A Designer Didn’t Want Traditional, Wired Lamps in Her Home — Her Solution Totally Works

I’m particular about lighting. Don’t believe me? I’ve taped pictures (of myself) over the light switches in my apartment to deter guests from flicking them on. My husband compares me to some creature that melts when the overhead light is on. I’m sensitive, and that’s OK! While moody lighting has been popular for a while, I’m always glad to learn about another person who appreciates it and how they’ve incorporated it into their own home.

Take designer Amelia Deacon-Hunt’s Victorian home in London, for example. She says that the smartest purchase she made for the space were rechargeable lamps. “They’ve completely changed the atmosphere of the house by adding warmth, ambiance, and layered lighting, without the expense and disruption of rewiring every room,” she said at the time of the House Tour. 

For starters, Amelia points out that rechargeable lights add a sense of moodiness to every room, but they also save you the cost (and sometimes the headache) of rewiring lights. If you live in a rental, rewiring might not even be an option. Plus, she notes that these lamp types, unlike traditional wired lights, give her much more design freedom.

“They also give me so much more creative freedom, allowing me to place lighting exactly where I want it rather than where existing electrics dictate,” Amelia said at the time of the House Tour. “The same goes for rechargeable table lamps. I love being able to style a room without worrying about visible cables or the location of plug sockets.” She’s been able to create room layouts on her own terms, rather than having them decided by where the outlets are, and she admits she likely wouldn’t be able to do that without these rechargeable finds. 

Amelia’s decision to use rechargeable lamps reminds us that good design isn’t, and shouldn’t, necessarily be about what’s easiest. While it might not be the most convenient to have to charge the lamps, that’s a sacrifice she’s willing to make. 

“Rechargeable lighting has allowed me to create the warm, inviting atmosphere I always envisioned, without the cost of hiring an electrician or chasing wires through the walls,” she said at the time of the House Tour. “It’s genuinely one of my favorite design hacks.” Several options are usually cheaper than traditional lighting, too. Embrace the design freedom that Amelia enjoys by testing out a rechargeable lamp in your own space. To see more of her home, visit the full House Tour.