1–SIMPLY THE BEST
Robert Dudley Best’s aluminum and brass desk lamps have been flying under the radar since their birth in 1930. But since Danish firm Gubi took over in 2004, the simple, Bauhaus-styled lamp has become most desirable. The latest model to join the Bestlite family is the large shade pendant. It stays true to the lines of Best’s now-iconic task lamp, and is available in black, red or off-white.
2–ARTSY
Danilo De Rossi’s Art U’ for Leucos is a true multi-tasker. More than just a light source, it functions as an objet d’art and even an illuminated accent table. (Just don’t drop anything on it.) The drum-shaped, gloss-white glass diffuser squats on thin metallic legs, and a flippy little leaf-shaped accent detail (available in red, green or blue glass) adds a sweet touch of whimsy.
3–MASTER CYLINDERS
Lightolier’s new Vetro line of decorative pendants is writing the book on flexibility. Vetro uses three basic cylindrical shapes to create 11 product variations, which can be affixed using any of four mounting options, to produce an unlimited number of configurations. The luminaire features a trademark hand-blown, triplex glass diffuser that blends a frosted glass interior layer and a clear glass exterior layer for easy cleaning, and an even spread of light.
4–BE SEATED
Mojn, the latest lighting product from B.Lux, pulls double duty as both a light source and an occasional seat. Designed by Miguel Angel Ciganda, Mojn features a durable zinc-finished, metal body and a polyethylene shell. Its clean, spare lines make it a perfect fit in both traditional and modern architectural settings, and it can be securely fastened to the ground, so it stays put.
5–BRIGHT FUTURE
For the retail, restaurant and hospitality sectors, it wasn’t always feasible to replace the white neon tubes or fluorescent lamps that light white and multi-coloured signs with energy-efficient LEDs. But the new GELcore Tetra Power White LED Lighting System can deliver, even with tough-to-match yellow signage. Tetra systems are made to last up to 50,000 hours, and can be used in a variety of applications, including: large signs and channel letters; box, cloud and monument signs; multi-coloured signs; and reverse-halo signs.
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6–KNOW YOUR ABCs
It’s all about the details with the ABC series of lamps, designed for Prandina by Sandro Santantonio Design Studio. Inspired by the computer keyboard, the lamps have a detailed, textured relief alphabet etched onto a light diffusing screen. When the lamp is lit, the letters glow and transfer onto nearby walls. The screens are available in opaline blown glass, and black or transparent crystal, and the lamps are available in floor, table and pendant models.
7–LIGHT LED-ER
You probably don’t have anything like Mindspring Lighting’s FARO in your living room. This sculptural lamp, constructed of machined aluminum, contains two energy-efficient LED engines (high-tech replacements for incandescent bulbs) in the upper modules to direct a downward shaft of light. The unique appearance of the panels, combined with proprietary technology, helps to dissipate heat; the base, which emits a soft, colour-shifting light, contains a dimmer touchpad. FARO is available in lacquered white, black and deep red.
8–TEST TOOBE
Kartell’s new Toobe is dead simple and very fun. Designed by Ferruccio Laviani, the Toobe lamps are made of PMMA tubes, cut longer for the floor model and shorter for its table counterpart. An innovative colouring technique allows for the line’s special fading-effect finish, which is a first for Kartell. The diffuser is made of polycarbonate and is available in five colours.
9–MADE IN THE SHADE
British designer Jocelyn Warner has taken a selection of her iconic wallpaper patterns and turned them into a collection of lampshades. Available in the bold Kaleido and delicate Leaf patterns, the shades make use of matte- and gloss-textured papers, as well as metallic and mirrored surfaces and vibrant colours, to punch up any interior. They can be used on their own as pendants, or with the tripod in black or silver powdercoated aluminum.
1–PLAYING AROUND
It’s a lamp, it’s an art installation, it’s Playwood?-?from Italian lighting company Inside’s new Punk Collection. As its name would imply, Playwood consists of a thin strip of natural wood, containing a light source that’s screened off by a black metal disk. Here’s the play part: this combination of materials both contains the light and shapes it, allowing the lamp to take on different shapes and sizes depending on how the elements are put together.
2–MEET YOUR NAUTILOO
Deltalight’s Nautiloo takes its design cues from the curved shape of the number six. The body, made of Corian, is mounted to a circular base plate, and emits a narrow beam of light through an opening. Nautiloo uses a fluorescent T5 lamp with ballast as a light source, and is also dimmable.
3–LIGHT TO GO
Need a portable, rechargeable, efficient lantern that can be used indoors or out? Vessel’s Luau Lantern is just the lamp for you. Made of polycarbonate, Luau can be a table lamp while it sits on its charger, and can be toted around anywhere for up to 10 hours. It’s safe by the pool, the bed, or the patio and the warm, white LEDs can be dimmed to set the mood.