Inga Sempé’s w163 Lampyre Table Lamp by Wästberg – Mouth-Blown Opal Glass

French designer Inga Sempé has created w163 Lampyre for Swedish lighting manufacturer Wästberg, a table lamp that transforms mouth-blown opal glass into a phantomic silhouette of soft, soothing light.

Taking its name from the French word for glow-worm, Lampyre consists entirely of gentle illumination behind carefully crafted white matte glass.

Available in two sizes, w163 Lampyre features a larger version designed as a solitary statement piece capable of transforming a room’s atmosphere through its distinctive glow. The lamp’s construction combines two mouth-blown glass components – a base and shade – unified into a single entity when illuminated. The dimmable light source allows the lamp to shift from its brightest setting, where it remains pleasant to view directly, to its most captivating dimmed state, where it glows phantom-like from base to top.

The mouth-blown opal glass creates a comforting, familiar presence in contemporary interiors, functioning as what Sempé describes as a modern-day fire. The lamp’s gentle, reassuring light quality makes it suitable for residential and commercial settings seeking warmth without visual harshness.

Inga Sempé graduated from ENSCI-Les Ateliers (Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Création Industrielle) in Paris in 1993, establishing her independent studio in 2000. Her design practice spans collaborations with Scandinavian, Italian, and French manufacturers including HAY, Ligne Roset, Wästberg, Magis, Alessi, LucePlan, Mutina, Iittala, Moustache, Svenskt Tenn, and Gärsnäs. Working from her Paris studio with two assistant designers, Sempé brings her distinctive approach to contemporary lighting design.

The w163 Lampyre represents Wästberg’s commitment to creating lighting solutions that balance technical innovation with emotional resonance, continuing the Swedish manufacturer’s tradition of collaborating with international designers on pieces that prioritize human-centered illumination.