Archive for the ‘Lighting’ Category

We love the form and function of this ´Op Art´ wall light designed by Bent Karlby for Danish lighting firm Lyfa.

The light which is entitled ´Kavadrille´ is constructed from sheet steel sections. When illuminated the light from each section creates a wonderful ambient effect of contrasting shadow and light.

The form is also reminiscent of the iconic paining ´Homage to the Square´ by modernist painter Joseph Albers.(1888-1976)

Circa 1960.

With original ´Lyfa´ paper label.

Just in this impressive `Rocket` table light designed by Goran Pehrsson for Swedish lighting firm Atelje Lyktan.

We love the louvered aluminium fin diffuser and it´s ´Rocket´ like appearance which looks like it could take off at any moment!

Dated 1978

We have just recently acquired the most beautiful Scandinavian light fixture.

The sculptural form is constructed from a series of complex cut and folded interlocking polymer sheets. The result is a stylish modernist take on the more traditional Japanese paper lantern.

Dated circa 1960 this fixture is certainly Scandinavian  with a high probability of Danish origin.

Due to it´s unique construction, when illuminated the fixture creates a wonderful ambient effect of shadow and light making it the perfect choice for a focal piece above the dining or kitchen table!

Just in this rare `Pallade` light fixture designed by Studio Tetrarch and made by iconic Italian lighting company Artemide.

Designed in 1968 the spherical `Pallade` is constructed from heavy duty ABS plastic and houses a glass diffuser designed to create an even pool of light focused on any item directly below. It is the perfect  kitchen or dining room fixture. The light  effortlessly embodies all which is great about Italian pop that was so dominant in Italy during the 1960`s.

Bellissimo!

Stamped `Artemide` `Made in Italy`

Just in, the classic `Tizio` table light designed by German industrial designer Richard Sapper for renowned Italian lighting company Artemide.

This `Rolls Royce` of task lights was originally designed in 1972 and enjoyed huge popularity during the 1980`s not just for it`s gravity defying functionality but also for it`s sleek masculine style.

It won a Compasso d`Oro award in 1989 for a technical breakthrough in the way that the counterbalanced arms conduct low voltage current to eliminate the wires and springs that are characterized by most anglepoise desk lights.

The `Tizio` has subsequently  become one of the worlds most recognized design icons and is also included in the permanent collection of the MOMA in New York.

The light is still being produced today in Italy by Artemide, and can be seen in many chic interiors throughout the world.

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This elegant `Semi` light fixture by architect duo Claus Bonderup and Torsten Thorup for  Danish lighting firm Fog & Morup is another wonderful example of the Scandinavian `less  is more` approach to design. First produced in 1967 the shape of the fixture is an evolution of the highly stylized tulip form that gained in popularity in the mid 1950´s. The simplicity of form gives this light an extremely refined and attenuated sensibility.

The fixture is particularly suitable for illuminating kitchen and dining tables and has graced many European interiors during the 1960´s and 1970´s, especially in Scandinavia!

The ´Semi´ was produced in various sizes and colours, including white, brown and black, with the rarest finish being of polished chrome.

We love the animated appearance and vibrant colours of these task lights made by Luxo and Tensor. Both lights date around the late 1960´s and are exceptionally well made.

The Norwegian lighting company Luxo was founded by engineer Jac Jacobsen, the name being derived from the Latin – I give light. The company was pivotal in the development of the anglepoise task light which soon became a real productivity booster in schools, offices and industrial plants throughout the world, eventually becoming a design icon amongst architects and designers  right up to the present day.

The Tensor company was an American company founded by Jay Monroe in 1957.It  became famous for the invention of a sturdy high-intensity desk light specifically aimed at students and was widely used in schools and laboratories throughout the US. Although the Tensor was highly successful it later became challenged and eventually defeated by another popular rival lighting solution called the Lytegem designed by Michael Lax and distributed by Lightolier. Interestingly American business schools later used the case study of the Tensor Corp to demonstrate that even with a great product, a company can flounder through poor management.

Our examples are dated Circa 1960 and are in excellent ´working´ condition.

We love this great little table light by innovative lighting firm Lightolier.

Named the ´Eclipse´ the central ceramic shade can be rotated 360 so that the bulb within can be incrementally  obscured at any point altering the level of intensity .

The ideal combination of ambient and directional light makes this light perfect for a bedside table,  reading room or entrance way!

Dated circa 1970.

We have just restored this beautiful, slender ´Papillona´ torchiere designed by Topia Scarpa for iconic Italian lighting company Flos. The striking black and red colour combination combined with it´s sleek form gives  this light a Post-Modern aesthetic. However our research reveals that it was actually first designed in 1973 and was one of the first lights designed using (then) new halogen technology.

