17 Magical Lamps to Brighten Up the Darkest Day of the Year

December 18, 2017

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Later this week, the Northern Hemisphere will experience the shortest day of the year. New Yorkers will get only nine hours and 24 minutes of sunlight, making December 21 officially the darkest day. There’s something moody and mysterious about the winter solstice, about the sun setting at just 4:28 p.m.—something visceral that tells the body it’s time to retreat, to slow, to hibernate. Don’t fight the feeling. Try something: This evening, don’t immediately flick on your glaring overhead lights. Avoid the blue glow of the TV. Instead, curl up in the corner with a cup of tea next to a single reading lamp; sit down to dinner lit only by a sculptural ark lamp; get into bed early with a good book illuminated by a pair of bedside lights. Embrace the darker days; soon enough, the summer sun will have you buzzing about again.

From a brilliantly kitschy Memphis number to a striking hanging oil lamp, here are 17 unique options to help brighten the darkest day of the year.