Let’s put it on record – I love cool and quirky lighting. What better than start this post with Ingo Maurer, the German lighting designer who’s renowned for his colorful and whimsical lighting products. Another perennial favorite, Ross Lovegrove, continues to turn out critically acclaimed biomorphic fixtures with graceful abstraction. Come and see the result of creative collisions between lighting with kinetic art, sculpture and furnishings below that will help you look at lighting in a whole new light!
Reminiscent of a flamenco dancer in a red dress, this sculptural light fixture by Ingo Maurer changes with every view point. The dramatic shade is colored by Japanese textile dying techniques and pleated with a special process inspired by traditional origami art. More than just decoration, the playful removable heart-shaped mirror pulls double duty as a reflector for the light source. Due to the nature of the shade, the fixture is not suitable for rooms with high humidity – so don’t stash this in your sauna!
These ethereal light fixtures designed by Ross Lovegrove seem to float in mid air! The transparent but highly textured methacrylate shades resemble a chameleon’s scales and the dichroic surfaces dynamically change the fixtures’ color depending on one’s vantage point – a perfect look for the hipster digs of Silicon Valley startups.
Named tongue-in-cheek as ‘King Edison’, this light fixture designed by Young & Battaglia brings together the clean form of an Edison lamp with the glitz and glamour of a chandelier fit for his Royal Highness. Installed singly or in a cluster, King Edison will be an nice conversation piece.
The Chou lamps, created by Yonoh Estudio Creativo, were inspired by the film The World of Suzie Wong where lanterns dotted the alleys & temples of old Hong Kong. Love how the warm glow of the fixture brings the delicate wood grain to life!
Forest Stewardship Council certified wood veneers are showcased in natural stains for the purists and – for the rest of us – colorful finishes in red, orange, yellow, blue, and turquoise!
Bob Wilson designed the 7 chairs for this world première exhibit. Fabricated by Kartell, each chair had a unique design of white neon encased in 20 mm transparent polycarbonate.
The contemporary chairs created a striking but interesting contrast against the opulent interiors of the celebrated Milan Teatro alla Scala.
Chilean designers Q Studio created these modular lighting tiles which are available in 3 modes: Uplights, Downlights, and None. Taking advantage of the country’s abundant raw material, these panels are of copper, and can be mixed and matched to meet any need. To help the community, its products are manufactured by a local prison’s inmates as part of their rehab program.
The Nodes wall sconces come in two iterations – one light or two lights – with both vaguely resembling an oversized safety pin or hair clip. Made of copper and jesmonite (a gypsum based acrylic resin popular for creating sculptures & 3-D objects), the light only turns on when the contacts are touching and form a closed loop. For the young or the young a heart, these light fixtures can be a great source of entertainment!
Created by Christian Hass, the Ropes Lamps at first blush look like macramé ropes hung just for visual interest. But wait, there’s more! Flip a switch and the room glows in a warm light from the LEDs inside these twisted creations.
The ropes are made with a textile that is weatherproof and dirt repellent. Each one is unique, numbered, lovingly made by hand in France and Germany.
The airLuce series is rooted in the concept of biophilia so the light fixtures are designed to resemble flowers or plants. To create a healing environment, Tranlogue Associates eliminated glare by hiding the light source and used advanced acrylics that allow light to spread softly to the edges in a diffuse, even glow. Now you can turn on the light and meditate full Om ahead!!