The ´Papillona´ stands an impressive 6 1/2 ft tall and is constructed from die-cast aluminium. The shade consists of prismatically cut pieces of diffuser glass which when illuminated give additional emphasis to the lateral emission of light. Perfect for illuminating a piece of artwork, architectural detail or dark corner.

Tobia Scarpa is the son of world renowned architect Carlo Scarpa. He has spent the majority of his his career in Italy, and has actively collaborated with his wife, Afra, on designs for nearly every major international company, including Flos, Cassina, Knoll and B&B Italia.

Interestingly the ´Papillona´ is still made by Flos today, proof that good design stands up to the test of time.

Ours dates around 1980. Stamped on base ´Flos , Papillona, Made in Italy´

Maximum 500W halogen bulb. With manual dim switch to adjust intensity of light.

Once in a while we acquire a great piece of Japanese design.

On each occasion we are always impressed by the quality of construction, attention to detail, and above all how visually different the item appears compared to its European & North American counterpart.

The ´Iota´ table light by Hikaru Mori is no exception. Designed in 1994 for the Italian lighting firm Nemo Italianan Luce, it is constructed from a heat resistant opal polycarbonate which can be illuminated when the shade is angled into the body.

The design provides  a functional directional light but also allows the user to create a wonderful ambient look in the simplest of actions.

The form of the ´Iota´ also strongly referances Japanese imagery, such as a subservient ´Geisha´ or powerful ´Shogun´ warrior.

In the words of Hikaru Mori:

“Iota is honest, sincere and simple. It is your companion, it lights up for you in an intelligent way while remaining discreet, like a good servant”

This desk light by virtuoso American lighting designer Robert Sonneman is clearly a piece of sculpture masquerading as a light!

Designed in 1987 and made by the high end New York lighting firm George Kovacs this light is undoubtedly a homage to the early 1980´s Italian design movement ´Memphis´.

The ´Memphis´ movement was a design collective composed of a number of Italian and international architects/industrial designers who challenged the status quo of what was then deemed to be ´good modern design´which was built on the foundation of 1950´s /1960´s Bauhaus influenced modernism.

The Memphis colour palette was a ´pop´ primary with an emphasis on unexpected shapes and forms, sometimes juxtaposed at bizarre angles to each other, these shapes would also often appear almost ´childlike´ in  their simplicity and appearance.  At the time reaction to this design movement was far from unanimously favorable however it´s existence proved to be hugely influential throughout all aspects of design and fashion within that decade and beyond.

We have a very striking pair of canary yellow ´cylinder´ table lamps with half reflector bulbs and original dim switches.  These futuristic lights were designed and made by Origina Lighting, Toronto Canada.

Origina was founded in 1974 by Gustavo Martinez who specialized in contemporary residential lighting with a Pop aesthetic.

In 1956 as part of the Mexican Youth program, Martinez along with his brother cycled across the continent and settled in Toronto. Martinez then worked as a draftsman for the Canadian National Telegraph, before graduating in mechanical engineering at the University of Toronto in 1967.

By the early Seventies, Martinez founded Origina and it´s first product line featured lighting with exposed large bulbs and highly polished metal bases of a sculptural branch-like configuration in  either chrome or  aluminium.  This series was immediately successful much to the surprize of Martinez himself!

This fantastic hi-tech anglepoise task light was designed by Italian industrial designers Alberto Meda & Paolo Rizzato for the famous lighting firm Luceplan in 1985. Constructed from light yet strong aluminium and fitted with a coloured glass diffuser the ´Berenice´ operates with a transformer that allows low tension current to reach the bulb through the rods without electrical cable, thus leaving its figure slender and elegant. With all these features and a superb hi-tech look it´s not hard to see why this light was awarded the highest Italian design award the Compasso d´oro in 1987.

We currently have this monumental floor light in the shop. This unique light was designed by the Swiss/German industrial designer Hannes Wettstein in 2000 for specialist Italian lighting company Pallucco. The shade is polished aluminium and can be rotated 360 degrees as well as adjusted up & down. It also converts into an impressive torchere when in the vertical position. Within the shade is a 1/4¨ thick frosted glass diffuser. When dimmed this diffuser creates a wonderful optical ´star´ like effect in the centre of the glass. When fully illuminated it produces enough light to hi light any large piece of art or architectural detail.The main body of the light is zinc painted steel.The light stands over 6ft tall and would look stunning in any high ceiling space.

This superb piece of architectural lighting was designed by the Italian industrial designer Mario Botta for Artemide. Given the name ´Zefiro´ and designed in the mid 1980´s this suspension light sends bright light soaring through a perforated steel diffuser, creating a dramatic interplay between light and shadow on the ceiling. The main frame of the light is also telescopic and can be extended or distended depending on where it is hung. This piece would be a key focal point in an entrance, above a dining table, boardroom table or staircase. We currently have this light on a dim slide so intensity of the light can be regulated.