Nordic Pleated Shade Wall Sconce

A pleated fabric shade on a turned wooden base. Pleating is a detail that has come back from mid-century lighting, and it earns its place: the folds catch light along each ridge, so the shade has texture and shadow even before it is switched on.

Fabric diffuses light more gently than glass or metal, absorbing a little and softening the rest, so the glow spreads evenly rather than casting a hard edge. That makes it right for a bedside, where the light needs to be enough to read by without waking the person next to you. Because the pleats run vertically rather than in a single wrap, the shade holds its shape even after years of handling, rather than sagging the way a loosely gathered fabric shade can. The wooden base is turned rather than moulded, so the grain runs consistently around it instead of showing a seam.

The wooden base warms the whole fixture and keeps it from reading as period-only, so it sits comfortably in a Scandinavian or a retro room. It mounts close to the wall, which matters beside a bed where anything deeper catches an elbow. Dust the pleats with a soft brush rather than a cloth, since a cloth catches in the folds. Installation should be carried out by a competent person.

• Product type: Wall sconce
• Shade: Pleated fabric
• Base: Turned natural wood
• Light: Warm, soft and evenly diffused
• Profile: Sits close to the wall
• Use: Bedsides, reading nooks, living rooms
• Care: Dust the pleats with a soft brush
• Installation: To be fitted by a competent person; isolate the circuit before work
• In the box: 1 x wall sconce, fixings