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Mind-bending optical-illusion flat lamps look like 3D

A set of LED lamps on Kickstarter tease your mind into thinking they have 3D lamp shades.

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
Amanda Kooser
2 min read

You could have a lamp on your desk. Or you could have a lamp that would be at home in a sideshow, fooling viewers into thinking it's something it's not. The Bulbing 2D/3D lamps from Studio Cheha on Kickstarter are a fun visual mind trick.

When you look at the lamps from the front, they appear to have 3D shades, like a regular lamp. Look at them from the side and you'll see they're actually very flat. Each lamp glows with LED lights that can be dimmed for use as ambient or night lighting.

The Bulbing lamps are constructed with plywood birch and acrylic glass etched with lines that provide the optical illusion when seen from the right angles.

Bulbing 2D/3D lamps
Light up your 3D life. Studio Cheha

The lamps come in different designs, called the Deski, Ziggi and Classi. They max out at over 15 inches (around 40 centimeters) in height. The lamps start at about $73 (£47, AU$101) for the Classi model, which approximates a small table lamp with a downward-facing shade.

Keep in mind that not every crowdfunding project successfully delivers on time and as promised. Studio Cheha does have a Kickstarter track record you can peruse before pledging.

Studio Cheha has built a small crowdfunded empire out of optical illusions for the home. Its first venture was the Flatlight, a flat candle holder that was funded in 2013. A bulb-shaped mood light came to life in 2014. The new lamps are bright enough to read by and represent a nice leap forward in the evolution of Studio Cheha's designs. They're are an entertaining take on home lighting and should appeal to tricksters, design fans and people who are tired of dusting lamp shades.