The best rice paper lamp, if you can wait for it and afford it, is an Isamu Noguchi Akari, the 1951 design every other paper lamp borrows from. The small Akari 1A table lamp lists at about £268 to £315 in the UK and €349 in France. If you want the look for a fraction of that, the Aili by BO-HA, a sculpted rice paper table lamp at $74.95, is my everyday pick, and IKEA's REGOLIT paper shade, around $5 in recent years, is the cheapest way to fill a room with that glow. Here is how they compare, and why paper light suits a mid-century house so well.
Why Paper Light Belongs in a Mid-Century House
Our 1961 canyon house is all walnut, glass and white plaster, and the light we love most in it is the late-afternoon kind that comes through the clerestory windows and turns everything gold. A paper lamp is the closest thing to that after dark. The paper hides the bulb completely and spreads the light evenly in every direction, so a room lit by paper feels soft, wide and calm, never spotlit.
It is also historically right. Noguchi designed the first Akari lamps in the early 1950s, and they sat in exactly the kind of open, low-slung rooms our house was built around. I wrote about the warm-light side of this in the warm bulb secret of mid-century rooms.
Rice Paper, Washi and Plain Paper
- Washi or mulberry paper on a bamboo frame is what the Akari lamps use. It is fibrous, slightly irregular and glows with a warm, uneven texture.
- Rice paper is the everyday term for this family of lamps. Many use a smooth paper over a wire frame. Look for a shade that hides the bulb completely.
- Plain machine paper, like most budget lanterns, gives an even, flatter glow and is the easiest to replace.
What I Compared
- Shape and size against the room and the furniture.
- Paper quality and how evenly it glows.
- Bulb. All of these take a screw-in bulb you choose yourself.
- Price and availability from retailer listings checked on October 14, 2026. Akari prices vary by country and some retailers quote long lead times.
Quick Comparison
| Lamp | Type | Price seen | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noguchi Akari 1A | Small table lamp | £268 to £315 (UK), €349 (France) | The original, a credenza or desk |
| Aili by BO-HA | Sculpted rice paper table lamp | $74.95 | Everyday use, nightstands |
| IKEA REGOLIT | Paper pendant shade | about $5 (2024 report) | Budget ceiling glow |
| Aila by BO-HA | Rice paper table lamp | $59.95 | A smaller budget lamp |
| Noguchi Akari 10A | Floor lamp | $540 to $700 at the Noguchi Museum shop | A corner statement |
The Picks
1. Isamu Noguchi Akari 1A: The Original
The Akari 1A is the small table lamp in Noguchi's Akari family: a paper shade on thin metal legs that looks like it is floating above the table. UK retailers list it at about £268 on sale to £315, and a French retailer at €349. One UK retailer quotes a lead time of 4 to 6 months, so order early if you want it for a particular room.
It is the lamp I would buy for a credenza or a desk, where it can be seen up close. Real Akari lamps are handmade, and the paper has small irregularities that are part of the point. Buy from an authorised retailer if you want the real thing; the design has been copied endlessly.
Ava's note: on a walnut credenza, a paper lamp is the perfect counterweight to dark wood. My credenza styling is in styling a walnut credenza.
2. Aili by BO-HA: Best Everyday Rice Paper Lamp
The Aili by BO-HA is a softly sculptural rice paper table lamp with a layered silhouette, inspired by wabi-sabi. The white rice paper shade spreads the light evenly and hides the bulb, and small variations in the paper give it an organic feel. It plugs in, comes with a choice of plug types, and takes a standard screw-in bulb, so you can pick the brightness and warmth yourself.
At $74.95 it costs a fraction of an Akari, which means you can put a pair on two nightstands for less than one original. It is the paper lamp I would use where it will be handled every day.
3. IKEA REGOLIT Paper Shade: The Budget Classic
The REGOLIT is IKEA's round paper pendant shade, and for years it has been the cheapest way to get a big, soft paper glow. Apartment Therapy reported it at $4.99 in July 2024. You add a cord set and a bulb. Hung low over a dining table or in a corner with a plug-in cord, it gives you the Akari pendant effect for almost nothing, and if the paper gets damaged, you replace it without a second thought.
The paper is plainer than washi and the frame is simpler, so up close it looks like what it is. From across the room, at night, it is lovely.
4. Aila by BO-HA: Best Small Budget Lamp
The Aila by BO-HA is a simpler sibling of the Aili, with a textured white rice paper shade and a sculptural shape, at $59.95. Like the Aili, it takes a standard screw-in bulb and plugs in. It suits a shelf, a windowsill or a small side table, and works well in a Japandi or Scandinavian room as much as a mid-century one.
5. Isamu Noguchi Akari 10A: The Floor Lamp
The 10A is a tall Akari floor lamp, a paper shade on a slim stand. The Noguchi Museum's own shop lists it at $600, or $540 for members, on one page and $700 on another, so check the current price before ordering. In a corner of a living room, it does what a big floor lamp should: lights the room softly from a height, with no glare. I would put one in a reading corner like ours, described in our clerestory reading corner.
See it at Noguchi Museum Shop →
How to Choose
For a table or credenza you see every day: the Akari 1A if budget allows, or the Aili by BO-HA if it does not. For a big, soft ceiling glow: a paper pendant shade like REGOLIT. For a corner: a paper floor lamp like the Akari 10A. For nightstands in pairs: two Aili or Aila lamps.
Bulbs for Paper Lamps
Use an LED bulb, never incandescent or halogen. LEDs run far cooler, which matters with paper. A warm 2700K bulb around 450 to 800 lumens suits a table lamp; a pendant or floor lamp can take more. A frosted bulb gives the smoothest glow; a clear filament bulb can show as a bright spot through thin paper. Check each lamp's maximum wattage and stay well under it.
For more on warm bulbs in a mid-century house, see the warm bulb secret.
Where Paper Lamps Work Best
- On walnut or teak, where the white glow balances dark wood.
- In bedrooms, where the soft, even light is kind at night. A pair suits a room like our sunlit mid-century bedroom.
- In corners, where a floor lamp lifts the whole room.
- Mixed with glass globes, which are the other classic mid-century glow. More in globe lights and mid-century style.
Caring for Paper
- Dust gently with a soft, dry brush or a hair dryer on cool.
- Keep paper away from kitchen steam and bathroom humidity, which can soften and stain it.
- Keep it out of reach of pets and small children; paper tears easily.
- Small marks and irregularities are part of handmade paper. Do not try to clean them with water.
Mistakes to Avoid
- A bright, cool bulb. It turns soft paper glow into a glaring white ball.
- Too small for the room. A tiny paper lamp in a big open room disappears. Scale up, or group two or three.
- Buying a copy as an original. If the price looks too good for an Akari, it probably is not one.
- Paper near a stove or a candle. Obvious, but worth saying.
Mixing Old and New
Our house mixes vintage finds with new pieces, and paper lamps are where that is easiest. An Akari on a credenza and two Aili lamps on the nightstands would read as one family, because the material does the talking. I covered the general approach in mixing vintage and new in a mid-century house.
The Short Version
For the original, buy a Noguchi Akari: the 1A table lamp, about £268 to £315 in the UK, or the 10A floor lamp, about $540 to $700 from the Noguchi Museum shop. For everyday paper light, the Aili by BO-HA at $74.95 and the smaller Aila at $59.95 give you the look for much less. For a big ceiling glow on a budget, use an IKEA REGOLIT shade. Use warm LED bulbs, keep paper away from steam and heat, and dust it dry.
