Bizarre tech my lounge deserves: the bic pen lamp

Some tech devices make you do a double-take; the Bic Lamp by designer Mario Paroli and Italian model Seletti is certainly one of them. At first look, I swore this blown-up, illuminated iteration of the Bic Cristal ballpoint pen was AI. It’s not. Photos of the pen in workplace and lounge scenes appear to be surrealist artistic endeavors; it’s bizarre tech that in some way works.

Twelve instances bigger than the usual pen, however with precisely the identical proportions, this distinctive LED lamp celebrates the Bic Cristal’s seventy fifth anniversary and was displayed on the Maison&Object furnishings expo in Paris. The authentic design, created in 1950 by Italian-French producer and Bic co-founder Marcel Bich, has been featured in everlasting collections at MoMA and the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

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An artsy Bic pen lamp, with an iconic look

What makes the Bic Lamp greater than only a novelty is how faithfully it sticks to the unique design. Paroli preserved each proportion of the enduring pen, scaling it as much as a full 178 centimeters. The clear, hexagonal barrel—usually stuffed with ink—now homes an LED mild supply that emits a heat, ambient glow. It turns a utilitarian object into one thing oddly atmospheric. It’s playful, sure, nevertheless it’s additionally surprisingly elegant when you see it in context.

Proof that severe design doesn’t should be severe

Seletti’s trademark humor is all around the particulars. The lamp’s cap and finish are available in traditional Bic colours—black, blue, or purple. The energy twine matches these hues however is itself a unusual alteration to an in any other case devoted redesign. The Bic emblem sits precisely the place you anticipate it to. Overall, this isn’t a reinterpretation a lot as a respectful, outsized homage.

Beyond these enjoyable particulars, the lamp itself will be positioned creatively in its atmosphere; mounted on a wall, suspended as a pendant, or standing upright as a flooring lamp. The impact is on the spot recognition, adopted by a chuckle.

True to the unique, supplies included

Like the unique pen, the lamp is made totally from plastic—polycarbonate and high-density polyethylene—which provides to its appeal. There’s one thing virtually poetic about taking certainly one of fashionable historical past’s most ubiquitous objects and turning it into an announcement piece that may dwell in your house. It doesn’t attempt to disguise what it’s, and I really like that.

Bic’s basic supervisor for stationery, David Cabero, summed it up greatest when he described the lamp as a mirrored image of the pen’s place in collective creativeness. Few objects have bridged lecture rooms and boardrooms so effortlessly—and now, apparently, dwelling rooms too. The Bic Lamp reminds us how deeply on a regular basis objects can embed themselves into tradition.

Yes, the Bic Cristal pen is artwork

The Bic Lamp is bizarre tech, however in the perfect sense of the phrase. It serves a particular function—lighting your area—nevertheless it additionally makes you pause, snort, and perhaps rethink the objects you’ve taken without any consideration your complete life. At a time when design is both hyper-minimal or aggressively futuristic, a bit that brazenly embraces humor and familiarity is refreshing.

The Bic Lamp will probably be accessible in wall, flooring, and pendant variations between late March and early April 2026 on the official website. While it’s definitely not delicate, that’s the purpose.

Lauren has been writing and modifying since 2008. She loves working with textual content and serving to writers discover their voice. When she’s not typing away at her pc, she cooks and travels together with her husband and two daughters.