Early in the development of LED I realized that light would no longer be in the sole possession of luminaire creators and lighting designers. LED made it easy for non-lighting entities to confiscate the responsibility. Cabinet manufacturers and cabinet accessory providers offered built-in lighting. Plug-molding concerns included light in their strips. Bathroom mirrors build light directly into the mirrors and supported cabinets. Bluetooth speakers included light and light became an accent on a variety of other products. LED meant light would be embraced and in some cases abused by other concerns trying to sell their consumer goods.
At the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) 2024 and in my visits to showrooms, galleries and storefronts across New York, this blurring of lines between lighting and “other” products was stronger than ever. Sustainability remains top of mind as well. No survey of new lighting would be complete without the recognition of exciting new designs. Following, those categories are explored and detailed.
Light + [fill-in the blank]
High quality musical sound continues to be an important aspect of homes. Many people are however, uncomfortable with the visual presentation of speakers. Speaker manufacturers have spent countless dollars improving the appearance of their product. Others have tried to find ways to hide the speaker in walls, ceilings, behind drywall and inside cabinetry. Leon builds speakers in the US and hides the functional tools behind custom screens that masquerade as artwork. They have also created a “Sound Sconce” that adds light to a wall mounted speaker. These were a nice combinations of dimmable light surrounding the linen needed to transmit sound built within a solid cast unit.
The new Foscarini lamp “Fleur” also wants to be a vase. The size makes it perfect for bedside, patio and restaurant use. The light plays against the tube of water and is directed downward to avoid glare.
“Intervallo,” also by Foscarini takes a fine porcelain bas relief sculpture of Madonna and Child and frames it with strips of light giving and depth to this familiar shape. In the past, light wanted to be art, now art want to be light.
https://www.foscarini.com/en/product-category/concetto-en/intervallo-concetto-en/
Similar to “Fleur” Artemide has developed “Bonita” as a collection of plates, bowls and bases that can also be illuminated as a lamp. The idea here is to keep a cohesive look at table settings with a mix and match approach.
https://www.artemide.com/en/subfamily/4746403/bonta
This one is more complicated to explain. Arca has developed a flexible wood skin “Woowood” that “stretches” and allows light, positioned behind, to shine through. Woowood has been placed on the surface of cabinetry and walls, Slits in the material serve as pockets. The material, combined with the backlighting provides a look I’m not sure I’ve ever seen before. It was truly unique.
https://arcaebenisterie.com/en/
The line between art and lighting is increasingly being blurred, especially since the introduction of LED. LED can be hid in the smallest of spaces and used to supplement rather than undermine the work. Umbra & Lux allows light to play amongst the mobiles they designed. Who says a chandelier must be stationary? Why not a kinetic luminaire?
https://www.umbraluxstudio.com/
Sustainable Lighting
Gantri showed a row of pendants fabricated from a plant-based polymer. What made them interesting were the designs. They were a cut above the typically offered “sustainable” products. In conversation with the staff, they told me they prided themselves on their relationship with their designers. The biodegradable product is 3-D printed in California and customization is available. There are lots of interesting things to see here. I encourage you to scan their website.
Taking a similar plant-based approach, MushLume actually grows their shades with a combination of live mycelium and sustainable hemp. The shade grows within a mold and binds to the hemp to create a solid form. Once grown, shades are dried and heated into a fully biodegradable product. These are a good look that will fit nicely into the shift toward beige neutrals we are now experiencing.
Simply Interesting Lighting
The new Roll & Hill items are neo-classic pendants that slip away, ever so slightly from their core soft contemporary design motifs. Round and Tulip shaped in smooth, ribbed and crosscut surfaces in White, Smoke or Champagne finished glass. What sets these apart are the subtle metal accents that nicely compliment the glassware.
The window of The Original BTC featured the new Alma collection with a pin dot accented bone china shade. While it is a striking look, I wonder if it is a bit too dated retro feel. Much of this style has already passed us. I’ll be watching the closeout section to see if I’m right here.
