Considering it took me several months to decide which pillows to buy for the living room, it should come as no surprise that it’s taken me ages to pick out a new lamp for my home office. I admit I wasn’t nearly as dedicated to (read obsessed with) the cause as I was with the pillow search, but nevertheless it took a while to make up my mind. And also the $25 gift card to West Elm probably factored into the decision.

Anyway, a few days ago my industrial task table lamp arrived from West Elm, and after the 15 minutes it took to get it out of the box (seriously) I instantly fell in love.

First, the polished nickel is wonderfully shiny, so I was immediately mesmerized. Second, this is one tall table lamp. At almost three feet tall, it’s as graceful as it is modern thanks to the long, sleek silhouette.The lamp is adjustable at the base and the center joint of the arm, but what I really love about this part is the detailing of the knobs. Instead of the tension-style mechanism found on a lot of lamps like this, and at this price point, this lamp has knobs similar to the look of a wing nut that unscrew for precision adjusting. Did I mention this lamp was just 60 bucks?

This is the kind of lamp you want to buy in a six pack and put them everywhere. The design fits into a variety of decor styles, and the lighting is just great—it illuminates a large piece of real estate in my office, and I definitely don’t need the overhead light to work. The base has a relatively small footprint and would fit nicely on a nightstand or on an end table without taking over the entire surface. This lamp is heavy and very well made and I’m impressed with the quality after having it less than a week. I fully expect it to last for a very long time.

New “Old” style lighting by Country Gear LTD puts a nice spin on unfinished metal fixtures.  The ceiling lamp featured above has “search light” qualities about it that I absolutely love.  This companies line offers unique lighting options for those that want something out of the ordinary. 

These pretty scrolled wall sconces are outdoor lights.  The simplicity of these fixtures is what makes them so versatile. 

And my favorite item in the grouping is this “cut out” shade duo paired with an unfinished metal mount. 

*  Visit their website for more options.

Nature, nature, nature… the most popular theme in design today.  Many of the products seen on the market now are a reflection of years of concentrated work by young artists of our time.  These delicate lights made of  bone china are inspired by the aloe plant. Created by New Zealand born Jeremy Cole , each lamp illuminates and decorates in a fantastical way.

Placed in an interior in groups of two or more, Jeremy Cole’s lights conjure up  a world all their own.  They speak for themselves, so here’s a few more to get you going. 

The 22nd annual International Contemporary Furniture Fair has come and gone, and it was a complete overload of spectacular color and innovative design. While there were a few things my cohort and I deemed “same thing, different colors,” the majority of the show offered a uniquely original perspective on the modern home. And one thing that particularly caught my eye was the fantastic lighting that was showcased. So while I finish processing everything that’s bouncing around in my head, here are a few pieces that were, for me, love at first light.

Salvadoran designer Eugenio Menjivar’s breathtaking Loto lamp series—organically inspired by the lotus flower and crafted from recycled plastics—is best described by his statement on the collection: “An eco-experimental body of work that transforms discarded household materials into precious objects, allowing plastic to be reborn to educate consumers about sustainable design.” Be sure to check out his website, a whimsical work of art in itself.

The Box Light from Design House Stockholm is just downright fun, not to mention functional. Designed by Jonas Hakaniemi, the aluminum light box slides over the shade to reveal as much, or as little, light as you’d like, in a hands-on dimmer sort of way. Available in black and gray, the Box Light is simple, straightforward and smart.

From Lights Up! these ceiling lamps up the hip factor for lampshades thanks to fantastic patterns and some unexpected styling. From left, the WeeGee pendant is big, beautiful and bold, and shown in the Anna Green pattern. In the middle, the long and lean Louie pendant in the Black Mumm pattern (my favorite) is almost two-and-a-half feet long, and features a second 21-inch diameter shade situated just below the flared top. And finally, Louie’s more petite and streamlined sister Lucy in the bright and cheerful Anna Red pattern. Both Anna patterns are new introductions, and all three are printed with water-based inks on 100-percent recycled PET fabrics made from plastic bottles.

Using a tension/compressing based on the same principle as a suspension bridge, Areaware’s Orbit chandelier is a truly amazing way to light up a room. Designed by Patrick Townsend and crafted of wire and aluminum, the chandelier features 40 dimmable round lights of various sizes and spans almost three feet!

And finally, what can only be described as an absolutely breathtaking and immaculate installation from Spain’s LZF Lamps. A dozen Agatha lamps (a new introduction) come together with the Totem 4 lamp to create an illuminated butterfly that’s nothing short of monumental. And the fact that all of the pieces are made of wood veneers and paper parchment makes it all the more spectacular.

With all the minimalist design we see around us it was refreshing to come across Ayala Sarfaty of Aqua Creations who makes art that is illuminating sculpture.

Offered in magnificent shapes and natural fibers like silk, mohair and wrapped with a unique polymer skin.

Don’t you wish you could have this in your home?

Aqua Creations that has an exclusive line of lighting fixtures of monumental proportions for home or public spaces. Designer Ayala Serfaty and photographer Albi Serfaty founded Aqua Creations Design Studios in 1994. The studio is headquartered in Tel Aviv and has two additional flagship showrooms in New York and Shanghai.

Their lighting designs as well as furniture are displayed in museums in New York , Paris and hotel lobbies around the world.

This one happens to be an underwater restaurant in Iarael’s port city:Eilat. It is 20 feet below sea level featuring sea anemone bar stools, jellyfish lights suspended from the ceiling, coral reef tables and even shadow plays of schools of fish swimming next to the real fish outside the restaurant.

