The W* House / Lighting
'Lightflow' planter/light
Luciano Scippa / Pimar
€430
Combining an outdoor lamp with a handsome stone planter, Luciano Scippa's 'Lightflow' has all bases covered. Made of yellow limestone, the two-part design comprises an embedded LED light source in the base of the planter that casts a warm glow onto the smooth surface below. For those who want to take a little of the outdoors inside, an indoor version is also available.
'Glassdrop' pendant lamps
Diesel and Foscarini /
Price on request
Designed by Diesel's in-house creative team and brought to life by Italian brand Foscarini, the atmospheric 'Glassdrop' suspension lamps make a dramatic addition to the dining room. Particularly effective when hung in clusters, the droplet-shaped, blown-glass shades have a chrome aluminium finish that when switched off has a polished mirror effect, but when turned on adopts an alluring amber glow.
'Lit' lamps
Rodolfo Dordoni / Flos
Prototype
At this year's Euroluce fair in Milan, Flos exhibited a jaw-droppingly beautiful array of new lighting designs by big names such as Paul Cocksedge and Philippe Starck. This perfectly poised task lamp by Italian architect and designer Rodolfo Dordoni was among the highlights. Available with a table or a clamp base, it features a tapered diffuser that provides an even, direct light.
'Cheshire' lamps
GamFratesi / FontanaArte
From £260 each
It was Alice in Wonderland's grinning Cheshire Cat that GamFratesi had in mind when creating these new lamps for FontanaArte. With a disappearing and reappearing crescent-shaped glow, the lamps silently perch on a tabletop, rest on the floor or hang upside down from the ceiling.
'Stella Triangle' sconce
Rosie Li / Roll & Hill
$3,250
Inspired by the early abstract work of American painter Frank Stella, the 'Stella Triangle' wall sconce is Brooklyn-based Rosie Li's debut design for New York lighting brand Roll & Hill. Li shares Stella's love of graphic elements, which she has cleverly incorporated into the lamp's half mirrored glass diffuser. When illuminated, a series of glowing nested triangles are revealed.
'Ledge' lamp
Stefi Orazi /
£80
Graphic designer Stefi Orazi understands the importance of getting the most out of small spaces. In fact, it was her own London apartment that inspired the design of the multifunctional 'Ledge'. Simple but effective, it consists of an exposed bulb set into a block of laminated birch plywood and accented with a red flex.
'Stickbulb' floor lamps
Rux / Rux
From US$1,100
The inventive New York design studio Rux reimagined the lightbulb with its latest collection of sabre-like lights, encased in woods including maple and ipe, salvaged from the Coney Island boardwalk.
'Raffaele' Pendant Lamp
Federico Minarelli and Julie Janssen / Fred&Juul
€ 400
Federico Minarelli and Julie Janssen are two Florence-based architects who have gradually expanded into the world of interior design, drawing inspiration from age-old customs and displaying a keen respect for time-honoured materials such as reclaimed oak and iron. Their star-shaped 'Raffaele' pendant lamps are sand-casted in a single piece of brass by skilled uscan artisans.
'Silk Road' pendant lamp
Jonah Takagi / Roll & Hill
$3,900
Tokyo-born designer Jonah Takagi has layered multiple materials to create his Silk Road collection of pendant lights. A traditional pleated lampshade is encased by a tapered wire cage, shrouded by a large piece of handblown-glass. Atop these sits a spun-metal shade. The result is a pleasing play on texture and pattern.
'Radient' table lamp
Rich Brilliant Willing / Rich Brilliant Willing
$735
American design outfit Rich Brilliant Willing deserves the spotlight once again for its satisfyingly minimal new 'Radient' table lamp. Casting a soft glow over a tabletop, the lamp has been fashioned out of metal and wood in the company's Manhattan studio.
'Tegola' bedside lamp
Studio Klass / Pimar
€550
We found our ultimate bedside lamp in the first design collection of Italian limestone manufacturer Pimar, a fourth-generation business that this year enlisted the services of design studio De-Signum to curate its inaugural home and garden range. Studio Klass' two-part architectural lamp not only plays up the natural luminosity of the stone, but also reflects light off its base, making it perfect for bedtime reading.
