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Slatted lamp: a wall light of slotted birch plywood

Half-round slats of birch plywood, slotted onto a combed spine: this wall light turns a single LED strip into soft, glare-free light.

A wall light made entirely from flat parts: an upright spine carries one slot after another, and into each of them goes a half-round slat of birch plywood. Every slat is the same cut — only the row of comb slots gives them their spacing and direction. Nothing is glued or screwed; the stack holds itself together through the joints alone.

  • Slatted lamp switched on against a wooden wall: half-round slats of pale birch plywood stack into an upright light, each slat glowing as a bright arc
  • Wood-panelled sleeping nook with mattress and pillows, the lit slatted lamp on the wall above as the only light source
  • The slatted lamp seen at an angle from below: the stack of half-round slats above the closed base that conceals the LED strip
  • Side view of the lamp's spine: an upright plywood board with a close row of comb slots holding the slats
  • Close-up of the joint: a slat sits flush in a slot of the spine, the laser-cut edge darkly charred
  • Raking light on the slat edges: the thin plywood arcs stand out pale against the dark wall

The light comes from below and stays out of sight. A warm-white LED strip sits in the closed base and shines upwards along the wall, behind the slats. What you see is never the source, only what it reaches: each slat catches part of the light and passes it on as a glowing arc. Even from close up, nothing dazzles.

The appeal lies in how little it takes — two kinds of parts, one material, one pass on the laser. Birch plywood is pale enough to carry the light and firm enough for the thin slats to hold without reinforcement. How long the lamp becomes is decided solely by the number of slots in the spine: the same drawing yields a short reading light above the bed or a band of light across half a wall. What comes from us are the cut parts — the LED strip, power supply and mounting are yours to add.

Frequently asked questions

How is the slatted lamp built?

From two kinds of parts: an upright spine with a row of comb slots, and the half-round slats that sit in them. Both come flat from the same sheet of birch plywood. Assembly needs no glue and no screws — the slots hold the slats spaced and in place.

Why doesn't the lamp dazzle?

Because the light source is never in view. The LED strip sits in the base and shines upwards behind the slats. All you see are the lit wooden arcs, and they pass the light on softly and diffused.

Which material suits a lamp like this?

Pale, thin sheet materials. We chose birch plywood because it carries the light well and still supports the narrow slats. Finnish board looks similarly soft; opal acrylic diffuses more strongly. Whatever the material, keep enough distance between lamp and material — LED strips are suited to this, hot lamps are not.

Can the size be changed?

Yes. The length follows solely from the number of slots in the spine, the depth from the radius of the slats. The same drawing gives a short reading light or a band of light across the full width of a wall.

Can I order the slatted lamp?

Not as a finished product — it is an in-house design, not a catalogue item. If you want to build one, send us your drawing or draw it in the modeller; we cut the parts from the material you choose. LED strip, power supply, switch and mounting do not come from us, and anyone building a lamp from these parts is responsible for the electrical side.

Customer
Formulor, Baden-Baden — in-house design
Project
Slatted lamp: wall light of slotted half-round slats with indirect LED light
Material & process
Birch plywood, laser-cut; warm-white LED strip

More: How it works · Configure one of our pendant lights

Design and photos: Formulor