lighting roundup :: wood, bronze & knotty bubbles

I was pleasantly surprised with my most recent copy of the Fall 2014 Rejuvenation Catalog, which highlighted collaborations with Portland designers creating limited edition fixtures. I love these beautiful brass pendants and table lamps, there's something very mid-century about the distinct seam between the solid and the shade, like the perfect cocktail shaker! This line was created by Cedar & Moss, the more sculptural ceramic and wood table lamps were done in collaboration with Caravan Pacific. This melding of mineral (brass/bronze) and glass or wood and ceramic is a trend that has been steadily growing stronger these last several years, prompted by the intrinsic tactile qualities of each of the elements and their purity of form.   

Schoolhouse Electric is another local Portland go-to source for beautiful and creative lighting fixtures. I just realized now that I unintentionally chose 3 light fixtures with very similar bowl shaped shades, hmm, I guess I'm really digging on that shape. I certainly appreciate all the pops of color and texture these fixtures provide, especially when grouped as a chandelier, like this persimmon number. This multifaceted pendant, which comes with either a clear shade or white, is stunning in it's uniqueness - no two would be alike. I could see a few of these scattered over a huge wood butcher block kitchen island, again that dialogue between the natural elements of wood, bronze, glass and rock crystals (implied crystals, but you get the idea….) 

Last, but certainly not least, I wanted to highlight these fixtures created by Brooklyn lighting designer Lindsey Adelman. When I first happened on this line of fixtures at Roll and Hill, I had to look at them 3 or 4 times to get an idea of what I was even looking at, to be honest I don't think they photograph very well on a white background, kind of a hot mess. But when I started looking at installation photos of these things, they were stunning!

In much the same way you want to feel your way around the bronze globes and smooth ceramics of the light fixtures above, these pieces are over the top tactile with hefty knots, glass bubbles, and (what they call) ceramic barnacles. These light fixtures are appropriately named Knotty Bubbles, the largest coming at you with 5 large bubbles, 3 small bubbles and 5 barnacles all mashed (entwined?) in natural or khaki rope. I love how these look grouped under the skylight, I can imagine the shadows they would create in the spaces below as the sun moves above. They have that washed-up-on-the-beach quality which instantly imparts it with a rich curious history, perhaps full of knotty tales (sorry, I couldn't help myself)!

Lighting Roundup :: Pendant Lights

Last week was a crazy hectic week full of meetings, farewell drinks, an excellent pattern workshop with artist Jessica Swift at WeMake and an amazing weekend spent checking out Tacoma and Olympia with my baby sis. I've had an idea to focus on elements that make up a building or a space, and one of my favorite things are light fixtures. So, why not start there?

My friend attended a hospitality trade show last year in Vegas and came back with info about light fixture #1 and I knew it would be the star of my lighting roundup (& not just because it has adorable bronze birds in the mix!). This image does not do the scale of this pendant light justice, it is absolutely huge! There are components in this pendant light common to all these current on-trend fixtures, let's break it down.

The main one is the hand made quality of the paper cloud volumes, which speaks to the heavy influence of the artisan appeal. Elements that are handmade and delicately crafted are resonating with a public that is tired of mass production. The second component are the bronze  bird elements, the metal alloys of brass and copper are popular finishes in today's fixtures. The warm, earthy quality of these yellow and amber hues are a departure from the shiny chrome and silver tones prevalent in past years. The third and last element to note is the natural theme of the fixture itself. Today designers are being heavily inspired by the natural world. Choosing materials like glass, wood and metals and carefully highlighting their natural imperfections.  As well, creating fixtures reminiscent of DNA strings, spider webs or water droplets which conjure a deeper connection to the lighting piece than one might initially expect.

What do you see as trends in lighting today? What are your favorites? Let me know!

light roundup B.jpg