Workstead's lanterns combine the richness of silk with a warm glow

Light-filled and lightweight, this scene-stealing pendant, by Brooklyn-based interior and lighting design studio Workstead, forms part of a new lighting collection, dubbed ‘Lantern’.

An exercise in ethereal beauty and time-honoured craftsmanship, the collection is handmade in the American south by a third-generation, family-run workshop, with the light source shrouded in raw dupioni silk. The lamps are then hand-finished with brass fittings in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia.

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The 36-inch pendant lamp, crafted from two subtly inset, mirrored half-domes joined along the equator, is like a softly glowing creature that appears to float in space. The collection also includes a small pendant option and a wall sconce, each developing the design's gentle forms in new practical directions.

'Like a perfectly cut garment, every seam along the spherical shade is intentional, creating structure, softness, and silhouette,' reads a note from its creators. 'The interior is fully lined, allowing light to diffuse through in a warm, even glow – both functional and sensorial.'

This is a lighting collection offering a sculptural, otherworldly presence that sees each piece hover with a benevolent majesty within a voluminous void.

‘Lantern’ pendant with custom hardware and hand-finished tassel, $12,420, by Workstead