How to Make the Most of Smart and Stylish Portable Lighting

Let’s be honest: For much of modern history, the art of illuminating a house—whether creating sultry, flattering layers of light in a living or dining room or adding precision task lighting in the kitchen or study—has kind of been stuck in the Dark Ages. “Ever since electricity was harnessed in the late 19th century, lighting has been attached to the sides of a room because it had to be plugged into an outlet or wired from walls or ceilings,” says Rohan Blacker, founder of Pooky, the UK-based company intent on liberating lighting from its trapped-in-amber constraints.

Pooky, which made its stateside debut this past spring, has already blazed a trail in the market by offering design-forward mix-and-match elements like hand-painted, pleated silk, and patterned linen shades that don’t cost a fortune along with elegant sculptural bases in a wide array of materials, shapes, and colors. Now, the company is applying that can-do sensibility to portable lighting with electrifying results.

The Genius of Genesis

While cordless lamps have become more widely available in recent years, they’ve have had their limits—think bulky, battery-stuffed bases that need frequent replacing, or cumbersome recharging requirements, or prohibitively high price tags. Pooky’s solution? Proprietary Genesis cellular light bulbs—dimmable, time-able, rechargeable units that magnetize into the company’s portable lamps, sconces, picture lights, and pendants. (Yes, even pendants: Thanks to Genesis, Pooky just unveiled a range of hanging lights to flesh out its already robust cordless offerings—so you can brighten interiors without ever needing to call an electrician.) “It solves for all those funny little corners in a room that you didn’t know how to light,” says Blacker.

Each five-hour charge provides 15 hours of illumination (that’s about 4 or 5 days in laymen’s terms) and since you’re only recharging the bulb itself, you can keep the USB-C charging station in a utility area out of sight or keep extra backup bulbs at the ready to swap in as needed. Fixtures can be turned on or off with a remote control, or by simply tapping on the shade.

The World Is Your Oyster

The benefits of designer–worthy cordless lamps are manifold. “It frees people to look at lighting in a whole new way,” says Blacker. Dinner in the deepest reaches of the garden? Done. Some ambience for bathtime without the risk of electrocution? Bien sûr! A movable pendant that turns any table into a visual feast? Yes, chef! Pooky’s newest offerings even put custom lighting within easy reach for renters: Because the wall- and ceiling-mounted options need only a screwdriver to install (and some spackle and paint after move-out to get your deposit back), decorator-worthy brass picture lights are no longer a pipe dream.

Freedom to Roam

“We’re just at the beginning of this new technology,” says Blacker. “In due course, people will light their houses in totally new ways.” Table lamps need no longer be anchored by wall sockets at the edge of a room; instead, they can be woven into bookshelves to exalt vignettes or rearranged to illuminate cozy corners for a cocktail party. And while we’re at it, do you really need a bedside lamp cluttering up your nightstand? Swap it out for an above-the-headboard sconce with a pretty, pleated shade to reclaim space for your latest reading material.

Fashion for Fixtures

Another reason to love the Genesis system? All the components are interchangeable, including shades, which attach magnetically (no finials to fuss with!). It’s like you suddenly have a wardrobe for your lighting: Channel a laid-back vibe in the summer months with a shibori-dyed linen shade, then dial up the drama with emerald-green silk when temperatures drop. By using your imagination (and Pooky’s cutting-edge tech) to change the way you think about lighting, you—and your interiors—will be golden.