Lights of Note, Part 6

This blog post is a collection of lights I have come across in the last month or so and wanted to share.

Akari lanterns, a company out of Thailand produces a range of pendant lights.  This light is the XL version of the Hooks Pendant Light, and I love the interesting angles the design creates, as well as the warm glow.  Their pendants are all of this kind of multi-piece design, with different shapes (some rounded, some square, etc).  Unfortunately they don’t say what material they are made of but they are very affordable at the top price of $400 for the largest size.

A modern take on a traditional multi-tier/multi-light chandeliers, this is a beautifully dramatic light (the Moooi Coppelia Chandelier) that would be wonderful in a large entryway with a high ceiling, or a large dining area in an open space floor plan with high ceilings.  I could even see this light in a living room with a particularly tall ceiling.  This light would hold its own in a large space, without being too heavy or oppressive.

I love the simple and sophisticated design of this Tilt Globe pendant, which can be swiveled and/or tilted to direct its light wherever you desire it.  Its metal pendant is available in three matte shades, and would be advisable with a white bulb to diffuse the light.

I love the juxtaposition of the elements of this light, with the glass top and the concrete base. (this is the Faaro Table Lamp from Lake and Wells)  But of course what really stands out about this light is the pattern on the glass.  The glass is mouth blown, using a mold to create the texture similar to wood grain.  It would provide a very interesting diffuser for the light bulb.

From Fire Farm Lighting, a brand of lighting I love, the Band pendant designed by Adam Jackson Pollock is a beautiful light that would add a note of drama to any room, but not overwhelm it.  It is another adjustable light. Made with powder-coated steel, each band can be positioned in many different ways giving it almost infinite possibilities.  (I personally love this particular positioning as shown in Interior Design magazine).

I fell in love with this shop and this light the moment I saw it in Paris.  The shop is Les Penates, in the 11th arrondissement (15 Rue Jean-Macé if you’re going to look for it).  The lights are made in the studio at the back of the shop.  Each of the cones on this light are made from porcelain, and are beautifully translucent when lit.  I think the juxtaposition of the red cable adds life and a modern feel to the light.  They have many different types of lights (floor lamps, table lamps, other pendants, etc).  The lights are sold under the brand Ovalum, but so far I haven't found a North American distributor.  However, the shop will send them to the US, and the owner told me they had done it with success (i.e. no broken bits) many times.

A Vintage Light Lover's Dream

I found a great site recently called Factory 20, with some terrific antique and vintage lights on it if that’s your style.  I picked just a few that I fell in love with, but check out the site for all of their options. They appear to add new things all the time, so it’s worth keeping on your radar. 

I love the huge clear glass globe on this desk light, and with the right lightbulb would definitely be a statement piece.  A light like this or this would be interesting.  I think the shorter versions of the antique bulbs would be good.  I like the sculptural quality of the second one personally.  I also think the base of this light could easily be mixed in with other styles of furniture and accessories in your home.

I think these pendant disc lights are very interesting for their minimalist nature, but a grouping of them makes a statement (they only have 5 available currently).  In their original life, they apparently hung over shop counters to highlight merchandise. Similar to the lights above, I think these milk light pendants would look amazing paired with interesting bulbs.  You could do a longer Edison/Antique type bulb, or as an alternative, I think a chrome bulb with these would be very interesting and would bring a more modern edge to their vintage nature.

The cobalt blue color on the metal pendants shown below is amazing and gorgeous.  In the close up it looks like the tops need a little dusting, but that’s easily done.   These would be a real statement in a clean, white, modern kitchen as the lights over an island.  But I could also see them as the bedside lights in a bedroom (master or guest) to create a different look for a reading light.

Now the metal expanding shade pendants below give you real flexibility.  Designed to be able to give focused mood or spotlighting in their down position, or offering brighter surrounding light in their up position, these are quite unique.  They were very inventive in the 1960s.