I just love these creations. These are some of the descriptive words that come to mind: illusory, luminous, amorphous, primal, soothing, stunning,…

Her organic lamps and lampshades seem to have been swept in from the sea. I suppose their name – Aqua meaning water describes it well.

To see more of their extraordinary work go to Youtube and/or their website.

Great minds think alike, to see another Tchochkes post on Ayala’s work click here.

Trendy Lighting by Lamps Plus

Lighting is an important feature of design.  Finding the right lighting solutions can be one of the biggest challenges when decorating room,  it certainly is one of the most important elements in the scheme of things.  You can have style and function work hand in hand with a few resources.  Luckily, the days of the Internet have made our jobs a lot easier when it comes to research.  I found the company “Lamps Plus” on-line, they have all sorts of styles to choose from. 

  Lighting Tips:

1)  Get a sense of what you like.  Choose a style and head in that direction to get started.

2)  Use the Internet as a resource. 

3)  Lighting can add color. The lamp featured above with a dark shade will cut the light source while the colorful jewels will add interest and color.

4)  Lighting a room is an important feature.  Add as many lights as necessary for the perfect glow.

Tiffany Table Lamp

Winter brings out the best in antler art.  Although this decorative art form is not new, it is definitely still kicking.  I am not a fan of this product but I have seen it around so much lately that I had to research it and include it as a popular theme in home furnishings.  All I think of when I see these things is large furry animals without their best feature… how sad.

Anyway, I did find a few that I thought had some merritt. I do like the one featured here from Roost.  More commonly the antler is pointing upwards but these are shown as the base of the lamp.  This is a nice twist.

Here’s one big Elk antler acting as an electric candelabra, it’s definitely different.  In the right setting this could act as an artistic focal point of  interest.

Do these give you the willies?  Some people love this stuff.  Here are a few more creative concepts for those folks.

Chair A la Antler

This chair struck me as one uncomfortable piece of furniture. Imagine those antlers digging into your back.  No nodding off in this baby.

This primeir chandlier from the Antler Lighting Warehouse  is nice.  Personally, I think antlers make much better lights than furnishings.  What do you say?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I can’t believe it’s 2010! It seems like a fictional number to me. But it is 2010, and a new year has started.

So, to start the new year with inspiration, light and beauty I decided to review a particularly inspiring artist – Adam Frank. Frank is an internationally known artist and designer who works with light and shadows. For someone who loves photography, this idea is very interesting to me and the mere concept of working with light and shadow as materials for artwork and design is fascinating.

Aside from his captivating installations which can be viewed on his website, Mr Frank has 2 main products for sale: Lumen and Reveal.

Lumen is a series of oil lamp shadow projectors made of acid etched stainless steel. I really loved these.

When they burn, the shadows flicker and move organically on the wall.

Here’s another one I liked. Here you can also see the oil lamp burning:

They are all so beautiful

Reveal, is equally as beautiful and fascinating. The product creates the illusion of real sunlight streaming through a window and we all know how great a beam of sunlight makes us feel.

This sleek lamp can be fixed onto a shelf, on the wall or ceiling.

This is what the lamp projector looks like:

It’s really neat and looks like a spotlight.

And the ambient light produced by the neat projector:

How about an arch window:

Some ivy:

I don’t know about you, but I can actually hear the leaves rustling outside the window!

These are sold on Adam Frank’s website and at the MoMA store you can find the Lumen series.

So, when we went to pick out our holiday Christmas tree a couple of weeks ago, somebody (ok, me) insisted on the really big Fraser fir in the 7- to 8-foot range. It’s beautiful and smells fantastic, but it’s also taller than I expected and the top just grazes the ceiling—which means the star simply isn’t going to fit on top this year. Which is fine, because in all honesty, it needs upgrading…big time. And in a perfect world, this would be on top of my tree:

All images: Bsweden

Besweden’s Konfetti chandelier. Brilliant. Created by the Front design team, Konfetti is a collection of super-shiny disco balls in various sizes held together with equally shiny chrome stems. I have been in love with this particular fixture since I first laid eyes on it, and am officially declaring it Chandelier of the Decade.

The Kumulus fixture designed by Peter Nilsson is just as spectacular. Crafted of blue and clear hand-blown glass, it’s very Chihuly-goes-sci-fi with its combination of floral and orbital pieces.

The Lampel pendant by Margot Barolo features an understated glass shade, which opens up endless possibilities for ways to really make it your own. I especially love it draped in what reminds me of those glittery little ribbons of “icicles” that were once so popular on Christmas trees.

Konfetti, Kumulus and Lampel are just three of my over-the-top favorites from Bsweden’s extensive range of fixtures, all of which boast a modern Nordic aesthetic. Check out the full product listing here, and prepare to fall in love.

Light is the number one most important element to color after the actual paint itself. Without light you have no color, none at all only darkness. 

Photo by Deezen

It is important to access the light in the room before you choose the color.  The odd shape bulbs by Dutch designer Pieke Bergmans above are definitely mood lighting. If a room has low lighting choose a color that will compensate for that which may have to be a shade or two brighter than planned. 

Tips:

* Daylight  is the most balanced light source because it is even valued but it changes throughout the day.

* Incandescent bulbs are redder and warmer than sunlight.

* flourescent lights emit a bluer, cooler light.

* View all colors under the actual light source before making the final choice in the room where they will live.

Overhead Light Pendants

The photo above has two great light sources, natural light and overhead lighting.  This room is also benefiting from “ambiance light” as the blinds cast a fun shadow on the green wall.

There are many new blubs on the market today.  If you are looking to upgrade to energy saver bulbs it is best to work with your local retailer for the best possible options.