Luca Nichetto's 'Teo' lamp for Salvatori is inspired by architect I. M. Pei's constructions

The Teo cordless table lamp designed by Luca Nichetto for the Italian brand Salvatori is inspired by the works of renowned Chinese-American architect Ieoh Ming Pei. Combining the delicateness of paper and the elegant solidity of natural stone, this charming and original expression of harmony creates the perfect mood lighting both inside and outdoors.

The Sweden and Italy-based product designer explains, "This project took a bit of time to achieve the desired result, which is interesting because the inspiration comes from a simple gesture: rolling a piece of paper and placing it into a marble base. Our intention was to design a sleek, elegant lamp with a high-end craft perception. Developing the right lighting source, however, took considerable time."

The lamp design comprises a double-layer circular base in natural stone, the first component of which contains the USB charger while the second houses the dimmable LED light. A sheet of rolled paper is inserted into the base of the lighting design to form the shade, creating a soft, gentle glow. The result is a miniature piece of sculptural design that plays with the reflections of light and the fascinating juxtaposition of the unyielding, eternal stone and the ephemeral, delicate paper. Teo is available in a selection of Bianco Carrara, Rosso Levanto and Verde Guatemala marbles, each designed to be combined with sheets of paper in a range of colours.

Part of the Teo lamp's charm is the scope it offers for adding a personal touch, with the ingeniously simple concept of making it easy to insert a plain or patterned sheet of paper to create a new lampshade. Demonstrating the infinite array of creative possibilities, Salvatori has also introduced a limited-edition version of the product design, with two original designs by the popular Venetian artist Lucio Schiavon.

"My starting point for the paper shades of the wonderful Teo lamp designed by my friend Luca Nichetto for Salvatori was the art form of Chinese shadow play. You see the magic of transparency when a black ink brushstroke loses its weight and dimension and becomes a faint shadow, coiled in a cone of light," shares Schiavon. "The joy of seeing one of my designs illuminated is a revelation because as an artist, I rarely think about the usefulness of my creations beyond seeing them hung on a wall. But in this case, they are an intrinsic part of a beautiful design object," he adds.