Hot Picks and Hidden Gems in Lighting Design
CURATED
14 Simple Yet Stunning Designer Lights
A cluster of Haze pendants from Niche add a touch of contrasting lightness to this bold, contemporary space
The vastness of the worlds of design and designer lighting can create two unfortunate side-effects. First, there is choice paralysis: with so much excellence to choose from, how do you select only a handful of lights to suit your space? Well, naturally, that's what we’re here for: to help you narrow the options, meet your technical requirements, and illuminate with élan.
The second problem is one that grows out of the first: the easiest way to deal with choice paralysis after you've gotten your feet wet is "I know what I like and I like what I know" syndrome. In other words, a subconscious preference for lights, designers, and brands that you already know. It's only natural to lean toward a comfort zone, but--as every great designer knows--challenging yourself with the new and different is how you keep yourself and your work fresh.
This curated selection of hot picks and hidden gems available at LightForm is sure to contain something you've not seen before, and possibly reintroduce you to some friends you'd forgotten.
Haze Suspension Light from Niche
Meticulously crafted in their Hudson Valley workshop, Niche's Haze pendant is breathlessly beautiful
Crafted in the heart of the Hudson River Valley, Niche's line of blown glass pendant lights are as unique as they are beautiful. But it is the subtle gradient between opal and crystal glass in the diffuser of Niche's Haze pendant light that grants it a sense of mystique. As the name suggests, Haze evokes crisp fall mornings with the fog rolling in from the shores of nearby waters--and the sense of excitement that comes from a brisk morning jog through the mist. Available in a variety of finishes, Haze suspension light would be marvellous creating an atmospheric dining experience in a contemporary restaurant.
Z-Bar Warm Floor Light from Koncept
Z-Bar Warm floor lamp, designed by Peter Ng of Koncept
Ultra-thin and ultra-versatile, Z-Bar floor lamp pushes Koncept's minimalist sensibility to the extreme. Three slender metal bars, connected by ingenious omnidirectional joints, and with a narrow LED strip in the head, Z-Bar can be manipulated to direct the light almost anywhere you like.
Z-Bar floor can provide ambient lighting, directed against a wall or ceiling. It can provide direct reading or task lighting, its sturdy joints holding it in precisely the position you place it. And, if you desire, it can be a simple sculptural object, with the head and neck placed against the stem until you next require their simple yet powerful lighting profile.
Audrey Collection from Contardi
Audrey Ta Medium table lamp (left) and Audrey So pendant (right), designed by Massimiliano Raggi for Contardi
Although she had many better films in her filmography, it is doubtful that any of Audrey Hepburn's films were more iconic than Breakfast at Tiffany's. The Audrey Collection from Contardi is Massimiliano Raggi's tribute to the effervescently soulful Ms. Hepburn. Including table, suspension, and floor typologies, the collection was inspired by her performance (and headwear) as Holly Golightly in Blake Edwards' adaptation of Capote's magnificent novella. Like Hepburn herself, Audrey Ta is soft and warm, but with an intense strength, making it perfect for home and hotel bedsides that desire a touch of timeless class.
Audrey Ta Large table lamps exude dignified fun
Shade Light Pendant from Mater
Shade Light suspension, designed by Space Copenhagen for Mater
At first glance, Mater's Shade Light is unprepossessing. Space Copenhagen's design is simply a hemisphere of matte black on the outside, textured silver within, and an array of patterned holes penetrating the surface. But Shade Light is more than its simple form.
Sleekly minimalist, Shade Light is simply sublime
The matte black exterior, punctuated by the lace-like patterns of holes, appears as the stars in the evening sky, while the light they transmit blends into a warm, embracing glow. Meanwhile, the light within the hemisphere is reflected from hundreds of dimples, each of which was meticulously hand-hammered by craftsmen in a small Indian workshop using traditional metalworking techniques. Simple, but with astounding depth of character, Shade Light from Mater is a soulful, and modern, addition to dining rooms and kitchens.
