Inspired by Ashford and Simpson’s 1977 disco hit “Bourgie, Bourgie,” the Bourgie lamp by Italian designer Ferruccio Laviani (b. 1960) is a cheeky take on modern consumerism in the Western world. Laviani explained that he wanted to juxtapose our desire for wealth and status against our ever-increasing reliance on Chinese manufacturers to produce our so-called luxury goods. This, of course, was an irony that he deftly reveals with the lamp’s excessively showy baroque style and mass-market plastic material.
Laviani designed the Bourgie in 2003 for the Milan-based furniture company, Kartell, where he’d been working for 12 years, first as an exhibition designer and later as a furniture designer and art director. Kartell designers work mostly in plastics and thermoplastics, and the Bourgie lamp was no exception. For his Bourgie, Laviani used either a transparent or batch-dyed polycarbonate, which is both easy to recycle and incredibly durable. The lamp is currently offered in nine colorways that range from a simple translucent to a carousel of gold, turquoise, fuschia and orange.
Laviani told the New York Times that Dolce & Gabbana was a client when he conceived of the Bourgie lamp. “They came from baroque roots; it’s a part of the DNA of their company,” he said of the Italian luxury fashion house. “I always say I would never use gold if I’d never worked with Dolce & Gabbana. When I worked with gold in the Bourgie lamp, I was no longer afraid to use gold. I learned how to use it. It’s okay.”
Each variation of the shade casts different playfully colored shadows, making the lamp a statement piece for a living room or office.
Born in 1960 in Cremona, Italy, Laviani studied at a number of prestigious schools, eventually earning a degree in architecture from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1986. Since then, he has worked with a number of manufacturers and design companies as an architect and product and interior designer.
In 2013, Kartell invited 14 contemporary designers to reimagine the Bourgie lamp in their own style to celebrate the lamp’s 10-year anniversary. Philippe Starck, Christophe Pillet, Patricia Urquiola and Nendo were a few to take on the challenge, creating wild, whimsical and worshipful renditions of the classic.
Kartell Bourgie Lamp in Multicolored Blue by Ferruccio Laviani
By Ferruccio Laviani, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A lamp with an inimitable style, Bourgie is one of Kartell’s best sellers, skillfully combining Classic style, richness and tradition with innovation and irony. The Baroque style bas...
Plastic
Kartell Bourgie Lamp in Multicolored Fuchsia by Ferruccio Laviani
By Ferruccio Laviani, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A lamp with an inimitable style, Bourgie is one of Kartell’s best sellers, skillfully combining classic style, richness and tradition with innovation and irony. The baroque style bas...
Plastic
Kartell Bourgie Lamp in Crystal by Ferruccio Laviani
By Kartell, Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A lamp with an inimitable style, Bourgie is one of Kartell’s best sellers, skillfully combining classic style, richness and tradition with innovation and irony. The baroque style base is composed of three interconnecting decorated layers, while the large lampshade...
Plastic
D/Vision.0 Deconstructed Cabinet with orange plexiglass by Ferruccio Laviani
By Fratelli Boffi, Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Lentate sul Seveso, Monza e Brianza
With D/Vision Ferruccio Laviani makes a process of decomposition and separation, on different levels. Starting from the trumeau, a fashionable item back in the 1950’s, he redesigns i...
Mirror, Plexiglass, Wood, Walnut
$1,128 / item
Kartell Bourgie Lamp in Gold by Ferruccio Laviani
By Kartell, Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A lamp with an inimitable style, Bourgie is one of Kartell’s best sellers, skillfully combining classic style, richness and tradition with innovation and irony. The baroque style bas...
Plastic
Kartell Bourgie Lamp in Silver by Ferruccio Laviani
By Kartell, Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A lamp with an inimitable style, Bourgie is one of Kartell’s best sellers, skillfully combining classic style, richness and tradition with innovation and irony. The baroque style bas...