'R BRAA' desk lamp
Asaf Weinbroom Studio / Asaf Weinbroom Studio
€420
Asaf Weinbroom's architectural desk lamp is one thing we wouldn't mind staying up into the small hours with. The Tel Aviv-based lighting designer's newest collection, Braa, is a creative juxtaposition of materials. Weinbroom, who predominantly works with wood, has used sand-blasted brass tubes, and details in Corian and Formica, to give the underpinning maple features an added touch of luxury. The full range also includes a linear ceiling lamp and several tabletop versions.
CSYS task light
Jake Dyson / Jake Dyson
£550
Jake Dyson has cornered a niche for highly-engineered wall and floor lights, and the latest addition to his stable brings his meticulous attention to detail to deskwork too. In the design of the LED task light - available in black, white, blue, red and grey - Dyson has applied precision design to the control of heat, durability, colour and light distribution. Introducing an efficient cooling system to make the LED bulbs last even longer than they already do, the eco-credentials of the lamp give us an inner glow as well as lighting up our paperwork.
'Bulb' light
Minimalux / Minimalux
Starts from £185
Celebrating the soon to be obsolete incandescent light bulb, this is the first lighting offering from Minimalux - the fledgling British brand behind last year's beautiful Wallpaper* Handmade cutlery set. Bulb is made from hand blown opal glass with a machined brass stem and cable entry, and is fully compliant with the changing array of energy saving light bulbs. It will be available to buy online from 23 September.
'Composizioni' floor lamp
Martino Gamper / Nilufar
price on request
When is a lamp not a lamp? We found the answer in Martino Gamper's otherworldly Composizioni collection where he appears to have taken apart quotidian pieces of furniture, rummaged through a pile of spare-parts and reassembled a deconstructed version of the original. His floor lamp has a captivating Dali meets Miro meets Picasso quality about it, in the way its long stem bends and folds at odd angles while wires twine up into a hooded tube here and hang off there. It's still recognizably a lamp, but re-imagined in an altogether alien way. And it's all the better for it.
'Wall Rupture'
Thierry Dreyfus / Flos
price on request
Thierry Dreyfus's predilection for the dramatic continues to astonish for its precocity, which may explain why he's so sought after by major fashion houses to stage and light their runway shows. His creation for Flos's Soft Architecture Collection, in particular, is a knock-out: A beam of jagged golden light produced by twisting LED light threads fairly erupts through a full length vertical fissure in a black surface. To be sure, this is more an outré art installation than any lamp we've ever seen, which is why we've already placed our orders. We're not quite sure where we're going to put it, but we don't care. Something this dramatic deserves some wall space.
'Big Bounce' lamp
Jonah Takagi / Atelier Takagi
$400
Jonah Takagi's work combines rigorous technical skill with an instinctive feel for the absurd. The results, like this lamp which looks like the offspring of a welding torch and a stethoscope, are both quirky and practical. Its 'big bounce', or reflected light, is provied by a disc that hovers above the light aperture.
'Loimi lamp'
Matti Syrälä / Kaamos Group
price on application
In Finnish, 'loimi' means 'warp', but we're assuming some liberty has been taken in the translation because there is nothing that resembles warping with this set of elegant pendant lamps. The designer Matti Syrälä is a member of Kaamos, a design collective that strives to blend the Finnish fondness for functionalism with artisanal craftsmanship. Of the resulting range of household furnishings and accessories, the Loimi lamp features the austere silhouette of an aluminium disc that's available in different shades. And because the electrical cord is partially encased in an attractive ash stem, the lamp can also be taken off the ceiling and positioned on any flat surface like a dining table or the floor.
'Piania' table lamp
Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec / Flos
price on application
This bijoux table lamp is easily one of the most enigmatic pieces designed by the prolific Bouroullec brothers. The asymmetrical hood and base creates a squat profile that brings to mind a futuristic street lamp but when lit, it acquires a monolithic architectural quality. Whichever your perspective, it draws attention for all the right reasons. Very handily, the base -- which comes in plastic, oak wood or basalt -- doubles as a valet tray useful for keys, coins and other pocket detritus.
