i+D - May/June 2021 - 44

Material
Matters
Lighting
Another consideration that in-house designers
make is ensuring that a light fixture is equally
attractive from all sides. For instance, a chandelier
placed the standard 36 inches from a tabletop
will be seen from above if someone is standing
in front of the table. Bailey says that her design
team has had to conceal plating drainage holes
or unsightly electrical components that would
be visible from above. " When designers are
presenting their concepts, they show all the
angles, " she notes.
One of the biggest advances in lighting design
has been LED lighting. Invented in the early
1960s, LED has only gained popularity in the
past decade as technology advanced to the point
where color temperature (measured in Kelvin) and
Color Rendering Index (CRI) can be manipulated
to create more pleasing, comfortable lighting.
" We consider the light bulb as an extension of
the design and not an afterthought, " says Bailey.
" After all, there's no point in having a beautiful
design if you can't wire it attractively or get inside
to change the light. And with LEDs you've given
designers the ability to color outside the lines
in ways they never could. Now this low-profile
lighting source is opening up their worlds to
new designs. "
Hollis + Morris has built its brand on LED light,
juxtaposing the modern technology against the
warmth and natural feel of wood fixtures.
Mischa Couvrette, founder and creative director
of the five-year-old company, notes that LED was
unpopular when it debuted due to its unattractive
color temperature. " Over the past few years
that's changed tremendously, and now you can
create the same warmth with LED bulbs as you
can with an incandescent bulb. " That warmth,
Couvrette says, is what humans crave because
it's akin to the candlelight or firelight that our
ancestors lived by.
The wiring of LEDs and the lack of traditional
socket bulbs has allowed Couvrette to push the
limits on what a light fixture can look like. One of
the company's first products has become a new
classic: the Willow light fixture, a cluster of glass
globes winding around a straight wooden column.
The compactness of the wiring enables the fixture
to maintain a slim profile with a sculptural feel.
The Catrice 15-Light Multi-Drop
Pendant from Currey & Company
offers flexible configurations, since
designers can choose the number
of lights as well as the height of the
lights and the cable mount.
(Image: Courtesy of Currey & Company)
Among Hollis + Morris' newest introductions is a
horseshoe-shaped lamp. " I had the idea four years
ago, but I couldn't figure out a way to integrate
a light source, " says Couvrette. " Two years ago,
a flexible extrusion became possible and readily
available. And the fixture is being launched this
year because of it. "
In many of the company's fixtures, the light
source is imbedded. " People ask, 'How do I
change the bulb?' " says Couvrette. But with LED,
there's no bulb to change, and the light will last as
long as 50,000 hours. " If you left the light on for
10 years, that light source will still be working, "
he points out.
The Coordinates collection from FLOS also
has LED technology integrated into the body
of the fixture. " It's a beautiful, slick line, " says
Ann Schiffers, the recently appointed CEO,
North America at FLOS USA. " The flexible
composition of these tubes allows you to become
very creative: You can rotate them, aim them
down or sideways. Designers have so much more
freedom. Different materials can be used because
they won't burn or become toxic when heated. "
44
i+D - May/June 2021
i+D - May/June 2021

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