Sculptural Lighting with a Story
Decorative lighting should look just as good when it is turned off as when it is on, adding to the sense of character an intrigue in a room. Products with strong, sculptural shapes, coupled with a fascinating story behind the design, are a compelling reason to come to Lighting by Design (14 – 17 November), where the showrooms will be showing their latest collections, in addition to a raft of pop-up lighting brands in the Design Avenue. Why not hop on one of the free twice-daily tours to hear some of these stories for yourself?
Working in harmony with the beautiful bespoke cabinetry at new showroom Huma Kitchens is some exquisite Italian lighting from Italamp. All made in Italy, its products blend mastery of materials with design flair: look out for the ‘Dali’ pendant (above), inspired by the ‘melting’ clock of Salvador Dali’s The Persistence of Memory, with its sheets of glass folded over a curving metal bar, a technical feat.
Visionnaire describes its ‘Akira’ floor lamp (above left) as where nature and the east meet: the thin brass ‘branches’ echo a stylised tree, while the curved fabric shades in a Japanese print add colour and pattern. At Frato, meanwhile, the look is opulent but with a hint of pared-back industrial style – the Portuguese brand has introduced knurled detailing to the brushed brass used in many of its new-season lighting products. Its ‘Stockholm’ wall light (above right) presents a contemporary new take on the picture light, refining the details down to the minimum while adding subtle texture with the knurling.
Nature is a perennial favourite when it comes to design inspiration. Arteriors has introduced the ‘Ova’ wall light (above left), whose opal glass globe, held perfectly in a sling of brass, was inspired by a pearl; while Bella Figura has looked far beyond terra firma for its Vega collection, to the mysteries of space. There are pendants with globes in swirling glass that resemble planets, ceramic table lamp bases with a spiky profile inspired by the sound waves of the stars, and ‘Lyra’ (above right), a dramatic statement chandelier with lyre-shaped overlapping glass tiers, named after the constellation of the same name.
Arteriors, Third Floor, Design Centre East
Bella Figura, Ground Floor, Centre Dome
Frato, Second Floor, South Dome
Huma Kitchens, Third Floor, Design Centre East
Visionnaire, First Floor, South Dome
