Pooky vs. CTO Lighting: Which Brand Is Right for Your Project?

By Ombra Lighting | Est. reading time: 6 minutes

If you’ve spent any time researching designer lighting, you’ve almost certainly landed on both of these names. Pooky and CTO Lighting are two of the most talked-about British lighting brands right now — and for good reason. Both produce genuinely beautiful pieces, both are loved by interior designers across the UK, and both have a loyal following among homeowners who care about quality.

But they’re not the same. Not even close.

Choosing between them isn’t really about which brand is better — it’s about which one is right for your project, your space, and what you’re trying to achieve. We stock both at Ombra and we recommend them both, so this isn’t a sales pitch in either direction. It’s an honest, practical comparison from people who know these collections inside out.

Let’s get into it.

A Quick Introduction to Both Brands

Pooky

Founded in London in 2009, Pooky built its reputation on making genuinely good-looking lighting accessible — without the eye-watering price tags that can come with designer pieces. Their range spans table lamps, floor lamps, pendants, wall lights, and an enormous selection of lampshades in fabrics and colours that feel considered rather than generic.

What makes Pooky distinctive is personality. Their pieces have character — think curvaceous ceramic bases, jewel-toned velvet shades, playful silhouettes that stop a room feeling corporate or sterile. They’re unapologetically decorative, and that’s exactly the point.

CTO Lighting

CTO Lighting is a different proposition entirely. Founded in London and hand-crafted in their East London studio, CTO sits firmly at the premium end of the market — and they earn it. Their pieces are architectural, sculptural, and built with a level of material quality and finish that you have to see in person to fully appreciate.

Where Pooky is warmly decorative, CTO is quietly commanding. Their chandeliers and pendants are the kind of things that anchor a room — pieces that don’t shout for attention but hold it effortlessly. They’re used extensively in high-end residential projects and hospitality spaces, and they’re a firm favourite with specification-focused interior designers.

The Key Differences

1. Price Point

This is often the first question, so let’s be direct about it.

Pooky sits at an accessible luxury price point. Their table lamps typically range from around £100–£400, pendants from £80–£350, and shades from £40 upwards. For the quality and design you’re getting, it represents exceptional value — which is a big part of why they’ve grown so quickly.

CTO Lighting is a different investment. Pendants typically start from around £400–£600 and move upward from there — larger statement pieces and chandeliers can sit comfortably in the £1,000–£4,000+ range. The price reflects the materials, the craftsmanship, and the fact that these pieces are made by hand in London.

Neither is overpriced for what it delivers. But your budget will naturally steer you in one direction.

2. Aesthetic

Pooky leans into warmth, colour, and Britishness. Their palette is rich — deep greens, terracotta, dusty pinks, navy — and their forms are organic and friendly. If your interior has personality and you want your lighting to be part of that conversation, Pooky fits beautifully. They work particularly well in living rooms, bedrooms, studies, and anywhere you want layers of warm, intimate light.

CTO is more restrained, but no less impactful. Their aesthetic tends toward the sculptural and architectural — refined finishes, considered proportions, a sense that every detail has been resolved. If your interior is leaning towards contemporary luxury, monochromatic schemes, or has an open-plan feel that needs a real focal point, CTO pieces carry that responsibility effortlessly.

A useful shorthand: Pooky adds warmth and character. CTO adds presence and gravitas.

3. Where They Work Best

Space	Pooky	CTO Lighting
Living room	Excellent — especially layered with floor and table lamps	Excellent — a statement pendant or chandelier anchors the room
Bedroom	Strong — table lamps and wall lights create intimacy	Works well for overhead pieces in larger, more minimal bedrooms
Kitchen/Dining	Great over a dining table with the right shade	Particularly strong here — their pendants over dining tables are stunning
Hallway	Ideal for wall lights and smaller pendants	A single CTO pendant can completely transform a hallway
Home office	Very good — personality without distraction	Better suited to larger, more architectural home office setups
Hospitality/Commercial	Occasionally, for boutique environments	Strong fit — used extensively in hotels, restaurants, private members clubs

4. Lead Times and Availability

Most Pooky pieces are held in stock or available within a relatively short lead time — typically 1–3 working days for standard items. 

CTO Lighting pieces are made to order in their London studio. Lead times are typically 4–8 weeks depending on the piece and finish. Believe me — they’re worth the wait. But it’s important to factor this into your project timeline, especially if you’re working to a completion date.

5. Customisation

Both brands offer a degree of customisation, but in different ways.

With Pooky, the customisation is largely around their shade and base combinations — there’s a huge amount of choice, and mixing and matching is actively encouraged. You can create something that feels completely unique from their existing range.

CTO offers finish options on most pieces — brass, bronze, nickel, and others — which allows you to tailor a piece to your scheme without altering its essential character. For trade and specification projects, this matters enormously.

So, Which Should You Choose?

Here’s our honest take.

Choose Pooky if:

·       You want to add warmth, colour, and personality to a residential space

·       You’re working with a tighter budget but don’t want to compromise on design

·       You need pieces relatively quickly

·       You’re layering multiple light sources and want consistency across table lamps, floor lamps, and pendants

·       You’re decorating a bedroom, snug, reading room, or any space where intimacy is the goal

Choose CTO Lighting if:

·       You want a statement piece that genuinely anchors a room

·       You’re working on a high-end residential project or hospitality space

·       You’re specifying lighting for a contemporary, architectural, or minimal interior

·       Your budget allows for a considered investment piece

·       Lead times aren’t a constraint on your project

And honestly? Many of our customers use both. Pooky for the layered, ambient sources. CTO for the centrepiece. It’s a combination that works beautifully — and one we recommend often.

A Note on Getting It Right

The single biggest mistake people make with designer lighting is buying pieces in isolation — choosing something beautiful online without thinking about how it interacts with ceiling height, room scale, natural light, or the other sources in the space.

If you’re unsure, that’s exactly what we’re here for. At Ombra, we offer personal lighting guidance as standard — no extra charge, no obligation. Tell us about your space and what you’re trying to achieve, and we’ll tell you honestly which direction to go.

We stock both Pooky and CTO Lighting, and we can source pieces that aren’t immediately visible on the site. We also price match where we can.

Shop Pooky and CTO Lighting at Ombra

Explore our curated selection of both brands — or get in touch and we’ll help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

Browse Pooky →Browse CTO Lighting →Get Personal Lighting Advice →

Ombra Lighting is a family-run lighting company offering sustainable luxury lighting from award-winning designers. We plant a tree for every order over £250.