If you’ve been around minimalgoods for a while, you know I love Gantri and their innovative approach to lighting (check out my other reviews of the Orbit, Suyo and Carve). When they sent me their new Stem table light, I was curious to see what approach they took this time around.
Stem is a versatile lamp that makes its home anywhere you put it. Functional shape combined with Gantri’s dimmable, while simultaneously rich and full brightness, allows for unlimited options. Looking for a soft light to read by? Done. Need to light up a room? Got it. Want a subtle glow from your plant corner? Stem can do that too. Real well.
Designed by the creative team at Belgium’s RAAK studio, the soft edges and rounded corners give an organic feel, while the flared form feels inspired by nature. Your Stem light will look right at home nestled next to some potted plants.
In our new apartment, the lighting in the bedroom is... lacking. I connected a cheap smart plug that I found on Amazon to automatically turn our Stem on when the sun is going down, and off when we go to bed. The balance of light that Stem provides works really nicely in a lower lit room, allowing for the visibility that we need, and the fullness that I’ve come to know and appreciate from Gantri’s products.
The base of the light has a simple rubber ring to prevent slipping, along with a weighted bottom to provide extra stability. Gantri’s 3D printed, plant based material is very lightweight, so these added touches are just another example of their thoughtful design process.
The plug is round, which I appreciate more than I probably should. It’s a nice understated benefit that is visually pleasing, and doesn’t take up the entire outlet. As always, the cord is durable, unassuming, and smooth to the touch.
The dimmer switch is perfectly chunky, without being imposing, giving you a nice range of low to high light.
Gantri and the RAAK team were clearly focused on all of these details, right down to the tight affordances like how much space the cable has coming out of the body of the lamp. All strangely satisfying.
One thing that I really came to enjoy with Stem is how the angles of the design allow the light to play with its surroundings. Depending on the height it’s placed at, and the selected brightness, Stem can easily be a primary light source in the room, as well as an accent to add character.
You can get creative, tucking it near a bar cart to illuminate shadows and reflections, or, staying true to the inspiration of the light itself, under your favorite plants to let the light bounce off the undersides of the leaves. However you display Stem, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the versatility of options for such a crisp, simple design.
I work from home, so I decided to try the light in my office. I work during the day, and also sometimes late at night, which I figured would be a good test. The light it provided was soft and evenly distributed through the lamp, almost like a diffuser. This is often a staple of Gantri lighting - not directional, but leaning towards a functional mood light to warm up any space.
The clean, minimal design looked great, and complemented the space rather than just being a light source. Very adaptable, and neutral enough to suit any room without fading into the background.
At the end of the day, Stem has reinforced why I always recommend Gantri products.
They provide so much variety for their customers, with options to match any room. This lamp is neutral enough to suit any space, while others are intended for certain spaces. They are affordable (Stem comes in at $175), sustainable, and I love how they continue to work with new designers, to highlight their passion and unique visions.
Plus, as a charming little bonus, when you tap on the top of your Stem, it sounds like a bongo. Do it. Trust me.
Gantri coupon code
Gantri has offered minimalgoods readers $20 off with coupon code MINGOOD20. Enjoy!
