I Was Looking for My Sister’s Lamp and Kept This One
I first opened the Hozodesign page because my sister had moved and kept saying her new flat needed a lamp. She likes natural materials but does not want anything that makes a room look too rustic, so the Natural rattan and black iron table lampseemed like a sensible option. The rattan shade looked relaxed, the matte black frame kept it simple, and at 58 centimetres high it was tall enough to feel useful beside a chair. I ordered it with her birthday in mind.
When the box arrived, I put the lamp together in my living room to make sure everything was there. That was the plan, anyway. I fitted an E27 bulb, placed it beside the chair where I usually read, and left it on while I made tea. The 27-centimetre woven shade threw a soft pattern onto the wall. It also made the stack of library books on the floor look less like something I had forgotten to put away. I sat down for ten minutes and stayed for most of the evening.
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I did not decide immediately to keep it. For several days I told myself I was only testing the Hozodesign lamp before wrapping it. The problem was that I started using it without thinking. I would come in after dinner, put my mug on the little table, switch on the lamp and pick up whatever book was already open. My partner began doing the same when he sat there. By the weekend, the cardboard box had been moved to the hall and the lamp had not moved at all.
It stayed beside my chair
The corner had always been slightly unfinished, although I had never cared enough to fix it. There is an old chair, a narrow table and shelves that are usually overfilled. The black frame works with the window at night, while the rattan adds some warmth during the day. I liked that I did not have to rearrange anything around it. Hozodesign had the dimensions clearly listed, so I already knew it would fit; what I had not expected was how quickly it would feel ordinary in the best way.
I eventually told my sister what happened. There was no dramatic confession. I sent her a photo and wrote, “I may have tested your possible birthday present too thoroughly.” She laughed, asked for the link and then chose a completely different lamp for her desk. I gave her a book and a bottle of olive oil instead. When she visited, she sat in the chair, touched the edge of the rattan shade and said keeping this one made sense for my room.
The lamp has been there for a few weeks now. The wrapping paper I bought for it became drawer liner, and the original box is gone. Last night I switched on the Hozodesign lamp, moved two books off the chair and found a receipt underneath them from the day I placed the order. I tucked it into the back of my novel, put my tea down and carried on reading. I still owe my sister a better birthday plan next year, but at least she knows not to ask me to test it first.
