Lighting Beauty: the Naked Bulb

(Edison bulbs)When was the last time you looked at a bare light bulb?  You’re probably thinking – ho hum…boring! But have you seen these light bulb beauties? Have you noticed lately that in many public spaces such as restaurants and cafes, the trend in lighting is showing off the bare bulb with a pared down housing fixture.

In our photo above, restaurant Lillie-Q is lighting their bar with paired Edison bulbs that display the golden filament inside. Niche Modern uses tubular Edison bulbs in their Spark Chandelier below. Both light fixtures exude that warm golden glow reminiscent of the old-fashioned candelabras but without the fire hazard! You can find Edison light bulbs at Restoration Hardware.

(Spark Chandelier from Niche Modern)

(Chandelier from Lindsey Adelman)The chandelier above from Lindsey Adelman also uses Edison bulbs but they are housed in clear hand-blown glass globes.  The glass housing adds more substance to the light without detracting from the golden bulbs inside.

(Titan Light from Nuevo Living)Nuevo Living uses half-chrome light bulbs for their snake-like Titan light fixture.  These light bulbs are available in both half-chrome or full-chrome glass and provide a more modern look to the lighting. 

For a different and dynamic look, we have the Plumen light bulb as seen above.  The bulb is sculpted into twisting, interlocking shapes which look different when viewed from a different angle.  The Plumen is not merely beautiful; it is also a green product.  The Plumen lasts 8 times longer than a regular incandescent bulb and uses 80% less energy. 

Interested in learning more about lighting?  Take a look at Sheffield School's Complete Course in Interior Design.  At Sheffield, you will learn how to transform a space, create color schemes, and select furniture, lighting, and accessories. 

6 Favorite Lights from Luce Plan

 

Bright ideas in lighting spring up all the time from talented product designers. New lightings gives interior designers and homeowners cause to celebrate. Fresh, contemporary designs are great ways to enliven tired interiors and shine light into the darkest corners of rooms, creating pools of inviting warmth. Luce Plan, the international lighting company and showroom, has an amazing array of lamps and other lights that we're craving - and here are 6 of our favorite designs. Click on each photo for more information.

 

 
 

Click to read more ...

Star Burst! Smart Green Design

(Stellar scraplights, courtesy of Graypants)I was quickly walking by aisles and aisles of furniture and lighting at a furniture fair when this twisting, twinkling form rose up and caught my eye. Could it be a sculpture, a tall narrow cabinet, or a tree? Well, it could just be a little bit of everything. 

The design firm, Graypants, introduced a very exciting line of light fixtures, called the Stellar series of scraplights.  Pictured above, a star shaped floor lamp twists and turns as it rises from the floor. Spilling out in between the grooves is light from the decorative low-energy bulbs.  What makes these light fixtures so special is the material that they’re made from:  corrugated cardboard! 

(Scraplights, courtesy of Graypants)Graypants’ designer, Jonathan Junker, put it best, “Beauty can come from the most unexpected of places and that’s what we are trying to do with our scraplights…”  The Graypants team collect discarded corrugated cardboard boxes from local businesses in the Seattle, Washington area and transform it into these beautiful, fully functional light fixtures.  Used with Plumen, a low-energy bulb that lasts 8 times longer than an incandescent bulb, the scraplights offer a very green design choice that’s also easy on the eye.