Nyra 60 Suspension Light from Tech Lighting
Nyra 60 linear suspension light from Tech Lighting adds a fluid warmth to spaces
The supple lines of Tech Lighting's Nyra 60 linear suspension light contain a treasure trove of evocative imagery. The ripple of waves on a calm ocean, fading into the distance. Fog drifting down into a valley and catching the morning dawn. The dunes of the Sahara stretching as far as the eye can see.
Through the use of the special light-guide technology within Nyra 60's acrylic panels, these lushly fluid suspension lights coax the light from the integrated LEDs throughout the panels and on to provide generous illumination for your space. Both beautiful and beautifully affordable, Nyra 60 suspension light is perfect in a lobby or above a boardroom table in spaces that use similarly lithe lines to create a gentle sense of animation.
Pinecone Collection from FontanaArte
Pinecone table lamp in gold and opal (left) and a close-up of the facets of Pinecone pendant in steel and clear glass (right), designed by Paola Navone for FontanaArte
FontanaArte is a historic brand that prides itself on combining traditional techniques with modern technology and a contemporary sensibility. Pinecone suspension light and Pinecone table light draw on Italy's rich history of blown glass to produce luminaires that play with the theme of tension to create emotional impact.
Available in either transparent or opal glass, Pinecone diffusers are mouth-blown inside of a metallic mesh, which contains and restrains the molten glass as it expands. This results in a sense of tension in the final Pinecone light, with the glass appearing to strain against its bonds. In clear, the unique shape produced in the glass creates a kaleidoscopic effect similar to that of a shimmering jewel. In opal, the glass drips with luxurious warmth and comfort, perfect for an intimate evening of drinks with that special someone.
Lite Hole Ceiling Light from B.lux
Lite Hole ceiling light, designed by David Abad for B.lux
Sleek low-profile fittings combine with a broad, effusive lamping surface to produce B.lux's Lite Hole ceiling light. With an elegantly simple form, Lite Hole is used by designers less for decorative reasons (though its sleek, minimalistic form is nonetheless beautiful) than purposefully to create a soft fill light that embraces its surroundings.
As designers know, broad light sources cast softer, more diffuse shadows than narrow ones. Illuminating a space with several smaller lights creates stronger, more striking shadows, and with an individual shadow from each light source. Done skillfully, this creates a dramatic, energetic effect on a space. A large, broad light source like that of Lite Hole ceiling light, however, casts a single shadow that blends softly with illuminated areas, making Lite Hole perfect for adding a sense of calm and peace to halls and gathering areas in large workplaces.
Pilke 28 Floor Light from Pilke
Pilke 28 floor lamp from Pilke was designed by Tuukka Halonen
Calm isn't something that we see a lot of lately, which is perhaps why we're so drawn to the Pilke 28 floor light from Pilke. The Pilke collection is a marvellous blend of natural and artificial elements, creating an expressive and meaningful family of luminaires.
Natural materials are treasured and celebrated in the Pilke diffuser's design, which adds to this naturality the ingenuity of artifice through mathematical precision. These wooden diffusers have no glue or other fasteners, so they rely on engineered tension and friction between slats for their form. This intent-based design emphasizes the natural origins of the materials, creating a dynamic but relaxing character to Pilke 28 floor light, perfect for calm moments in a living room, study, or home office.
Dune Light Suspension from Stuff by Andrew Neyer
Dune Light pendant from Stuff by Andrew Neyer
We honestly can't decide if Andrew Neyer's sublimely simple Dune Light pendant is best-described as a "hot pick" or a "hidden gem." With New Minimalism still going strong, essentiality of form is once again gaining popularity in designer lighting, so the safest course of action is probably to simply say it is both. With lines that echo classic mid-century style, Dune Light indulges in a strong graphic character without being overpowering, and suits a wide range of stylistic tastes. Perfect alone, in clusters, or lined up over a dining room table, kitchen island, or bar.
Ray Sconce Collection from Stickbulb
Ray Sconce from Stickbulb can be installed horizontally and vertically and comes in five sizes: 18 inch, 2 foot, 3 foot, 4 foot, and 5 foot
The Ray Sconce collection takes Stickbulb's mission of celebrating sustainability to the extreme. All of the wood used in Stickbulb's lighting designs is either sustainably sourced or--in a coordinated celebration of sustainability and Stickbulb's home of New York via the "water tower redwood" material--reclaimed from demolished NYC water towers. These woods are all but everything to the Ray Sconce collection.