Plastic
Kartell Bourgie Lamp in White and Gold by Ferruccio Laviani
By Kartell, Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A lamp with an inimitable style, Bourgie is one of Kartell’s best sellers, skillfully combining Classic style, richness and tradition with innovation and irony. The Baroque style bas...
Plastic
Kartell Bourgie Lamp in Copper by Ferruccio Laviani
By Ferruccio Laviani, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A lamp with an inimitable style, Bourgie is one of Kartell’s best sellers, skillfully combining classic style, richness and tradition with innovation and irony. The baroque style bas...
Metal
Ferruccio Laviani "Bourgie" Crystal Table Lamp for Kartell, Italy
By Ferruccio Laviani, Kartell
Located in Los Angeles, CA
An iconic Bourgie table lamp designed by Ferruccio Laviani for Kartell, Italy, executed entirely in transparent crystal-clear polycarbonate. One of Kartell’s most recognizable lighti...
Polycarbonate
F* Hole Gueridon Small Table in Mahogany Wood and Pink Fluo Hole by Laviani
By Ferruccio Laviani, Fratelli Boffi
Located in Lentate sul Seveso, Monza e Brianza
The F* Hole Gueridon side table by Ferruccio Laviani is made of black ebony and covered by dark feather Mahogany. To its classic taste and proportions, decorative details are added,...
Brass
D/Vision.2 Green Brown Deconstructed Trumeau in Solid Wood, Glass and Brass
By Fratelli Boffi, Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Lentate sul Seveso, Monza e Brianza
Indulge in the avant-garde design of Ferruccio Laviani with the D/Vision .2 cabinet—an extraordinary piece that redefines the classic trumeau of the 1950s through a process of artist...
Brass
Kartell Bourgie Lamp in Multicolored Titanium by Ferruccio Laviani
By Ferruccio Laviani, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A lamp with an inimitable style, Bourgie is one of Kartell’s best sellers, skillfully combining classic style, richness and tradition with innovation and irony. The baroque style bas...
Plastic
Kartell Bourgie Lamp in Glossy Black by Ferruccio Laviani
By Ferruccio Laviani, Kartell
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A lamp with an inimitable style, Bourgie is one of Kartell’s best sellers, skillfully combining classic style, richness and tradition with innovation and irony. The baroque style bas...
Plastic
$2,995
H 56 in W 51.25 in D 21 in
Ettore Sottsass Style Postmodern Magenta and Orange Lacquered Cabinet
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional Postmodern magenta and orange lacquered cabinet, bookcase, or bar cabinet In the manner of Ettore Sottsass for Memphis Milano USA, Circa 1980s Measures: 51.25"W x 2...
Wood, Lacquer
$95
H 12.21 in W 6.7 in D 6.7 in
Kartell Take Lamp in Crystal by Ferruccio Laviani, Italian 21 Century
By Feruccio Laviani
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
The classic icon of the bedside lamp is revisited by Kartell's technology to become an industrial product in a variety of colour shades. The shape of Take is the result of the joinin...
Plastic
$584
H 12.29 in W 6.69 in D 7.08 in
Kartell Take Table Lamp Ferruccio Laviani Green Transparent Polycarbonate 2003
By Kartell, Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Skarpnäck, SE
The iconic Take table lamp, designed by Ferruccio Laviani for Kartell in 2003. A celebrated example of contemporary Italian design, the Take lamp is instantly recognizable for its p...
Polycarbonate
Oro Cabinet with Mirror by Giorgetti
By Giorgetti S.p.A., Chi Wing Lo
Located in Boston, MA
Designed by Chi Wing Lo for Giorgetti. The ORO dresser is a precious treasure chest. ORO, a modern take on those pieces of furniture with an incorporated mirror, has two souls, the ...
Leather, Walnut
Shagreen Cabinet with Brass Accents by Kifu Paris
By Kifu Augousti
Located in New York, NY
The Paris based label has distinguished themselves since their launch, with their iconic use of shagreen mixed with brass and other exotic materials. All furniture is handcrafted by ...
