Award-winning lighting designer Tom Raffield has added a brand-new product to his contemporary wooden lighting range. He was inspired to design the Flux Light by the flow of the tides and the form of the waves.
A central cylinder at the top of the light conceals the bulb, while 14 strips of wood flow out and down to form a shape that is symmetrical, yet embraces the soft wave of contours flowing around the bottom edge of the shade.
Hand-crafted in Raffield’s woodland workshop, each individual wooden strip is made up of three laminated lengths of wood and held in place at the top by flush-cut oak pegs that form a design feature in themselves. The interior is lined with two strips of ash that turn a beautiful golden colour when the light is on, reflecting the light out. The outside is made of classic, sustainably sourced oak, giving a gentle tone while allowing glimpses of the lighter wood lining the inside.
The result is a light which combines the majesty of symmetry, like the tide going in and out each day, with the organic wave and flow created by different lengths of wood undulating around the bottom of the shade.
Says Raffield, “I wanted to create a light that is a bit of a paradox and contains contrasting elements within it – both with the mix of woods and the contrast in architectural symmetry and organic sweep within the design. I suppose this is inspired by the sea – by the daily turning of the tides which is always the same, alongside the waves and temperament of the water which is always in flux.”
The Flux Light also marks a slight change in technique for Raffield, as sections are crafted using lamination instead of steam bending. This involves using two formers to handcraft each piece of wood into the delicate shape of the Flux Light.
Tom says: “This is the best way to get an exact curve without having to support the wood in the same way as steam bending,” says Raffield. “It also means we can form what looks like a single piece of wood from three individual strips, allowing the contrast between the outside and inside – like an oyster shell. This joining of woods makes the glimpses you get of the inside and outside of this light from any angle, possible. The overall effect is quite oriental, like origami, and there is an incredible warmth to the light.”
Different bulbs used within the shade will create different lighting effects, some cast a gentle star shape on the ceiling whilst others encourage all the light to shine down and out through the soft shapes of the sides and bottom of this stunning, yet subtle, piece.
ABOUT TOM RAFFIELD
Tom Raffield crafts designer wooden lighting and furniture for homes, offices, hotels and restaurants. Handmade using sustainable timber and an eco-friendly steam bending process, the lights are designed to fit into a space and to stand out as a statement piece in their own right.
For more info, visit http://www.tomraffield.com/