Looking for a splash of color to light up your life? You can choose from eleven saturated hues if you elect to own the Muse Lamp. Manufactured by Italian lighting firm Axo Light, Muse comes in a veritable rainbow of colors, none of which is tame, tired, or tenuous: white, orange, light blue, dark blue, fuchsia, yellow, pink, red, green, violet, and multicolor. Designed by Sandro Santantonio, Muse Lamp is available as a flush, ceiling- or wall-mounted light and as a ceiling suspension lamp.

Muse Lamp. Designed by Sandro Santantonio for Axo Light.

The lamp collection consists of a metal frame covered in a “removable and washable stretch fabric.” Either model comes in 40 and 60 cm diameters. When placed against the wall, the Muse Lamps look like wrapped candies, although the multicolor model may remind you more of giant swirly lollipops. A group of these resembles a congregation of sea anemones.

The pendant version, which hangs from simple wires, offers lots more volume, making the lamp less of a button and more of a dollop. These textured globes are reminiscent of circus tents, with their playful folds and colorful fabrics. When lit, Muse Lamps become animated, as if some life form is beating inside those swirls. Despite being a new product for Axo Light, Muse already earned a 2009 Good Design Award and will be displayed at the Good Design Show 2010 in Chicago from June 10-16th. The Good Design people were particularly drawn to the multicolor Muse–a smart and bold choice, given the unusually festive quality of the fabric. Sometimes we equate good design with seriousness, a trend that minimizes the beauty of whimsy.