more than just a light

In the world of contemporary design, you could say that lighting designers have a bit of an advantage over their counterparts. Self illuminating decor, by virtue of its intrinsic energy output, tends to grab attention; in other words, pretty lights elicit “oohs” like nothing else. Above: Mathmos Design’s Aduki lamps are definitely in the “ooh” category, with an organic bean-like form factor and a soft-touch plastic shell that produces a gentle, diffuse glow. Both Aduki and its big brother Aduki Ni will smoothly transition through a gamut of colors. Packaged in a chrome-plated die-cast zinc base, these rechargeable lamps are designed for both outdoor and indoor use and are portable.

Mark McKenna’s Designer Emulation Kits (DEKs) are humorous homages to some of the most famous modern lighting designers. Similar to a plastic model kit, each DEK comes with a circuit board and snap-off pieces with which you can (attempt to) build replicas of renowned lamps by the likes of Ingo Maurer, Achille Castiglioni and Richard Sapper. A single 9V battery is used to power a bright LED light; at only $29, these are much affordable than their real-life equivalents.

Similar to the Aduki lamps above, Candeloo are portable, rechargeable lamps. Targeted towards children, the lamps feature two bunny ears and covered electrical contacts to make them appealing and safe for little hands–though, frankly I wouldn’t mind getting pair of these into my own very adult hands.

Buro fur form’s Molecular Lights (1, 2, 3) and Alexandre Berthiaume’s Kozom (bottom) simulate the arrangement of atoms into molecules; it’s been a long time since I took Organic Chemistry but I do believe some of these lamps faintly resemble sigma and pi bonds. A polyethylene shade is supported by an aluminum base, and are sold in table or pendant variants. Kozom takes the molecule theme to another level with a chaotic mass of inflated vinyl balls surrounding a light source, and is fairly spectacular in a reddish-orange glow.

Tord Boontje is taking over the world, and the Garland Light is just another example of his amazing work (we recently featured his Oval Table here). His patterns literally come to life in a 3-dimensional structure made from laser-cut metal. Available in brass, silver, chrome or rust finishes, this is a beautiful and exotic piece and not one to be missed at only $59. For more innovative lighting, visit gnr8.biz.