Saturday, January 14, 2012

You Light Up My Life!

In addition to art and furniture, I love lighting!  The way lighting fixtures disperse light can really affect your mood and the overall ambiance of a space.  They also have an influence on the way objects are perceived, which make them important design features that should not be overlooked.  With all of that being said, they are also products in and of themselves and come in all kinds of pretty shapes and sizes. 

The first modern lamp I ever possessed was a gift from two of my favorite people, Todd and Ginny at Centro Modern Furnishings in St. Louis, Missouri.  I spent a few of my Winter and Summer breaks throughout college working at this amazing shop in St. Louis' Central West EndThe utilitarian light fixture, called MAY DAY (designed by Konstantin Grcic for FLOS) is not intended to be used in one sole location.  Instead, it can be quite handy in a plethora of situations – for use in a garage while working under the hood, out on the deck hanging from a tree, or as a flashlight when looking for the boogie-monster under your bed!  It's such a fun piece!

May Day by Konstantin Grcic. Images via Flos.

The second lighting fixture I think I got was a pendant designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, called SPLUGEN BRAU (also produced by FLOS).  My husband and I purchased this pendant (from Centro Modern Furnishings) when we bought our first house but lost it shortly thereafter when we had a house fire.  Although the fixture survived the fire, the idiot demolition contractors we had hired cut down the light and threw it in the dumpster with all of the rubble and debris from the fire.  Thank you very much!

Splugen Brau by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni. Image on right via Flos.

For our wedding, my husband and I were once again graced by the amazing crew at Centro Modern Furnishings when they presented us with the GUNS BEDSIDE lamp (designed by Philippe Stark for FLOS).  We were floored!  It was absolutely one of the coolest gifts we’ve ever received.  The 18k gold-plated aluminum table lamp is imprinted with the saying, “Happiness is a hot gun”.  Hehe!

L - Philippe Starck via Swotti, R - Guns Bedside by Philippe Stark via Flos.

And another lamp I’ve loved since its release is the chrome-plated BOURGIE (designed by Ferruccio Laviani for Kartell).  I took advantage of an inventory sale that Centro had a few years ago, and bought myself one.  If you can’t tell, I love Centro and wish I could buy everything they sell!  The baroque inspired base is whimsical yet ironic (especially in chrome); it’s truly one of my all-time favorite lamps.

Bourgie by Ferruccio Laviani  via Stardust Modern Design.
 
I picked up another little lamp designed by Laviani for Kartell at the inventory sale called TAKE.  I like this fixture because it reminds me of how a child might sketch their idea of a lamp.
 
Take by Ferruccio Laviani via YLighting.

So these are just some highlights out of my own personal collection of lamps, but I have many more favorites and will definitely touch on them in later posts. 

What’s your favorite light?  I’d love to hear from you!

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