Made of molded plastic, these lamps are usually cheaper than those that use real wood and can be painted. Plastic is also good for novelty lamps that rely on fun shapes and bright colors.

Lei and production designer Anastasia White both love Entler’s blobby cast-ceramic stoneware lamp, which emits downward lighting that works well for desks. It has brass hardware and accents that are more organic than streamlined, and the shade is customizable.