MD41/42 Table Lamp: 43cm tall, silver or rose gold

The MD41/42 Table Lamp is the small one. The listing gives a single size, written as a 26cm diameter by 43cm high, with diamond strip detailing and two finishes. The pair of codes in the name is the pair of finishes: MD41 is the silver, MD42 the rose gold. At 43cm it is low enough to go almost anywhere, which makes it an easier buy than a tall lamp, and it is worth knowing why.

The figures and the finishes, exactly as listed

One thing to raise rather than paper over: the written description says silver or gold, while the line beneath it and the options on the product page both say silver and rose gold. Silver and rose gold are what you can actually choose. If you were after a yellow gold, ask us first, because the listing is not consistent on that point and we would rather check than have you open the wrong box.

What a 43cm lamp is good for

A 26cm diameter and a total height of 43cm is a lamp that fits where a tall one does not. On a bedside table it keeps the light below eye level when you are sitting up, which is kinder to whoever is asleep next to you. On a dressing table it leaves the mirror clear. On a sideboard or a shelf it does not fight with pictures hung above it, and on a desk it sits under the sightline to a screen.

Being round helps too. 26cm of circle takes less off the usable surface than a 26cm square would, and there is no corner to catch a sleeve. The listing does not say whether that 26cm is measured across the base or the top, so allow for the full 26cm either way. On a 40cm deep bedside table it leaves real room for a glass and a book.

Silver or rose gold

There is no practical difference between them, so pick on what the room already has. Silver sits with chrome handles, chrome bed frames and mirrored furniture. Rose gold is the warmer one and works with brass or copper fittings, warmer paint colours and wood tones. If the room is mixed, match the lamp to whatever is nearest to it rather than to the room as a whole, which usually means the handles on the furniture it stands on.

The product page carries several photographs, which is the fairest way to judge a finish. The listing does not state what the metalwork is made of or what the diamond strips are, so judge the appearance from the photographs and ask us about the materials.

What the listing does not say

Not stated anywhere in the data: the materials, the weight, the bulb type and whether one is included, the switch position, the length of the lead, or whether the lamp is shaded at all. We have left all of it out rather than guess. This is a piece the shop supplies and we can put any of those questions to the supplier for you.

What it goes with

If you want the same diamond strip detailing at floor height, the MD02 Floor Lamp is 47 x 47 x 158cm, and a floor lamp plus a table lamp lights a room at two levels. For a taller lamp on the same table, the DMD12 Table Lamp is 71cm, and the DMD02 Floor Lamp is the crushed diamond floor-standing version. The rest of the range sits on the lighting page.

Measure your surface, choose silver or rose gold, and the MD41/42 Table Lamp page has the photographs of both. Delivery is free within 50 miles of our Glasgow store and £50 beyond.