Browse a design boutique or lighting store, and you're bound to find some great lighting designs…disappointingly mated to stock switches. "Many well designed lamps often have less pleasing cord switches and dimmers," observes France-based design consultancy Studio Huub Ubbens. "We decided to take up the challenge and design a new range of [switches]."

The result is their Unico line, which makes me want to reach through the screen to press the switch on; I can practically hear and feel the satisfying "click."

"Our intention was to design one basic shape, suitable for the widest range of light fixtures both in terms of style and technical performance. Unico presents this main objective, aiming to be aesthetically and technically as versatile as possible."

The switches are in production and carried by Italian brands EMC Colosio and Arditi.