VL 38 Wall Lamp

The VL 38 Wall Lamp is based on the original VL 38 Table Lamp, designed by Vilhelm Lauritzen in the late 1930s for Copenhagen's Radiohuset. First seen in Louis Poulsen catalogues in the 1940s and relaunched in 2016 with energy-efficient LED, it keeps the soft, curvy expression in white/brass, while the 2017 black edition adds a stronger outline — vintage design with contemporary function.

Vilhelm Lauritzen is regarded as one of the fathers of Danish functionalism, and Radiohuset — the broadcasting house he built for the Danish Broadcasting Corporation in Copenhagen — stands among the movement's most celebrated buildings. True to the functionalist ideal, Lauritzen designed the building as a complete whole, from the architecture down to the light fittings, and the lamps he created with Louis Poulsen for its studios, corridors and foyers live on in today's VL series. Compared with the rigorously layered geometries of Poul Henningsen, his contemporary at the brand, Lauritzen's lighting feels softer and more organic — the VL 38's rounded shade and gracefully curved arm bring a human warmth to functionalist design that has aged remarkably well over the better part of a century.

As a wall light, the VL 38 earns its keep in everyday use. The downward-tilted shade casts a focused yet gentle wash of light, making it a natural reading lamp beside the bed or sofa, while the brass or black arm projects the shade elegantly clear of the wall. Because it needs no floor or table space at all, it is one of the most efficient ways to add genuine designer character to a room — a quality worth a great deal in the compact apartments of Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong and other dense Asian cities, where every square metre of surface counts.

Try a pair flanking the bed to replace bulky bedside lamps, or a single piece above a desk or hallway console. It pairs seamlessly with the matching table version from our table lamps collection for a unified scheme, and sits naturally alongside other Scandinavian classics among our wall lamps. For more ways to light a tight floor plan without sacrificing style, see our guide to designer lighting for small apartments.

Light source: built-in LED, 9.6 W. IP20, indoor.