ONLY ZESTY FOLKS NEED APPLY: these Adesso Pop Table Lamps are 360 degrees of unapologetic retro/pop-culture style, although the colors as a whole are fairly restrained: black, red and hints of beige/white. Each poly/cotton shade rests on a black or white bell-shaped resin base and comes with three-way lighting; crank the rotary switch up for maximum luminous pulchritude, dude.
$79, stlloftstyle.com

RICHLY CONTEXTUAL, Cathrine Kullberg’s Norwegian Forest lampshades feature elegant laser cutouts of the very forest environment which originally gave them life. Light seeps delicately around the edges of the trees, giving the blonde birch veneer a warm and inviting glow. Hand-assembled in Kullberg’s Oslo Studio, the shell is sewn with natural leather lace onto a white powder-coated steel frame. Available in two pendant sizes and one tabletop version; contact Cathrine here for more information.
cathrinekullberg.com
Via: Design*Sponge and MoCoLoCo

LIKE A SURREALIST FANTASY, the Cellula lighting collection paints a curious portrait with cold, industrial pipes made from aluminum and stainless steel that leak great globules of gaudy hand-ground crystal. The two materials are seemingly incongruous, save for a 15 watt lightsource that beautifully (yet tenuously) ties the ensemble together. Available in ceiling, pendant and wall-mounted models.
From $441, ambientedirect.com

ALTHOUGH IT MAY LOOK like it at first glance, Ferruccio Laviani’s Bourgie Table Lamp is not your grandmother’s lamp. Bourgie is a curious blend of ornate Baroque design and modern production practices, with a traditional silhouette that is actually a three-sided scrolling outline made from precision-cut polycarbonate. The puckered lampshade, also polycarbonate, refracts light in both crystal and black versions.
$287, mosmyownspace.com

PING PONG becomes high art with Pong by Studio Make Light. An array of lights (seen here organized in a DNA-like helix) are arranged into clusters of roughly half-a-dozen and are powered by a transformer. Each module can be clipped onto the two-pronged stand, allowing for more flexible configurations; table and floor variants come with 24 and 40 Pong modules, respectively.
studiomakelight.com
Via: MoCoLoCo

KINZIG Design Home was founded by sisters-in-law Susan and Caryn; although initially focused on jewelry and metalworking, Susan eventually moved into the world of lamp & lighting design. The result: ornate glass lighting which is beautifully accented with copper and brass patinas, embroidered lampshades and stylish finials. The use of rich fabrics and blown glass further lends these lamps a delicate and sophisticated presence.
$540-$735, kinzigdesign.com

ALTHOUGH light travels most efficiently in a vacuum, it is perhaps best appreciated when traversing a medium. Tokujin Yoshioka’s Tofu lamp is just such a medium, although not soy-based as the name implies but acrylic. Tofu is simplicity at its best: an aluminum lightsource is all that mars its otherwise simple and clean design, made with a delicate cutting process that would make its gastronomic brethren proud.
$560, nova68.com

BKM is a unique collaboration between designers Bruckner, Klamminger and Moritsch where the aim is to integrate the views of all three partners into every piece they create. The result is a realization of the original ideas from each of the trio, synthesized into a coherent whole. Above: Falb is an asymmetric chair which not only accommodates people but their personal belongings. The seatback has a large, upward-angled hook to hang bags and purses, while the seatrest bulges outwards to accommodate drinks, keys and other small accessories. To compensate for the additional weight, the left leg swings outwards slightly, not unlike a dancer making a side-step.

Beside is another multifunctional piece that serves as both a lamp and an accent table. The lampshade rotates and prominently features a beautifully curved opening on the side; for added ambience, the thin wooden skin gives off a warm glow from the light source within. The base of the lamp is clear of a light fixture (it hangs from the top of the shade) and provides a small but adequate space for storing a few books or other sundry items.

Undine is named for a water nymph from Greek mythology and serves its namesake well. A voluptuously-shaped pitcher, Undine is filled from the top but pours from the side. I particularly like that the top is designed to stack upturned glasses; somewhat like Listerine bottles, this pitcher’s lid doubles as a cup.

I like OneSquared, not so much because of its functionality but the way it pokes fun at itself. Here’s a quick math review: what is one times one? One, of course–and that’s exactly what this chair is. Despite a double seatback and seatrests, the chair only really comfortably seats a single person (I love the last picture above). Call it deceptive, but it’s perhaps the most playful realization of identity I’ve ever seen.

My favorite is Buchhalter 3: just like BKM itself, three distinct modalities comprise this irregularly-shaped piece of metal. A combination table shelf, bookend and reading desk, Buchhalter 3 packs in an amazing amount of functionality and is representative of the collaborative spirit and creativity of BKM as a whole.
bkm-format.com

Sarah Finn is a German designer who specializes in working amazingly intricate patterns into wood. Although originally apprenticed as a furniture maker, her primary focus now is on tableware and lighting. Above: Olion and Drachenbaum are olive wood pendant, wall and table lamps with beautiful laser-cut patterns. In the case of Olion the patterns only come to life when turned on but disappear when turned off, while Drachenbaum features detailed floral patterns around the fringe.

“Light and living” is how Sarah prefaces the product section of her website; although the “light” likely refers to the Olion lamps featured above, it’s also an appropriate description for her tableware. Above: lightly-colored solid oak, elm and maple trivets and bowls each feature successively smaller concentric pieces speak to a simpler way of living.

