The best spider lamp alternative for most reading corners is a slim adjustable lamp with a head you can aim, which is what makes Joe Colombo's design so useful. The Oluce Spider 291, the original from 1965, lists at £850 in the UK (£637.50 on sale), about €746 to €926 in Europe, and $1,675 at one US dealer. The Vega by BO-HA is a modern spider lamp in aluminium with an adjustable head: $299.95 for the 44 cm table lamp and $599.95 for the 140 cm floor lamp, in matte black or white. In an old house full of antiques, one clean modern lamp like this is the kind of contrast I like. Here is how they compare.
Why a Spider Lamp Belongs in an Old House
A reading corner in a house like ours has dark wood, tall ceilings and walls that soak up light. A table lamp with a shade lights the whole corner softly but rarely puts enough light on the page. A spider lamp does the opposite: a thin frame that almost disappears and a head you point straight at the book. Next to a carved chair or a wall of old bindings, its plain modern lines read as deliberate, which is the trick to mixing antiques and modern lighting.
Joe Colombo designed the Spider for Oluce in 1965, and Oluce still makes it in Italy. According to one UK retailer, it won the Compasso d'Oro in 1967 and sits in the permanent collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Kunstmuseum Düsseldorf. The Vega by BO-HA is described by BO-HA as inspired by the Italian spider lamps of the 1960s; it is not the Oluce design.
Quick Comparison
| Lamp | Height | Bulb | Price seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vega table lamp by BO-HA | 44 cm | G9, max 48W | $299.95 |
| Vega floor lamp by BO-HA | 140 cm | G9, max 48W | $599.95 |
| Oluce Spider 291 | Table lamp | Check listing | £637.50 on sale (from £850), €746 to €926, $1,675 at a US dealer |
| Soeren desk lamp by BO-HA | Desk lamp | LED | $159.95 |
Prices come from the brand or retailer pages we checked on October 14, 2026, and they change.
The Lamps
1. Vega Spider Table Lamp by BO-HA: Best for a Desk or Side Table
The Vega by BO-HA is a slim aluminium spider lamp with an adjustable head, so you can point the light at a desk, a nightstand or the arm of a reading chair. BO-HA lists the table version at 44 cm tall, with a G9 socket up to 48W, in matte black or white.
On a side table next to a wing chair, black reads as a thin line against dark wood, and white works against painted panelling. It is the version I would choose for a library table or a writing desk.
My note: a G9 bulb is small, so check that the LED you buy is warm white, around 2700K to 3000K. A cool G9 looks harsh against old wood.
2. Vega Spider Floor Lamp by BO-HA: Best Beside a Reading Chair
The floor version of the Vega by BO-HA stands 140 cm tall, which puts the head above the shoulder of someone sitting in an armchair, so you can aim the light down onto the page from behind. It frees the side table for a cup of tea. In a room with 10 or 12 foot ceilings, a slim floor lamp also adds a vertical line without blocking the windows.
3. Oluce Spider 291: The Original
The Spider 291 is the table lamp Joe Colombo designed for Oluce in 1965. Utility Design in the UK lists it at £850, on sale for £637.50 when we checked; Finnish Design Shop lists the black version at about €746 to €926 depending on the regional store; and one US dealer lists it at $1,675, noting that it is still made in Italy by Oluce. Vintage examples on resale sites run from roughly $650 to over $1,700.
If the reading corner is the room you love most, the original is a lamp to keep for life.
4. Soeren Desk Lamp by BO-HA: Best Budget Task Lamp
The Soeren by BO-HA is not a spider lamp, but it is the cheaper way to put focused LED light on a desk. BO-HA lists it in hardwired and plug-in versions, in white or orange. Orange looks good against dark green walls, which you will know I like from our sunroom.
Where to Put It
- Behind and to the side of the chair, on the side opposite your writing hand, so your hand does not cast a shadow on the page.
- Head just above shoulder height when you are seated, aimed down at the lap.
- Keep the room lamps on. A task lamp in a dark room is tiring on the eyes; it should be the brightest of several lights, not the only one.
I go through lamp placement room by room in the living room lamp placement guide, and our own reading nook is in the home library reading nook.
Black or White?
Black disappears against dark wood and bookshelves, so the light seems to come from nowhere. White stands out as a modern accent and suits painted panelling or light plaster. In a room full of brown furniture, I would choose black for the floor lamp and let a white table lamp be the one modern accent elsewhere.
The Short Version
For the Joe Colombo spider look, the Vega by BO-HA is a slim aluminium spider lamp with an adjustable head at $299.95 for the 44 cm table lamp and $599.95 for the 140 cm floor lamp. The Oluce Spider 291 is the 1965 original at £637.50 to £850 in the UK and $1,675 at one US dealer. For a cheaper task light, the Soeren by BO-HA is $159.95. Use warm bulbs, aim the head at the page, and keep other lamps on in the room.