'Vessel Series 01-03' lamp
Samuel Wilkinson / Decode
£1200
Industrial designer Samuel Wilkinson has created a fittingly sculptural home for the 'Plumen' low energy light bulb by Hulger (see W*139) launched earlier this year. Each mouth-blown vessel - created for Decode's 'Exclusive' label - is sliced at an angle or horizontal, revealing the amorphous creation inside. When lit up, the tinted glass mutes the light without hiding the bulb, and produces a surprisingly irregular reflection that appears holographic. Mouth blown by eye and without a mould, no vessel is the same. This piece can be hung as pendant or placed on a flat surface as a floor or table light.
'Scantling' floor lamps
Mathias Hahn / Marset
From €470
It's the satisfying geometry of the 'Scantling' lamps that gives them their poise. Reminiscent of schoolboy compasses, they take their name from the term used to define the size to which a piece of wood is measured and cut - a testament to the precision with which they are produced out of wood and metal by Barcelona-based lighting company Marset.
'Unfold' lamp
Form Us With Love / Muuto
€130
Lighting gets a playful makeover as switched-on Stockholm-based design studio Form Us With Love shows us just how to reinvent an industrial design classic. The Unfold pendant lamp is made from malleable but hardy silicone rubber and crumples pleasingly into a neat package - ready to spring into action on unpacking.
‘Signal’ lamp
Simon Lumb / Simon Lumb
€160
Simon Lumb, a British designer based near Munich and best known for his monochrome ‘Target’ clock, brings us a little light relief in the form of this pendant lamp. It is perfect for bathrooms, as it sidesteps the daily danger of wet hands near light switches: to turn it on or off, simply pull on the pill-shaped shade. Originally shown in a capsule collection that includes red and white or clear and white versions, the lamp can now be configured with different colours and an optional diffuser ring (shown here).
‘W101’ desk light
Claesson Koivisto Rune / Wästberg
€250
A bright example of an all-Swedish collaboration between young lighting company Wästberg, forestry group Söödra and architects Claesson Koivisto Rune, this design is made from a cast iron base and DuraPulp, an entirely renewable, entirely biodegradable paper pulp-based new material. Lighting is from integrated LEDs.
‘Kyoto Candil’ light
Alvaro Catalán de Ocón / Alvaro Catalán de Ocón
Inspired by the calming light and simple mechanics of the candle, the ‘Candil’ is a glowing addition to any modern bedside table – without the fire hazard. Its Madrid-based designer, Alvaro Catalán de Ocón, has created three different models that combine brass, wood and copper elements and cleverly use the components’ conductivity. There’s no need to screw in the lightbulb: simply place the bulb into the copper bowl to light it, and remove it to turn it off – no fiddley switches required.
‘Modo’ chandelier
Jason Miller / Roll & Hill
$4,000
New US brand Roll & Hill is lighting the way with an uplifting line of lamps and more, such as this 'Modo' chandelier by founder Jason Miller. Comprising 15 glass-encased bulbs suspended on an aluminium frame and pointing in all directions, it casts a glow on diners in dark corners as well as illuminating the main table. 'Modo' chandelier, $4,000, by Jason Miller, for Roll & Hill.
‘Colour’ light
Daniel Rybakken and Andreas Engesvik /
When compared to natural light's infinite variety, indoor lighting can seem a little boring. Thankfully, we now have a new alternative for those occasions where the dimmer switch just doesn't cut it: 'Colour', a lean-to floor lamp that uses sheets of coloured glass. The lamp's possibilities all but eclipse the competition. Light, prototype.
Nest lights
Tommaso Nani and Noa Ikeuchi /
Prototype
It was the combination of industrial and ethereal, two words that don’t often go together, that intrigued us about these pendant shades. Like so many of the best designs they’re ingeniously simple, made just by wrapping a sheet of micro-perforated steel into a conical shape, around a bulb. The resulting glow is not so much disco ball but more of a gentle waltz across the ceiling.
Maria lights
Sternform Produktgestaltung / Pling
€75 excluding VAT
Pling do a nice line in folded, powder-coated steel accessories, the latest being these ‘Maria’ bedside lights. Recipient of a Form prize from the German National Arts and Crafts Association, the little bedside companion is made from one piece of sheet steel with carefully angled folds to direct the light onto the surface of your table, or page of your book and not into your eyes. They are available in black, red or white and though intended for the bedside would be just as at home on a desk or sideboard.
