DIY lamp

Build a DIY lamp in 4 steps

This lamp is the work of the director of Casafacile, Giusi Silighini. Do you want to imitate his style? Buy the components online and follow our guide to make a secure electrical connection (photo Marco Tazzi)

Here are the instructions to build a trendy lamp with a visible bulb

The most trendy lights are 'nude' , that is formed only by a light bulb ( of particular shape ), a lamp holder (there are various materials, from copper to cement) and a wire (today they are of a thousand colors ). The final touch can be a metal wire lampshade, like the Clamp Lamp Small that you find on Merci .
(Prices updated to 2014)

What you need: cable, lamp holder, light bulb, electrician's scissors and / or wire stripper, small screwdriver

How to do it: look at the drawings at the end of the gallery
1 Prepare the cable: it is composed of three wires assembled together , which are threaded.
With the pincer remove the plastic coating for about 2 cm. Then distance the wires by a few centimeters
2 Locate the wires: The brown or black wire carries the current; the blue or white thread is neutral.
The third wire, usually two-colored yellow and green, is grounding, and should not be threaded.
3 Wrap the wires to the lamp holder : unscrew the lamp holder and insert the cable. The most common lampholders have two terminals: insert the power cable in one and the neutral one in the other. Fix them by screwing the clamp. Replace the bulb socket
4 Attach the plug : Strip the cable at the opposite end.
Open the plug, you will find three clamps: screw the current wire and the neutral one on the two sides; the central one, which would serve for grounding, remains unused