I’m Downsizing My Portable Lamps for Fall With This $98 Find
I’ve recently come to the realization that all of the portable lamps I own, despite being ‘normal-sized,’ are actually oversized for my Manhattan apartment. This fall, I’d prefer not to negotiate space with my tea while I work on my laptop. (Or worse, turn on the big light just to reclaim enough counter space to make dinner.) So, I’m downsizing.
To the Takada: Lulu and Georgia’s new mini portable lamp that, at just four and a half inches in diameter, can squeeze into virtually every nook and cranny of my Manhattan studio. It comes in pleated amber glass that almost reads like fabric, casting warm light across a vanity, coffee table, credenza, or, really, anywhere you can spare five inches.
Lulu and Georgia
Takada Mini Cordless Table Lamp
Lulu and Georgia is where I go to fall in love with the season’s latest, not necessarily to find a deal. At $98, however, this little lighting idea is actually quite a good one.
And one probably isn’t enough. At this price, I’m considering swapping my bulkier portable lights for Takadas throughout, freeing up surface space for all the other seasonal layering bits I intend to bring to the party. Because if I’m not outnumbered by taper and pillar candles ten to one, this California girl is not mentally surviving that first sting of East Coast cold.
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Speaking of candles, if you’d rather not run the risk of a fire hazard, these petite lamps make elegant fall table decor, too – one for a smaller table, or a handful scattered down a longer one. At only six and a half inches tall, they sit comfortably below the one-foot centerpiece rule, leaving flowers and autumn foliage to take the higher ground without blocking your view across the table.
Between the extra table space and late-summer light on its way out, I’m officially setting my fall resolution (autumnal intention?) for 2026: no more oversized lamps on undersized surfaces.
More Petite Portable Lamps
Mini lamp, maximum impact is very much the idea this fall. Here are a few more petite portables currently catching my eye.
Target
Mini Portable Ceramic Table Lamp
Ceramic-style everything is emerging as a major lighting trend for 2026 – and it’s escaped the dining table. We’re seeing the look on side tables and lighting, too, like this Joanna Gaines-designed number, perfectly petite for topping a stack of coffee-table books in an entryway.
IKEA
AvhÅll LED Outdoor Portable Lamp
There’s a sweet spot between late summer and early fall when being outside feels most ideal. While any portable lamp could, in theory, make a trip to the patio, IKEA’s waterproof chrome style can stay put even when the weather turns.
Target
Ceramic Shade Table Lamp
Probably the closest comp to Lulu and Georgia’s Takada above, this lamp – also by Joanna – plays with the same cozy combination of burgundy and brass. An expensive-looking little intervention for a bookcase or uninspired kitchen counter.
Where I live in New York, there’s simply no room to fuss around with oversized – or, occasionally, even normal-sized – tabletop accessories. So if you are looking for more small space styling inspiration, I’ve had to get rather good at curating a small coffee table. These are my three go-to moves.
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