The front window of the Flos showroom is filled with an all-white, bare bones (light bulb + carrier) chandelier by Gino Safatti. When I saw it, I again wondered if this type of look had already run its course. As I checked the website to insert a URL, I found the group already discounted 20%. Not a good sign.
I loved the proportions of the Umage Asteria collection. A large diameter, but thin depth balances on small center column that passes through to form a finial. There are many colors and many configurations all using the same basic profile.
Molo has been at ICFF for many years showing their corrugated space partitions. These are beautiful honeycomb forms that sinuously wrap around and provide acoustical assistance to the created space. Using some of the same material, a collection of ethereal “cloud” pendants have been created. Like the walls, they are large, but appear surprisingly light and airy.
https://molodesign.com/collections/lighting/
Since first seeing Juniper, I have liked this brand of track lighting. The ribbon track is quite small, the magnetic element makes positioning easy and the design is top notch. This year, they have added a few additions that make employing their product much more creative. By adding light to the track, a whole new aspect of illumination is possible. Raised track sections can defy the typical “cross” installation and raised, illuminated ends allow for the addition of some whimsy. Yes, I’m a fan.
New for Pablo this year is the Stella design whereby LED is backlit on a crosshatched shade members, much like the Skynest by Flos introduced last year. Playing with the placement of LED has allowed designers to create very interesting objects.
Why not a better bedside lamp? So many lamps ignore the fact that a sleeping partner might not want the area illuminated. Many lighting designers forget that two people have two needs. The folks at Nightside have solved that problem, much like cross-lit recessed cans. The unassuming lamp features a “pop-up” reflector that allows for a pointed, unobtrusive beam of light aimed by the reader and unseen by the partner. These US made lamps consume a miniscule one-watt of energy with a clean, simple aesthetic.
I loved the simple functionality of the swiveling lampshade on the Midgard Licht pendants and sconces. Light can be easily aimed in any direction with minimal effort, as the shade balances on a rounded carrier.
I liked the assortment of shapes and textures on the diffusers of Bright Block Studio glass. By reprocessing glass blocks they create custom output that is beautiful and usable, rather than landfill.
https://brightblockstudio.com/
d’Armes a Quebec based manufacturer,must be given points for display creativity. Rather than trying to show all of everything they do, they elected to finish everything in their booth in the same lush blue glossy color. Because their work is available in multiple iterations, why not simply draw attention with an elegant presentation?
Like d’Armes, Tibo is also based in Quebec but their approach to lighting is slightly different. The light modules look like they could be OLED panel placed artistically across carriers and frames. This is a very “feminine” soft look that is much needed in many interiors.
By combining macramé with lighting, Ariel Zuckerman has developed a softer, more approachable contemporary. The dropped lights reminded me of an overstuffed crocheted shopping bag used by the Eastern European bubbas of my youth. Admittedly, this is a niche product and I’m not so sure I like them, but they are different and they do speak to the softening of contemporary style.
I like the blending of clean slats of aluminum, organic, geological décor and the raw glass diffusers used by Simon Johns. The glass is fired in a way to make it appear as still molten. The warmth against the polished metal is very appealing.
During my walk through SOHO, I noticed work continuing on the Visual Comfort showroom on Wooster. This appears to be a reversal of the trend toward more online, less brick & mortar in the lighting business. It also upsets the retail distributor model to fit more in line with what the European and boutique brands are doing. (Roll & Hill, Flos, Artemide, etc.) It will be interesting to see how this works out for a major US lighting distributor.
As you can see, lighting is alive and well. The availability of exciting ideas continues to flow from the minds of creative people and companies. In addition, aesthetic trends are coalescing around a softer, more approachable contemporary look. All of this is good news as lighting continues ever-changing and maturing.
Lighting by Jeffrey 