Robert Dudley Best
The heir of a large lighting manufacturer, Best & Lloyd, Robert Dudley Best was born in 1892 in Birmingham, and went on to study at the Düsseldorf School of Industrial Design and the Interior Design Atelier in Paris. While abroad he was exposed to modern European designs and ideologies, and upon his return to the UK produced what was proclaimed by Architects Journal as the first manifestation of Bauhaus in the UK: the Bestlite.
Heavily influenced by the then revolutionary Bauhaus school, Best’s lighting designs conformed perfectly to its manifesto: function and simplicity that blurs the boundaries between industrialisation and aesthetic works of art. For this reason, the Bestlite was highly sought-after, and even famously owned by Winston Churchill. In continuous production since 1930, the Bestlite is still designed and manufactured in Birmingham, and has retained its industrial feel despite the passing of time. All of this has been made possible thanks to the renowned Danish firm, Gubi, who now acts as the conservator of the Bestlite brand.
Design Portfolio
Bestlite BL1 Table Light
The original lamp designed by Robert Dudley Best, the Bestlite BL1 is a timeless Bauhaus-era classic. Featuring a bell-shaped shade on a swan-necked stand with adjustable pivot-joints, the Bestlite is not only highly functional but incredibly elegant.
Its flexibility is unrivalled, and was truly made to focus light wherever the user requires it. Loved by designers, architects and design aficionados alike, the Bestlite has kept true to its industrial roots and original design throughout almost a century of constant production.
Bestlite BL2 Table Lamp
Part of Robert Dudley Best’s acclaimed Bestlite collection, the Bestlite BL2 is a more streamlined version of the Bestlite BL1. Still featuring a rotatable bell-shaped shade on a swan-necked stand, the design’s sophisticated and timeless style makes it one of the most-loved iconic designs around the world. An incredibly versatile choice, the BL2 is perfect for side tables, sideboards, bedside tables and desks in any modern home.
Bestlite BL5 Wall Light
An iconic example of British Bauhaus design, the Bestlite BL5 wall light is anything but a wallflower. Featuring the instantly-recognisable bell-shaped shade on a swan-necked arm, attached to a slender chrome pole, the light can be adjusted by sliding the bendable arm up and down the pole, and its lampshade can be moved to direct a pleasant ambient light wherever it is required. Elegant, sophisticated, and unabashedly Bauhaus, the Bestlite BL5 wall light is perfect for living rooms, hallways, bedrooms, offices, and even kitchen nooks in modern and contemporary homes.