Blown lights
Nendo / Senseware
Price awaiting confirmation
Ethereal and otherworldly, Nendo created these lights for the Japanese materials exhibition, Senseware at the Triennale earlier this year. Made in a similar way to blowing glass, the thermoplastic, non-woven polyester material is blown through a pipe to form the balloon shade and an LED bulb is then inserted to turn it into a light. If they make it to production, the glow they emit would be perfect for bedside reading.
Aate lights
Hanna Ehlers /
Prototype
Like giant tops, there's a clumsy elegance to the way Hanna Ehlers' new designs lie on the floor at an angle, uplighting or downlighting as you choose. Available in brass or plexiglass (with a silver metallic or white finish) they were one of our favourite examples of a games-inspired trend that crept into design at this year's Salone. We're not sure if it's a reaction to the very serious mood elsewhere in the world, but as long as it continues to be this tastefully executed we'll play along.
Silk ball lanterns
Kensaku Oshiro /
Prototype
The young Milan-based designer Kensaku Oshiro used a traditional Japanese silk technique, usually employed for weaving kimonos, to create these lantern lights. Delicate and expertly hand-finished, the mesh structure makes for an ambient, mellow glow at the same time highlighting the finesse of the woven material. The powder-coated metal base, available in three colours, adds a contemporary note and, if you can’t bear to be parted from it, there’s even a small handle on top.
Envelope light
Florian Hauswirth / Post Fossil
Prototype
Postfossil’s Envelope lampshade takes paper to new planes. Inspired by Florian Hauswirth’s envelopes, the design folds around a bulb like an envelope encloses a letter – the flaps folded upwards and moistened before being stuck down, forming protective ribs and giving the lampshade extra flexibility. Not only good looking when it’s stationary, the lampshade is also conveniently designed for easy shipping. Airmail, we would have to assume.
Small lights
Rodrigo Vairinhos / Neo Studios
From €85
We spotted Rodrigo Vairinhos, the man behind Neo Design, at Salone Satellite last year and, impressed by his natural flair with form and materials, vowed to keep tabs on his progress. A year later and his Small Lights show he’s shaping up nicely. The 4-piece collection of ceramic spotlights is based around different stages of clay on a potters’ wheel.
Asa lamps
Miguel Milå / Santa & Cole
€180
Santa & Cole has taken the wise decision to reissue the Asa, an understated classic of a side lamp designed by Migual Milå in 1961. Milå, who had originally produced the lamp through his own company Tramo, was recognised with the Compasso d’Oro last year for his services to design. The fact that the Asa was one of his very first products might be a good demonstration of why.
Glas lights
/ Diesel & Foscarini
From £278
Diesel’s collaboration with Foscarini and Moroso debuted at Salone 2009 and the lighting in particular received glowing approval. The industrial aluminium finish and hanging chain of these Glas lights have a certain factory appeal when switched off. When on though, the glass diffuser, which covers the base, softens the metallic finish, casting a very flattering sepia glow.
Ellipse suspension light
Nathalie Dewez /
€900
Though neutral colours and raw materials were the order of the day this year we were still drawn to the odd flash of colour like moths to a flame. For the living room the proverbial flame was young Belgian designer Nathalie Dewez’s suspension light. The child in us likes that it resembles a bat and ball – the serious adult knows how well bright red goes with industrial grey and natural wood.
Parabola light
Pierre Charpin / Galerie Kreo
€12,500
Part of his latest collection for Galerie Kreo, Pierre Charpin's Parabola light consists of two elements: a sleek metal tube with a naked bulb bent at right angles, and a wall-mounted, resin parabola into which the bulb shines. Half sculpture, half standing lamp, the pastel pink of the shade gives a pleasing, ethereal glow, but it’s the innovative arrangement and contrast of the parts that really shines.
Wired King lamp
Autoban /
€1800
Turkish duo Autoban’s ‘Wired King’ is a shining example of how to scale back whilst moving forward. If the design looks familiar it’s because the light is a wire frame outline of their wooden King Light from 2006. Seyhan Ozdemir of Autoban explains, “our current focus is on new materials and different forms of manufacturing, and ‘Wired King’ is our first result.”
90-90 lights
Pling /
€49
As any maths grad will know, the name of these lights of course refers to the right angles of the powder coated steel sheets that make up the three-sided design. This arrangement means they can hang flush from or rest against any flat surface and are particularly handy when it comes to lighting bookshelves, also doubling up as bookends. The simple design is intended to be unobtrusive but with a range of eleven possible finishes, there’s a colour to either blend in or stand out however you like.
