I had spent a career in lighting working for a popular-priced manufacturer. They never created “cutting edge” product, but rather met trends as they were ascending and brought them to the consumer with fair and reasonable prices. To understand when to introduce a popular-priced product, it is crucial to understand the cutting edge creations. Talented designers, using this information as inspiration are given a pathway to good product that average consumers can afford and perhaps more importantly, ready to accept in their home.
That brings us to the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) where many boutique creators present interesting and thought-provoking lighting, alongside the furniture, wall coverings and plumbing addressed in the previous blog post. Which of the many creative products will inspire the next popular trend? Let’s see if we can figure that out. Here are the lighting solutions I though most interesting.
New Materials
I’m not so sure how well these would age and I don’t know that I felt the overall design was very strong, but I have to applaud the use of a unique material. Coldharbour Lights showed pendants with feather diffusers. My wife, very practically asked, “How do you keep that clean?” I’m less concerned about that (typical for me!) and more concerned about longevity. Love the idea, worry about quickly growing tired of the eclectic look.
https://coldharbourlights.com/en-us
Olivia Barry was able to achieve a delicacy of shape as she deliberately folded thin sheets of ceramic around a light source. The lamps and sconces provided a soft, indirect light. When not illuminated, it was impossible not to be drawn to the shape and feel of the sculptures. I would hope more manufactures start to explore ceramic options.
https://www.oliviabarrybyhand.com/
Yet another interesting diffuser material was found at Costantini. Starched, stiff fiber was formed into a “cotton-candy-esque” cloud around the light source. We have seen plenty of organza used in lighting over the past decade, why not other fabrics?
https://www.costantinidesign.com/
Wood has been a part of lighting, probably since day-one. Used as a diffuser? Probably less so. N J Roseti used thin slices of wood as a diffuser on quirky, “Memphis-esque” floor lamps. The wood delivered a warm glow and a totally different look. So nice to see this material use departure.
Hand and Eye Studios has created a simple, clean design aesthetic in ceramic lighting. I especially liked the palette of colors as we embark on a wider use of bold tones in kitchens and elsewhere in a home.
Using 3-D printing, Atelier Morphology created the Biophilic Fold accent lamp. Interesting, but more so because of the manufacturing process.
https://www.ateliermorphology.com/
Interesting Solutions
As we create more and more “open-concept” living environments, interior designers are challenged with ways of subdividing these large areas. I’m seeing an increase in room dividers, so the lighted options provided by Elish Warlop make logical sense. They segregate space, deliver vertical lighting and do it in a way that has heretofore been unseen. This could easily be an emerging trend, so I would watch this space for added development in the future.
https://www.elishwarlop.com/lighting
I really liked the Juniper alternative to under-cabinet lighting. Rather than the utilitarian box, this is a rail, offset from the underside of the cabinet by a barrel on each end. The rail rotates to deliver light as directed. This is a great solution for finished-bottom cabinets and shelves with a very purposeful look and design.
I’ve been a fan of Moooi since their life-sized horse floor lamp was introduced. (Do a Google Image search, if you’ve never seen it.) So why not a lighted Bluetooth speaker? Perfect for fun exterior environments.
https://www.moooi.com/us/collection/?c_category=Lighting
Really Nice Pieces
Some beautiful indirect light is now available by simply employing LED Tape. The ease of use and even delivery of light has allowed creative people to quickly develop interesting luminaires. Anony, showed Pola, a triple-arch, linear pendant that poured plenty of light in a downward direction, but eliminated the upward glare. The collection includes single arches and arches used vertically as portable lamps, also. By carefully positioning the LED Tape at the correct angle, the most effective use of this technology delivers maximum output. I liked this unit.
The Iris pendants shown by A-N-D, a Vancouver based firm were very exciting. The company has molded two large textured resin domes. They can be used together, separate and/or positioned up or down. The beauty here is the way in which the light is diffused. Think of an emerging sunset, or a falling moon trapped in a cloud of etched white. Great size, too! If you have a moment, it would be worth a scroll through this company’s exciting collection of lighting.
Plates of metal, black on one side and gold leaf on the other are arranged as if a stack of paper were tossed in the air and allowed to freefall downward. These Ridgely Studio Works luminaires create angular surfaces that block the light, on the black side and reflect the light, on the gold side. A vertical pendant, chandelier and sconce all display an exciting balance of light and dark.
https://www.ridgelystudioworks.com/
The Miles linear pendant and accent lamp by Lasvit was very nice. I can see these pieces being used immediately in a wide variety of interiors. A ribbed and tapered white diffuser is captured inside a smoke cylinder. I really liked this look.
The Totem concept created by Pablo was apparently introduced last year, but I must have missed it. (One demerit for Jeff!) By stacking varying heights of white cylinders, a whole family of sizes is offered. Pendants and lamps can be mixed and matched across a space. I guess I need to pay better attention in the future!
There was a nicely thought-out use of glass and wood in the pendants and sconces created by Lightmaker Studio. Employing the same shape, you will find the two materials used at the top, bottom, separate or together on each piece. Nice flexibility and beautiful shapes.
https://www.lightmakerstudio.com/
Moorish influence pops in and out of lighting trends. Perhaps it is the material, the beautifully pierced hole patterns, the unique color of brass or the smart metal fabrication. Nonetheless, Dounia Home displayed a wide variety of pieces that could allow Moroccan design to reemerge.
LightFair 2023
Only a few things grabbed my attention at the ever-shrinking LightFair.
I was very interested in the approach LED Dynamics Perfektlight has taken with tunable light. This appears to be intelligently selected LED and engineered in a way to deliver an excellent output that more closely replicates the sun’s spectrum than has been accomplished by prior manufacturers. Coupled with astronomical input and their proprietary app program, I thought this was a very wise tunable solution.
I have no connection to the area lighting industry, but I thought the snap-on replaceable heads developed by Tekpoles made a lot of sense. Rather than multiple people working multiple hours, repairs can now be handled with a single person. If this “snap together” concept is of interest, consider taking a look at their website.
The new Glint recessed light looks like a real solid winner. Once the luminaire is installed, it never moves, but the light can easily be adjusted to meet any changing demands. It has won scores of awards, disappears easily into the ceiling and looks good too. I think I’d like to try this one.
https://www.glintlighting.com/
Based on this show, I would hope ceramics and fabric will find their way into more conventional lighting. I also think illuminated room dividers could grow into a more important category of lighting along with the “pearl necklace” type luminaire strings. These kindred spirits are both different and needed categories. As we move away from HARD Contemporary and pared-down traditional aesthetics, this show helps us understand what the “new” will look like. That’s my takeaway. What’s yours?
Lighting by Jeffrey 
One reply on “ICFF 2023 (Lighting Observations) + LightFair 2023”
You always get to see the latest and greatest light fixtures in the industry today. These are not your average light fixtures, but truly works of art!
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