A day before I left for New York, I received an email from ICFF informing me that this would be the last “solo” edition of this show. Starting in 2027, ICFF will co-locate with BDNY. I was beginning to worry that the show would be a disappointment. I thought, they announced the decision at this odd time because of so little interest. When I arrived at the hall, there was no line at the badge pick-up counter. Ah-oh. This does not bode well. Happily, I found many things of interest. By the time I was ready to leave, the lobby was packed. I should have known; this is not a show where attendee wait in an early line to enter. The creative community is much more likely to arrive at the club around midnight. Only old guys like me, who have tickets for a late matinee (Titanique!) before leaving town, arrive early.
A lot of things caught my interest and they are intermingle here with things I found while wandering the city for three days. This post will be about lighting. In two weeks, I’ll discuss the non-lighting things that attracted me.
A few weeks ago at LEDucation, I mentioned that one of the speakers wondered when we might have illuminated wall surfaces. I was reminded of this as I passed the Fontana Arte and saw their square and round LED pendant panels. This concept could easily trigger a new way to illuminate a room.
The new Asteria chandelier from Foscarini is quite nice. They’ve translated a somewhat traditional chandelier shape into an illuminated carrier. The light is positioned in the upper portion of the arms and a central downlight is included. This minimizes glare and reinvents the form.
I had a nice conversation with the people at the Roll & Hill SOHO showroom. They showed me the new Veil group, which uses a ribbed porcelain panel to surround a white diffuser for the light source. This delivers a very comfortable ambience. I’ve seen an increase in porcelain lately, but the flat panel is new to me. The Cloud collection uses a scalloped glass diffuser that emotes a warm glow that matches the antique brass metal. The last new piece is the Humboldt pendant, an oversized turned wood “cap” sits over a glass diffuser. The wood is beautiful and the pieces size up to 16” in diameter, so they are a very dominant statement. All three designs are a nice addition to this important American manufacturer.
https://www.rollandhill.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoq32v2b1jBrjXB8acBCsMaKNbFMrnPQiBiFpjIHoF1CZeOnWpix
On the ICFF floor, I always look forward to the new Pablo pieces and I was especially pleased with the new Pantaya collection. The shade is 3D knitted polyester, suspended by material that looks like a canvas “belt.” The LED is wrapped around the perimeter of the shade. Also interesting was a pin dot perforated shade pendant, where the shade can be intentionally “tipped” to push light in a specific direction. What I especially liked were the muted earth colors used. They fit in nicely with some of the other displays and I hope to see increased use of this comfortable palette of tones.
To prove my point about the color, a smaller Brooklyn design company, Ridezign was showing a collection of small lamps in related soft earth colors as the Pablo shades. Not only are the colors nice, but the cube-based lamps were fun and interesting.
Danish lighting company A-N-D always shows interesting takes on contemporary lighting. Their display of a band of Pebble pendants allowed you to notice the soft etched warm smoke glass and the yoyo-like cable mounting. The display invited touching, as so many people around me reached for the light. At the other end of their display was Tier, a metal extrusion that hovered over the top of a rail of light, thereby providing a beautiful bounce of light in a much more sterile look. It was nice to see this diversity of style in a product line.
I don’t think I have ever run across Norska lighting before. They are based in the US, but heavily influenced by Scandinavia. It was hard to resist the rich, tactile carved wood used on their products. This is a beautiful piece of nature, expertly sculpted.
Hollis + Morris employed wood in their new Beaufort group of pendants. By combining half-round profiles they could aim light in multiple directions from the same unit.
https://hollisandmorris.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoo_aA56y0J48vhsEt6rsEKESQGXl1Ya1fzg8e_Z7j0CQc-yS-OD
Of course, it would be a glass company that brings bold colors into luminaire glass. Hyland Glass did that in spades, at the show. I’m ready for a little color! How about you?
The Coil + Drift pieces shown in their booth were primarily based on a folded oval metal diffuser that shielded the harsh light. Fashioned after a tree that is upside-down, the folded “leaves” could be the same color or a multitude of finishes that reminded me of autumn. The sconce, consisting of a single pinched diffuser was especially nice in size and light delivery.
https://coilanddrift.com/?srsltid=AfmBOor3bAa3uq479Kn7-2PqA5acncqY38324sP0K2pIUBTYu6W1ejqT
The Bean is a cute little table/bed lamp made by Maker Hazel. Almost like a spaceship that landed in 1960 and stuck around to witness the mid-century revival combined with the LED revolution in light. A nice combination.
Why not leather lighting? French lighting manufacturer H. Isle, showed Pico, a lamp grouping with a sewn leather diffuser that attracted a lot of attention. It had a nice shape and felt rich and warm.
https://hisle.fr/en/?srsltid=AfmBOorTwdEP5t0rU4Vd25xtBE3l8SjIZ-ujC02G7PlZqhY8QpCOn-6b
I have a lot of questions about Sundial Wire. They manufacture cloth covered wire for lighting products. On the surface, that is ok, but how does this comport with UL? Yes, the colors are nice, but do we invalidate the safety certification when we rewire? (The answer is yes.) If this is intended for homeowners who elect to do this on their own, everything is fine. Everyone has the right to rewire their own lamp and if it catches fire or causes a short, it is on them. How does a designer use this? I’d be very cautious.
https://sundialwire.com/?srsltid=AfmBOorJPTc62To218lrSRhT8rJZ02Iv-FClR-_MwTe0P4D1KNATIhwD
I’m sad to see an independent show that has provided so much value to me, disappear. I also understand the reality of trade shows and know they are dinosaurs. More become extinct every year. I hope the combination of guests at BDNY and ICFF will prop-up both shows so people like me will get the benefit for a few more years. I know the concept no longer works for so many, but I still like the hunt and still enjoy seeing and feeling “the next big thing.” ‘Til 2027.
In two weeks, my report will continue with information on all things, not-lighting.
Lighting by Jeffrey 