RH Chairs light
TAFArkitektkontor /
prototype
This light is an honest and friendly antidote to the usual industrial and rigorous desk lamps. Honest because it doesn't get more honest than untreated raw wood with every knot, nail and screw on show. Friendly because it's beautifully simple, with plenty of personality and, like all our friends, effortless good looks.
Table lamp
Erik Magnussen / Porcelight
€470
Stumbling upon a good task light is the working man’s equivalent of finding a new friend, and Erik Magnussen’s creation for Porcelight is one of the best desk companions on the market. The robust simplicity of the structure contrasts beautifully with the delicacy of the porcelain shade and the soft light it emits.
EUro lantern
Moooi studio / Moooi
from €336
The sun may rise in the East but it certainly sets in the West with this foldable, hightech version of the traditional Chinese lantern. This stylish prototype orb, here in luminous yellow, hints of a full moon and a skilful fusion of Oriental functionality and 60s aesthetics. The lantern comes in three sizes, 40 x 30, 80 x 70 and 120 x110 and in various colour combinations that include black/white, orange/white, printed/white in stretched fabric.
Hanger lamp
Nataša Ilinčić and Jugoslava Kljakić / od-do
Prototype
Movable house objects for an active mind is one way to describe Serbian architects Nataša Ilinčić and Jugoslava Kljakić's new prototype collection for od-do which includes this liberating Hanger lamp. Finally, we have an easy-to-move lamp that enables you to attach the light source exactly at the height you want, and at the right angle and light strength. Constructed out of metal profiles plasticised in black, the Hanger is 200 cm high and 60 cm wide, and the light is made of plastic, metal and glass. Deceptively simple it may be, but od-do's no-nonsense, multi-purpose furniture transcends its primary function every time.
Tablelamp
Michael Koenig / Morfoso
€429
German designer Michael Koenig's Tablelamp helpful little object. The lacquered steel tripod design answers all our needs functioning as an occasional table and dimmable light in one. Though undeniably perfect as a bedside table, it's equally handy as a desk companion too. The round surface hides a circuit board of 18 LEDs in various shades of white and amber, meaning you can adjust the strength from dim candlelight to broad daylight, depending on your need or mood. You'll also have little need for a stash of bulbs – the LED light has an estimated lifespan of ten years, hence ticking energy efficient boxes too.
Louvre light
Klauser & Carpenter / Established & Sons
£980 excluding VAT
Ed Carpenter and Andre Klauser's Louvre Light for Established & Sons has many visual references, all of which come together to make a rather unusual, industrial but charming design. Part window blind, part rear window of a 1980's 'muscle' car and part extractor fan, the repeated layers of pressed aluminium louvers give directional, glare-free light. The light comes in two sizes and a range of finishes and we favour the graded blue model as a cool partner above a kitchen table or worktop. "We think Louvre is like a canvas that can change character depending on the colour and finish," say the pair of their design.
After Glow floor lamp
Vincenzo De Cotiis / Ceccotti Collezioni
€4314
For elegant, low-level lighting that's all burnished brass and tempered glass, this unashamedly minimal floor lamp with tubular stem creates a seductive glow. Designed by Italian architect, haut fashion and interiors designer, Vincenzo de Cotiis, this floor-level lamp combines hi-tech functionality and cutting-edge design with Tuscan artisan perfection, the hallmark of Ceccotti Collezioni's 'Modern Sense' home collection.
Light Blub
Pieke Bergmans /
€1500
Imagine a light bulb that's deformed beyond all standard regulations and you'll end up with a 'light blub'. Like all Pieke Bergmans' work, 'blubs' are spontaneous, playful and driven by her passion for design with personality. Her series of 18 unique lamps, in Royal Leerdam crystal, are perfect imperfection.
About The W* House
We thought it only fair to throw open the doors to The W* House and share with you our wealth of experience in the design world. From cutlery to cupboards, pots to plumbing, The W* House features our favourite pieces of design from around the globe, room by room. We'll update them every time we find something new we like, building the collection into an archive for as long as the pieces are for sale. Practicality isn't often a buzzword at the Wallpaper* HQ, but when it comes to sharing our finds we wanted to keep things simple, letting you furnish your house the Wallpaper* way, with the click of a mouse.
