Robert Dudley Best (1892 to 1984) was a British industrial designer from Birmingham. He trained in metal design at art school in Düsseldorf, then took over his father's Birmingham lighting works, where in 1930 he designed an adjustable task lamp stripped of ornament.
It was first bought by garages and by Royal Air Force engineering departments, which valued its adjustable arm. The Architects' Journal then hailed it as Britain's first Bauhaus design, and Winston Churchill chose one for his desk in Whitehall.
For other lighting in the same spirit, see Poul Henningsen lamps and Serge Mouille lighting. For the movement that shaped it, see Bauhaus furniture.
All four, verified against their product pages. Prices are the current From price including the active sale.
Lamp | From | Size (cm) | Weight | Bulb |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Bestlite Style Wall Lamp BL7 | GBP 64.50 | 15 × 15 × 36 | 2 kg | E14, not included |
Bestlite Style Table Lamp BL1 | GBP 119.50 | 21 wide, 66.5 high | 6 kg | E14, not included |
Bestlite Style Wall Lamp BL5 | GBP 134.50 | 16 wide, 20.5 to 77 high | 3 kg | E14, not included |
Bestlite Style Floor Lamp BL3 | GBP 169.50 | 26.5 wide, 150 high | 8 kg | E14, not included |
The two wall lamps do different jobs. The BL7 is a fixed 36 cm unit with an angled shade, for either side of a bed or a sofa. The BL5 has an arm that moves horizontally and vertically, covering 20.5 cm to 77 cm, so it can reach over a desk or a worktop.
The floor lamp is the tall one by 83.5 cm. At 150 cm against the table lamp's 66.5 cm, the BL3 stands beside or behind a sofa, as its product page suggests, while the BL1 sits on a desk or a bedside table.
All four together come to GBP 488.00, and every one takes the same E14 bulb.
Every lamp takes one E14 bulb, and none comes with one. The product pages recommend up to 40 W, and the BL7 page confirms that E14 LED bulbs fit. Buy the bulbs when you order the lamps.
The table and floor lamps plug straight in. The BL1 and BL3 need no assembly and come with UK and Euro plugs.
The wall lamps come with a cord and plug, but an electrician is advised. Both the BL5 and BL7 product pages say so. If you want them wired into the wall rather than plugged in, that is a job for an electrician.
The wall lamps can be dimmed with a separate dimmer, which is not included. The table and floor lamp pages do not list dimming.
Robert Dudley Best (1892 to 1984) was a British industrial designer from Birmingham. He trained in metal design in Düsseldorf and took over his father's Birmingham lighting works, where he designed an adjustable, unornamented task lamp in 1930. The Architects' Journal hailed it as Britain's first Bauhaus design, and Winston Churchill chose one for his Whitehall desk.
It is a lamp in the style of Robert Dudley Best's 1930 design; the product pages call the range Bestlite Style. They are sold as reproductions, and every Mobelaris product page states that the item is not manufactured by or affiliated with the original designer. The collection holds a table lamp, a floor lamp and two wall lamps, from GBP 64.50.
In 1930. It was first bought by garages and by Royal Air Force engineering departments, which valued its adjustable arm, before architects took it up. The Architects' Journal then called it Britain's first Bauhaus design, and Winston Churchill chose one for his desk in Whitehall. All four lamps in this collection follow that adjustable, unornamented form.
All four take one E14 bulb, up to 40 W according to the product pages, and none comes with a bulb included. The BL7 wall lamp page confirms that E14 LED bulbs fit. If you are buying several lamps, the same bulb works in every one of them, so one pack of E14 bulbs covers the collection.
The BL5 and BL7 product pages both advise an electrician, although each comes with a cord and a UK or Euro plug. If you want a wall lamp wired directly into the wall rather than plugged into a socket, use an electrician. The BL1 table lamp and BL3 floor lamp need no assembly and simply plug in.
The two wall lamps can, with a separate dimmer that is not included, according to the BL5 and BL7 product pages. The BL1 table lamp and BL3 floor lamp pages do not list dimming. If dimming matters, check the product page for the lamp you want before ordering, and use an E14 bulb rated as dimmable.
The BL3 floor lamp stands 150 cm high and 26.5 cm wide, weighs 8 kg and needs no assembly. Its arm tilts and extends, and its product page suggests placing it behind a sofa. It takes one E14 bulb, not included, and comes with UK and Euro plugs. It starts from GBP 169.50, the highest price in the collection.
Reach. The BL7 is a compact fixed unit, 15 cm wide and 36 cm high, with an angled shade, from GBP 64.50. The BL5 has an arm that moves horizontally and vertically, from 20.5 cm to 77 cm, so it can reach over a desk or worktop, from GBP 134.50. Both take E14 bulbs and are dimmable with a separate dimmer.
Each lamp is offered in black or white. The product specifications list brass as the material for the BL1 table lamp and both wall lamps, and chrome for the BL3 floor lamp. The colour options for each lamp are shown on its product page, alongside the current price for that finish.
All four lamps take 12 to 16 weeks, according to their product pages, and none is held in UK stock. Each product page shows its own estimate under the Add to Cart button, and timings are confirmed by email once the order is placed. Warranty terms differ between the lamps and are listed on each product page.
