without treating expensive design as a necessity. Arslan says the lamps are costly and may not be worth their price on practical grounds, but are worth it to him as a collector. He points readers toward IKEA alternatives and vintage shops or fairs, noting that comparable-looking designs can cost much less and that secondhand examples may be found at good prices.
The Lamps and Their Designers
The tour places the objects in a longer design timeline. Henningsen developed his three-shade system in 1925; the PH 3/2 was the first lamp to use it, according to Arslan. The PH 5 followed in 1958. Its name refers to its 50-centimeter shade, while small red and blue components inside help warm the light, he writes.
Noguchi began the Akari series in 1951, drawing on Gifu’s paper-lantern tradition. Arslan describes the 1A as one of the earliest and simplest forms and says he has several Akari lamps around the house. The 75A, at roughly 75 centimeters across, is the largest lamp in his home. He also says authentic Akari lamps carry a red sun-and-moon stamp.
Arslan’s other examples include the AJ wall lamp, designed in 1957 for the SAS Royal Hotel, and the Tolomeo, which he says has been widely copied. He recalls seeing Tolomeo lamps in a photograph of Apple’s former industrial design studio. Those details are part of his personal account, not a separate assessment of the products or their market.
“Are they worth it? Probably not for their price, but for me they are worth every penny.”
— Fatih Arslan
What the Tour Does Not Establish
The report is a personal inventory, not a complete account of the collection’s value, purchase dates or total cost. Arslan does not provide prices for individual lamps or identify specific lower-cost alternatives. His comments about availability at vintage shops and fairs are general; he gives no locations, listings or price comparisons.
Some details, including the lamps’ design histories and production, are presented in Arslan’s account rather than independently documented in the tour. It also does not assess energy use, light output or the current availability of each model. The article offers no indication that the collection or the lamps’ production has changed since publication.
A Personal Collection on Display
Arslan’s report concludes with the lamps he chose to feature and how they fit into his rooms. It does not announce a new product, sale or exhibition, and it names no forthcoming update. Readers seeking a lamp of their own would need to check current retailer or vintage-market listings for availability and prices; the report does not provide purchasing links or recommendations.
Key Questions
What lamps did Fatih Arslan feature?
His tour includes an Artemide Tolomeo Mini, Richard Sapper’s Tizio Micro, several Isamu Noguchi Akari lamps, Louis Poulsen PH 5 and PH 3/2 lamps, and an Arne Jacobsen AJ wall lamp.
Why does Arslan collect designer lamps?
Arslan says he likes lamps, especially historic designer models, and sees collecting as different from simply buying a lamp to illuminate a room. He says the pieces are worth their cost to him, while acknowledging they may not be worth that price on practical grounds.
Are there lower-cost alternatives?
Arslan says IKEA and other companies sell lamps with designs similar to some of the pieces he features, sometimes for a fraction of the price. He also says vintage shops and fairs can offer these lamps at good prices, but does not list specific products or current prices.
What is distinctive about the Akari lamps?
The Akari lamps use washi paper to diffuse light. Arslan says they are handmade at Ozeki, a family-run workshop in Gifu, Japan, and that authentic lamps carry a red sun-and-moon stamp.
Source: hn
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