Over a hundred cable colours, thirty lamp holder colours, twenty ceiling roses – the freedom is the problem. These five recipes narrow it down, and each one works in any room.
1. Tone on tone
Cable, lamp holder and ceiling rose in the same colour or in neighbouring shades: white-white-white, black-black-black, sand-beige-brass. The light becomes a shape, not a colour. Suits rooms that already have colour (walls, furniture, pictures). Example: ecru cotton cable, porcelain lamp holder, white ceiling rose. Or: glossy black viscose cable, matt black lamp holder, black ceiling rose.
2. Complementary
Cable in one colour, lamp holder in the opposite colour on the colour wheel: petrol and copper, mustard and blue, green and rosé. The cable carries the colour, the lamp holder adds the accent. For white rooms that need a highlight. Example: petrol viscose cable, copper lamp holder, copper ceiling rose. Or: mustard yellow linen cable, blue painted lamp holder, white ceiling rose.
3. Natural tone plus metal
A natural cable (linen, jute, cotton in ecru, grey, brown) with an unlacquered metal lamp holder (brass, copper, raw steel) and a metal ceiling rose. That's the workshop combination – warm, handcrafted, and it ages well, because brass darkens and linen softens. Example: natural linen cable, raw brass lamp holder, brass ceiling rose. Goes with wood, concrete, white tiles.
4. Black and white plus one accent
Black-and-white zigzag or white cable with a black lamp holder – and exactly one part in colour: the bulb in gold glass, the shade in mustard, the ceiling rose in red. Graphic, clean, for modern and Scandinavian rooms. Example: black-and-white zigzag cable, black lamp holder, white ceiling rose, gold glass bulb. More than one accent makes it look busy.
5. Cable in wall colour
If you want the light but not the cable: cable in the colour of the wall or ceiling (white on white, greige on greige, sage on sage). The cable disappears, leaving the lamp holder and bulb, which are then free to stand out: brass lamp holder with a Globe G125. The best choice for plug-in lights with a long wall cable.
What rarely looks good
Three different strong colours on one light. Patterned cable with a patterned shade. Glossy cable with raw wood (viscose and oak clash, cotton and oak don't). Chrome with natural tones. And: different cable colours on one spider – better to use one colour for all outlets and vary the bulbs instead.
Check it in the room
In the configurator, the preview shows every combination in a room; “Choose scene” lets you change the background. And if you're torn between two cable colours: order both, cable sold by the metre is inexpensive – the one you don't choose becomes your next plug-in light.