This Trendy Lamp Style Is Like if Boob Lights and Noguchi Lanterns Had a Baby

Furniture silhouettes and surfaces have been softening up the past few years, with curved lines and waves taking over sharp edges, and upholstery coming for pieces like nightstands, side tables, and even refrigerators (I just saw a bespoke, floral fabric-covered Monogram wine fridge at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show!). Though traditionally and still in large part metal in construction, lighting hasn’t escaped this soft touch either. 

Maybe you’ve noticed ruffled, drapery-inspired pendants and shade designs popping up that are far less structural than your typical fabric lampshades. Designers Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent used a pair of skirted sconces in their Design on a Dime vignette two years ago, and lighting maven Eny Lee Parker has a newer fabric lamp with bows. 

But all of this interest in softer, less structural lighting couldn’t have prepared me for the latest trend that’s sweeping the home design world — softer, more stylized dome lights that sit somewhere between Noguchi lanterns and the once-dreaded boob light. Many renters especially (and even newer companies like Tulip) have gone so far out of their way to either cover up these lights or replace them entirely that I didn’t think I’d see a day where people would want the boob silhouette.

I’m not quite sure where this trend is coming from, but some of these lights are pretty chic. I mean, just look at designer Sara Swabb of Storie Collective and her lighting choice in the warm, cozy home office just above. As part of Apartment Therapy’s State of Home Design Survey for 2025, Swabb said she wanted to see “bold ceiling treatments” come back. You can’t just top that kind of striking design element off with any old cheap glass and metal boob light. And yet, something too loud or attention-commanding wouldn’t work either. You need something beautiful but still visually quiet enough to let a color-drenched, wallpapered, or coffered ceiling shine. Enter the second, more stylish, coming of boob lights.

This time around, most of these boob lights are typically made of linen or silk and are still dome-like in shape. But they’re also finished with sumptuous but simple details, from contrast colored cording to tassel trim (the latter is where you’d typically find the metal cap on the boob light shade — how risqué!). Most are flush-mounts, but you can find a few semi-flush models as well. Depending on their details, these boob light styles seem to play well in warm minimalist and vintage-inspired eclectic settings alike. 

At any rate, if you want to see some examples because you’re intrigued by this total trend reversal, allow me to introduce you to boob lights’ second act. You might actually want one for your entry, bedroom, or even living room. I’m thinking about something like this for my own home office.