90 Mini Desk Lamp, Carbon Black

This lamp from Anglepoise is basically the lamp that stomps the "i" at the beginning of every Pixar movie, but black-matted out and just generally cooler-looking. It's all made of anodized, brushed aluminum, with a cast iron base so it stays put. The conical lampshade's somehow retro and futuristic in design at the same time, and actually has its dimming dial built into it. It's also powered by a USB cord, which is handy, and can actually hold a charge, so you can turn it on, unplug it, and bring it over somwhere else for a whille.

In 1932, a vehicle suspension engineer named George Carwardine invented a new spring, crank and lever mechanism that could be positioned with the lightest of touches, but would stay perfectly balanced in place once released. He didn't know it, but he'd just created the blueprint for the very first Anglepoise task lamp. Nearly a century later, the British brand's still making them with the same dedication to traditional design thinking, but upgraded modern features that maximize the utility of their objectively gorgeous lighting accessories.