5 of the Pendants in the down position

The Pendant in the Up Position

A set of the industrial pendant lights so many current companies are designing now, these lights are the real thing with a porcelain coating from the 1940s (and in great shape!).

Described as Deco on Factory20 and from the time period of the 1930s, this pair of vintage floor lamps would be a conversation piece and add a lot of interest to your home.  Especially the detail at the top of the lamp connecting the shade to the base, with the sphinx-like figure.

A Closeup of The figure at the top of the base rod

I could not resist these Vintage Wobble lights designed by George Kovacs - they look great and you can have some fun pushing it over and watching it come back.  Like the old bop bags but better.  

Thanks to the Galerie Sommerlath listing on the site www.ltwid.com, here is the original ad description of these lights:

"No, this is not a picture of two lightbulbs making love. It's a picture of one lightbulb making love. To a polished chrome, weighted base.
Push a Wobble and it snaps right back to attention. So it's a great lamp for people who like to fidget.
Who knows? This little lamp may replace pencil chewing, rubber band twisting, and paper clip bending (Captain Queeg would have had two Wobbles.)
Besides all the excitement, every Wobble comes equipped with a new kind of lightbulb called the Beanie Bulb.
And all this costs a mere $15.90. So the price won't make you nervous. But if it does, at least you'll have a lamp that understands."

How great were the 1970s?  Mr. Kovacs died in 2007, and his obituary is an interesting read.

Capping it off (or now at least) is this Greta Von Nessen Pod desk lamp, which is beautiful in its simplicity.  It would fit well in a mid-century modern house, or in an eclectic home with lots of style.  According to Wikipedia, Greta was an industrial engineer who with her husband Walter, co-founded Nessen Studios.  Her design of the Anywhere Lamp is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art. 

LED light bulbs – will you ever spend $50 on a bulb?

Sylvania's 100w Equivalent LED Light Bulb

Yes, $50.  I can imagine most of you area saying “never” or “not a chance.”  But don’t dismiss it out of hand without considering the benefits.    (and not all of them are $50)   LED lighting is the next wave of lighting technology, and one of these bulbs might actually be worth it.  Why?

• It’s LED – so it lasts for years and years.  That means while you’re paying more up front, you’ll save more later (and no changing light bulbs!).
• It looks like an incandescent bulb - no otherworldly blue tint of previous LEDs or cold white light of the CFL.
• It doesn’t have the problem of mercury like CFL bulbs do.  No more difficulty in disposing of those old bulbs (because you don’t put them in the garbage, do you?  Find local recycling options at this site: www.earth911.org)
• You don’t have to change the bulbs as often – terrific, especially for those hard to reach lights over stairwells.
• It requires nothing other than that you screw it in – no special adapters or anything.  Some are a little longer than most bulbs, but they anticipate it will fit most lamps.
• You can now find them at hardware stores like Lowe’s  and Home Depot, as well as Amazon. With their economies of scale and improving technology, the bulbs are getting cheaper  (some of the lower wattage ones are $10-$15).   And until it’s as cheap as you would like it, you can get the feeling of contributing to a better planet now…

There are two drawbacks currently:

1)   They don't seem to have produced LED tri-light bulbs (the ones that have three light settings).  LEDs can dim (which is great), but for our table lamps without dimmers, it’s the CFL or the good old incandescent bulb for now.   So for now put these in your pot lights, hard to reach lights, and lights with dimmers!

2) The highest output is equivalent to a regular 100W bulb at the moment.  I am sure it will change quickly as the technology improves, but for now we'll just have to enjoy looking better in low light.

Tips on picking LED light bulbs:

If you want to change but aren't sure what level of bulb you need, manufacturers for the most part have put the wattage equivalent clearly on the packaging.  But in case you run into a website that only talks about lumens (the measurement of light output), I am re-printing below the best selection guide I have found, produced by the Lighting Association.  They haven't published a new one which catches up with the fact that you can get LED light bulbs up to 100W, but it gives you a sense for the lumen output you're looking for.

how to pick a light bulb