Although probably the least glamorous of table accessories, Sarah gives the coaster and candle holders their fair dues. A coral-shaped version (coaster, candleholder) features a complex and abstract network of branches and is fairly sturdy despite its fragile appearance, while a more conservative variant consists of internal laser-cutouts on stained maple.

image credit: design*sponge

Even napkin rings and placemats get the royal treatment: the napkin rings feature stars and s-cut incisions and small tabs to lock them in place and can be easily flattened for storage, while amazingly detailed floral edgework on wood veneer placemats embellish meals like never before. For more Sarah Finn products, visit any of the stores listed below; we have also provided a link to her personal homepage which provides a bird’s eye view of her works.
aplusrstore.com
hygge-life.co.uk
mossonline.com (type “sarah finn” into the search box at left)
sarah-finn.de

Finnish designer Eero Aarnio is a man whose works likely need no introduction: his iconic Ball Chair is easily one of the most recognizable chairs in modern design. Despite being designed in 1963, this fiberglass chair is permanently anachronistic: it continues to seem like something you’d see in the not-too-distant future. Even more futuristic (and undoubtedly swank) is the Bubble variant which hangs from the ceiling and is made out of clear acrylic with a chromed steel trim.

The Keinu rocking chair is a labor of love; although Eero’s first draft was created in 1983, it took another twenty years before he would allow a more refined version to see production. A product of two decades and two centuries, the chair’s chrome frame is decidedly retro with an ebullient, circular shape (note the small ball stop–yes, it’s that round!), while the seat is somewhat more contemporary and is upholstered in tightly wrapped leather.

Eero clearly loves to have fun with his work; his Double Bubble Lamp (at top, apparently being worshiped by Ball Chairs) is youthful yet grandiose. Available in three sizes, the largest version stands nearly four feet tall, with all sizes being powered by two light sources in the bubbles and one in the leg.

From oversized fiberglass screw tables (1991) and the racing-inspired Formula Chair (1998) to his Focus Chairs (2002) and playful TIPI birds (2002), Eero shows no signs of slowing down. A creative yet playful force of nature in his own right, Aarnio’s overriding philosophy is best summarized by a quote about his fanciful Pony Chair: “It’s quite simply a lovely piece that brings a smile to my face. Hope it brings one to yours too.”
eeroaarnio.com

Aton has been making the rounds on sites such as Core77 and Notcot, with good reason: their lighting is an innovative fusion of negative space, organic design, and functionality. Above: photographs from the Candela Light Art Show at the CUBE Gallery in Ottawa, where Aton won The People’s Choice Award in September 2006.

The primary material used in Aton’s lighting is white earthenware clay, which is left unglazed. Intricate patterns resembling branches and cellular structures help to create amazing interactions between the the clay and the light sources within. Above: the Table model stands between 19″ and 10″ in height (Tall and Short models), while the much taller Floor model is over 4 feet tall and sits on aluminum feet for added stability.

A two man team, Aton’s Muhammad Moussa and Rick Shean each have their own roles. Rick designs the sturdy maple wood bases, while Muhammad pushes the clay to its structural limits. Above: don’t let Horizontal’s 15′ length fool you – at nearly 8 feet in height, this is a fairly tall piece as well. Triple light sources help to disperse light through its cavernous interior, making for spectacular shadows along the ceiling and adjacent walls.

The Mini and Candle are relatively modest lamps for those of us who prefer something more manageable for our end tables and nightstands. Mini uses a 10-watt low voltage light source and is exactly 1 foot in height, and features a contemporary style with squared edges and a sleek maple base. Candle is definitely the more effeminate and free flowing of the two, with a cylindrical design, rounded, loopy cutouts and a freer-flowing top edge. The Candle also usurps the traditional wood base for a clay one, and is “powered” by 3 candle tea lights for more romantic lighting effects.
aton.ca

Desu Design is another Brooklyn-based company, but one with its roots in Los Angeles. Originally specializing in architectural metals, Desu is similar in concept to Steelogic but utilizes a greater variety of materials in its work. Above: the LR-1 has all the trappings of a futuristic bench, with a white satin urethane finish, stainless steel loops for legs, and inlaid colored glass with rounded corners on a built-in side table. Not only is the LR-1 a stylish seat, but it also can double as a bed; the supportive foam cushions account for approximately 6 feet of its nearly 8 foot span.

If Symbol doesn’t look much like a coat rack at first glance, that’s because it was specifically designed that way. Desu’s team apparently has an aversion to empty wall hooks and wanted to create something that would look attractive during the summer months. The final design design utilizes retractable hooks that swivel into the aluminum frame when not in use. The playful colors of the hooks may not be for everyone, so Symbol is also available in a monochrome style.

Void and Slot are tables which share a similar feature: a deep crevasse that breaks up what otherwise would be a flat tabletop which also doubles as a leg. In the case of Void, the crevasse is surrounded on three sides by brushed stainless steel. The Slot opts for an open design, since its slot is lined with mirror-polished stainless steel, a brilliant contrast to the rest of the table which is powder coated in metallic brown.

The Either/Or Table has a dual function: laid flat it serves as a lap tray, but when laid on its side it instantly becomes an accent table. A satin brushed tubular steel frame that fully forms one end of Either/Or makes this possible. The lap form is the most functional; at nearly 2 feet in length, it has just enough space to comfortably accommodate TV dinners and laptops. Note: the tabletop is made from aluminum cladding and is powder coated in white or bronze.

Desu’s Axi tea light pendants are designed to be hung from the ceiling on bronze thread and hooks, and are so-named because of a two-piece design with an inner frame that is perpendicularly oriented to the outer frame along the vertical axis. The skyscraper-like Parallel Stem Pedestals are firmly rooted to the ground and have a long rectangular cutout just underneath the candle. Made from solid, cold-rolled steel, this candle holder is finished in black oxide with a lacquer coating and is available in four heights.
desudesign.com