Available in several lengths, Ray Sconces are simple wooden bars with linear LEDs within, designed to be installed both vertically and horizontally to serve your space. By reflecting their light from the surface upon which they are installed, they create an aura around themselves, highlighting the quality and soul of the wood while adding a sense of quiet drama to your living room, office, or lounge.
Statistocrat Floor Lamp from Moooi
Designed by Atelier Van Lieshout, Statistocrat floor lamp in the Amsterdam Moooi showroom with Heracleum II pendant light
Moooi is famous for its exceptional chandeliers such as Heracleum, Perch Light Tree, and Coppelia. So famous that, occasionally, the rest of their designer lighting creations fail to get the attention they deserve. We aim to help rectify that here with regard to Moooi's Statistocrat floor light.
Perfect not only for residential living rooms but also office reception areas, Statistocrat is a classic example of uniting form and function in design. Atelier van Lieshout gave Statistocrat a fun, energetic quality--a verve, if you will--with four shades containing three lights. One providing upward indirect light, one adjustable reading light, and one that illuminates the fourth, unlit, shade, which serves as a table for your phone, drink, or book for a relaxing evening in.
P11L Suspension Light from Archilume
P11L linear cluster suspension light from Canadian designer lighting brand Archilume
Archilume's entire line of decorative lighting is defined by its pristine modern styling, as well as the cutting edge technology that makes it possible. P11L suspension light adds an extra level of precision and refinement to this character through its linear cluster form. With invisible LED lamping, all you see in each individual pendant within the P11L linear cluster is the flow of light as it refracts and diffuses through the translucent structure.
Several available metal finishes accent this light and complete the jewellery-like effect, making P11L ideal for installations in high-end offices, restaurants, or stretched over a bar with an illuminated line of martini glasses behind it.
Gemmy Collection from Slamp
Gemmy pendant light in the arlecchino finish from Slamp
There is much that could be said about the design and engineering process that led to Slamp's Gemmy collection. Educator and lighting designer Alessandro Spalletta and his team used Slamp's signature Lentiflex® technopolymer to recreate the kaleidoscopic effect of multifaceted desert gems, but that's only a very limited view of this wondrous collection.
Gemmy Small table lamp in orange and a close-up of the facets of Gemmy suspension in blue
Gemmy's unique moebius-strip-like shape is combined with vibrant colours--or, in the Gemmy Dafne suspension light, the exciting patterns it borrows from the Dafne collection. Lithely complex and vivaciously joyous, Gemmy seems determined to make you smile. Gemmy pendant is ideal for playrooms or as a bright and refreshing touch in a kitchen, while Gemmy Small table lamp perfectly accentuates youthful bedrooms or home offices, where it can help remind you that there's always something to smile about.
Lateralis Table Lamp from Innermost
The exceptional character of Lateralis table light, designed by Ben McCarthy for Innermost, accentuates this Hong Kong home
Autumn and winter are right around the corner (and perhaps a little more than that, if we let our denial mojo relax for a second). It's only natural to start thinking about evenings spent with cozy blankets, hot drinks, and good books in the warm embrace of lights like Innermost's Lateralis table light. Designed by Ben McCarthy, Lateralis' combination of dual blown glass diffusers with a base of turned wood and luxurious brass accents creates a richly calm and comforting presence.
The winner of the prestigious German Design Award in 2016, Lateralis is perfect for living rooms, sitting rooms, and bedrooms, offering the warmth and hygge that make winter worthwhile (we say as if we have a choice).
Find the Hot Picks and Hidden Gems of Designer Lighting at LightForm
There's no better time to indulge yourself in hot picks, hidden gems, or even just that designer light you've had your eye on. The LightForm Anniversary Sale brings with it rare savings online and at our offices and showrooms in Toronto, Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Kelowna, and Winnipeg, but only for a limited time.