As we venture into warmer months, there is no simpler pleasure than a cold gelato on a hot day. Delectable scoops form a perfectly round ball of the icy treat in a cup or cone, to be enjoyed sitting outside in the sun or walking around cobblestone streets. The Gelato Lamp by Carlo Nason for Established & Sons is a sweet response to this ubiquitous memory, bringing us back as time marches ever forward. The original wired Gelato lamp, designed by Nason in the 1960s, is brought back from the archives and reimagined as a rechargeable, portable lamp. Cup-shaped glass cradles the light, a glowing handblown orb. Half-set in the base, this lamp offers a sophisticated yet soothing finish, similar to its namesake. Marking the 20th anniversary of Established & Sons, the new Gelato Lamp made its debut at Milan Design Week 2025.
The solidity of the Gelato Lamp is highly satisfying. Thick glass creates a solid footprint on which the form sweeps up into a tall cup, gently holding the rotund, hand-blown lamp, frosted to most closely resemble the Italian treat. The contrast of the translucent base and the completely matte light is striking, picking up light from the room in the base. Adding a pop of color and style to any tablescape, the Gelato Lamp sits leisurely with a unique softness. With four options available – Mint, Smoke, Azure, and Spritz – fun colors and reserved hues combine to create a color palette appropriate for a multitude of interiors.
Carlo Nason is a renowned glassblower and lighting designer, born in 1935 in Murano to a family of glassmakers. He established a new schema of lighting, one that employed repetition and clarity in a way that was not only functional, but defied convention. His work is featured in the Corning Museum, and the Museum of Modern Art, as well as many notable galleries across the globe. Just as concerned with negative space as well as the glass form, Nason ushered in an exciting new era of glass, one that celebrates the simple elegance in transparency.
Established & Sons continues their legacy of developing products directly with their designers, employing a unique producer/designer relationship usually overlooked in the industry. As designers know their work best, and producers know materiality and efficiency, they can lend their own expertise to the other’s speciality, ultimately creating better designs in the process. Maintaining simplicity is actually quite complicated, and we’re excited to see where Established & Sons takes us in the years to come.
To learn more about the Gelato Lamp by Carlo Nason for Established & Sons, please visit estabalishedandsons.com.
Photography by Daniele Fummo.