Lighting

edited by Alexa Yablonski -- Interior Design, 8/1/2002 12:00:00 AM

Sheer Delights

For her new Liteweights collection, designer and artist Emily McLennan found inspiration in opposites. The line's four pieces pair hard and soft, opaque and translucent, industrial and domestic. Standing and pendant lamps' bulbs shine through ethereal, flexible organdy shades, which act as dainty foils for steel supports with a hand-rubbed black patina. The Longlite ceiling fixture, on the other hand, forgoes shades in favor of an architectural profile. The aluminum platform's finish is a black nonreflective suede coating often used for car interiors—beautiful quartz glass chimneys help lighten the look. In the works: a version with recessed down-lights. 701 North Third Street, Suite 101, Minneapolis, MN 55401; 612-339-7746; emilymclennan@yahoo.com. circle 327

Luxe Light

The five fixtures that make up the latest collection from German manufacturer Tobias Grau combine strong, architectural lines with precious, warm materials. We're impressed by the bold hardware and the strikingly simple pulley system used in Sophie's, a height-adjustable suspension lamp constructed of bone china and wenge. Utilizing the same materials, Teatime takes the shape of a table lamp with svelte proportions. Also available: Jane, an aerodynamic silver-plated desk lamp with rotating reflectors, Shy, a circular ceiling fixture with a bone-china lamp and silver-plated mount, and Bill (not shown), a mod task lamp made of aluminum. 35B Siemensstrasse, 25462 Rellingen, Germany; 49-4101-370-2004; tobias-grau.com. circle 328

Peerless Lighting

Peerless Lighting: Debuting at this year's Lightfair International in San Francisco, Lightedge received a design excellence award. Harmonic proportions and exquisite details make this anodized extruded-aluminum luminaire stand out. 2246 Fifth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710; 510-845-2760; peerless-lighting.com. circle 329

Color Kinetics

Color Kinetics: Winner of the Roeder award at Lightfair International 2002, iColor Accent offers digitally controlled light- and color-changing effects. This low-voltage chameleon, incorporating the latest in LED advancements, comes in 1-foot, 4-foot, or 8-foot lengths. 10 Milk Street, Suite 1100, Boston, MA 02108; 888-385-5742; colorkinetics.com. circle 330

Leucos

Leucos: Reminiscent of a windblown sheet of paper, the Claire sconce elegantly hugs the wall. The fixture is made of thermoformed white ceramic glass and employs a fluorescent light source with an electronic ballast. 11 Mayfield Avenue, P.O. Box 7829, Edison, NJ 08818; 732-225-0010; leucos.com. circle 331

Illuminating Experiences

Illuminating Experiences: Measuring either 19 or 27 inches in diameter, Contemporary makes a sizable statement. This hanging lamp features a large-scale shade—with an opaque gold or silver liner to help focus the light—and a cable system that's handily height-adjustable. 233 Cleveland Avenue, Highland Park, NJ 08904; 800-734-5858; portfolio.com. circle 332

Bega

Bega: An inverted cone, Bega's pole-top luminary 8190S provides a certain amount of up-lighting in addition to the down-lighting necessary for parking lots and outdoor pedestrian areas. 1000 Bega Way, Carpinteria, CA 93013; 805-684-0533; bega-us.com. circle 333

Luceplan

Luceplan: More elegant than a flashlight and more practical than a candle, Star Led is portable and stylish. Designed by Alberto Meda and Paolo Rizzatto, this energy-efficient fixture makes use of eight white micro-LEDs powered by alkaline batteries. The body is polished aluminum; the diamond transparent polycarbonate head is available in red or blue. 315 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013; 212-989-6265; luceplan.com. circle 334

Boyd's Best and Brightest

Design luminaries Clodagh, Andrew Fisher, Jeffry Weisman, and Thad Hayes have created the shining moments of Boyd Lighting's new residential line, the Kentfield collection. The sensually chic Primitive table lamps and sconce by Clodagh radiate an earthy elegance. Resembling the trunk of a palm tree, the bases are made of casually stacked—and impressively tactile—disks of hand-finished, cold-cast bronze. Refined glitz and glamour mark Fisher Weisman's Montgolfier series. Named after the pioneering French balloonists, the lamps feature a crisscross pattern rendered in gold leaf over bases of handblown Venetian glass. For sophisticated simplicity, consider master minimalist Hayes's streamlined Wainwright table and floor lamps, constructed of four glass rods, a brass base, and a pristinely pleated silk shade.

Boyd design director Todd Rugee's contributions to Kentfield's debut, on the other hand, are dazzlingly decadent. Rugee's thoroughly modern Cascade pieces (not shown) comprise chains of crystal delicately raining from oval ceiling fixtures in satin and polished nickel. Who else could have come up with such an elegant interpretation of '70s love beads? 944 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA 94107; 415-778-4300; boydlighting.com. circle 335

Zumtobel

Zumtobel: Industrious types will appreciate the pleasing light that emanates from Aria, now available in a continuous-run design. It provides a mix of up-light and down-light with 75 percent efficiency. The fixture is available with square or round edges, in both single-panel and double-panel models. 3300 Route 9W, Highland, NY 12528; 845-691-6262; zumtobelstaffusa.com. circle 336

Forms & Surfaces

Forms & Surfaces: Fusing patterned glass with either stainless steel or aluminum, Mitra is a straightforward—yet stylish—introduction to the LightForm+ line. 6395 Cindy Lane, Carpinteria, CA 93013; 800-451-0410; forms-surfaces.com. circle 337

E Stiluz

E Stiluz: This Spanish company specializes in industrial chic, artfully crafted. We like the muscular A-2180 halogen wall sconce (shown) and the sculpturality of the T-2188 halogen pendant, which combines direct and indirect lighting. 235 Moonachie Road, Moonachie, NJ 07074; 201-641-1997; estiluz.com. circle 338

Flos

Flos: Designed by Konstantin Grcic, Hertz provides spotlights that truly shine—each element adjusts separately to hit just the right spot. This low-voltage fixture utilizes an AR 111 lamp and can be ceiling-mounted or affixed to a track. 200 McKay Road, Huntington Station, NY 11746; 631-549-2746; flos.net. circle 339

George Kovacs

George Kovacs: Designer Alecia Wesner named the Joseph lamps (floor version shown) after her late uncle, a sculptor and beloved mentor. The skeletal welded-steel base is finished in either raw white or silver. 69-07 69th Place, Glendale, NY 11385; 718-497-6008; georgekovacs.com. circle 340

Bone Simple Design

Bone Simple Design: Snappy stripes enliven the Silk Striped sectional wall unit by Chad Jacobs. Three shade sizes are standard, but measurements—as well as fabric selections—can be customized. 407 West 13th Street, 2B, New York, NY 10014; 212-627-0876; bonesimple.com. circle 341