Brass
$531
H 11.82 in W 6.78 in D 7.17 in
Kartell Take Table Lamp Ferruccio Laviani Red Transparent Polycarbonate 2003
By Ferruccio Laviani, Kartell
Located in Lisboa, PT
Designed by Ferruccio Laviani for Kartell in 2003, the Take table lamp is a defining example of Kartell’s early 21st-century approach to playful minimalism and industrial elegance. ...
Acrylic
Orange Cabinet
By Monica Gasperini
Located in Milan, IT
Making a sophisticated and bold addition to a modern home, this cabinet is composed of two monolith-like elements fashioned of wood. Upholstered with a luminous matelassé fabric, which preciousness derives from the use of metallic yarns and the power of color. The base is connected to the orange-lacquered top with a gold-finished brass element. Fashioned of wood, the interior features clear glass shelves enriched with an exquisite mirror...
Wood
Café Crème Cabinet
By Fratelli Boffi
Located in Milan, IT
An unconventional piece that will make a statement in an eclectic or contemporary interior, this cabinet is a stunning example of modern design crafted with traditional methods. Its ...
Wood
D/Vision n. 1 Cabinet
By Fratelli Boffi
Located in Milan, IT
A striking piece that will make a statement in a modern or eclectic home, this superb cabinet deconstructs the traditional square shape by diagonally cutting it and separating two pa...
Brass
Cabinet in Furs Brown Cabinet
By Fratelli Boffi
Located in Milan, IT
Part of a series of furniture pieces finished in leather, this unconventional cylindrical cabinet boasts a dark oak structure resting on a plinth base with a mirroring top. Versatile...
Faux Fur, Oak
Cabinet with Display Box by Luis Pons
By Luis Pons
Located in Geneve, CH
Cabinet with Display Box by Luis Pons. Dimensions: W 66 x D 44 x H 79 cm. Materials: plywood, walnut, hand-crafted. Also available in different colors. Tangara envisions a ne...
Walnut, Plywood
Cabinet in Furs White Cabinet
By Fratelli Boffi
Located in Milan, IT
Combining the luxurious feel of fur with an environmentally friendly faux fur material, this cabinet will imbue with elegance a rustic or modern interior, while also equipping it with unique storage space. Unconventionally shaped as a cylinder, this cabinet is made of wood with a natural walnut top and mirrored plinth...
Faux Fur, Oak
Pair of Black Bourgie Lamps by Ferruccio Laviani for Kartell
By Kartell, Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Chicago, IL
These striking table lamps are the iconic Bourgie Lamp by Italian designer Ferruccio Laviani (b. 1960), manufactured by Milan-based furniture company Kartell. Inspired by Ashford and Simpson...
Plastic
Ferruccio Laviani for Kartell Black "Bourgie" Table Lamp, Italy 2015
By Kartell, Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Naples, IT
Bourgie is a Table Lamp designed by Ferruccio Laviani and produced by the brand Kartell. The Bourgie lamp is a Baroque-style creation with a plissé-effect lampshade made of polycarb...
Plastic
Ferruccio Laviani Crystal "Bourgie" Lamps for Kartell, a Pair
By Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Miami, FL
Pair of Bourgie lamps in crystal designed by Ferruccio Laviani for Kartell. The Kartell Bourgie table lamp is a Kartell favorite due to designer ...
Plastic
Vintage Kartell Bourgie Lamp in Crystal by Ferruccio Laviani
By Kartell, Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Stockton, NJ
A vintage Kartell Bourgie lamp in crystal by Ferruccio Laviani.
Plastic
Table Lamp Kartell Bourgie Black by Ferruccio Laviani
By Kartell, Ferruccio Laviani
Located in Roma, IT
A lamp with an unmistakable style, a true best-seller by Kartell, Bourgie marvellously combines classicism, wealth and tradition with innovation and irony. The base, in Baroque style...
Acrylic
