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IN FOCUS / DESIGNER LAMPS

Light Bulb Moments Karen Smart, designer with Paul Nulty Lighting Design, explains the trend of going back to basics for the use of exposed lamps in commercial spaces. There’s a resurgence of going ‘back to basics’ within the realm of decorative lighting. Influenced by the current trends in interior design, which are embracing minimalism and the atmosphere of the Victorian industrial age, the incandescent lamp has become a staple; in part because it emulates the minimalist candlelight, the antithesis of opulence, but also it flatters its surroundings giving a soft glow to hard surfaces. Hipster hang-outs inspired by the Manhattan loft and warehouse scene are tapping into the popular lighting look. Lighting and interior designers are witnessing a huge increase in the use of filament lamps, warm LEDs, and designer lamps from the likes of Plumen and Buster + Punch, as these lamps become the centrepiece of decorative lighting schemes. The Plumen 001 is a low energy feature incandescent and an example of the retrofit trend. The name comes from a combination of beauty and function – ‘plume’ (in reference to the decorative feathers of birds) and ‘lumen’ (the unit for measuring light). As lighting designers, Paul Nulty Lighting Design (PNLD) builds on such trends, elevating what is popular to the next stage; this includes delivering designs with new

and improved low-energy versions. The classic E27 and Squirrel Cage lamp will never go out of fashion – and can be found in many designer homes. The rise of the industrial trend has also caused an increase in exposed bulb shaped lamps in commercial interiors; commercial clients now want the retro aesthetic of the Edison classic but as a low energy alternative to the incandescent lamp so they can save energy and cost. What began as a nod to our industrial past has taken on a design life of its own, with designers harnessing some of the pareddown charm of the bare incandescent lamp on a power cable and propelling it into the future, with decidedly contemporary results that are anything but austere. A great example is The Alice House restaurants in London. The lighting feature is created with bare incandescent squirrel cage lamps from Urban Cottage Industries. Hanging from cables from a central location at the top of the bar in the middle of the restaurant, the style is that of a cascaded web effect that embraces the whole restaurant. In the 19th Century people were in awe of Edison’s lamp and wanted to display it as an object of wonder, and we appear to have come full cycle as we embrace this

aesthetic today. Now we are filling our homes with the latest lighting technology such as Compact Florescent Lamps (CFL) and Light Emitting Diodes (LED) as many low energy variations on the Edison classic have been created. Until recently CFL and LED lamps emitted a cold ambiance and were ugly to look at but today’s lamps are combining aesthetic with low energy. This means that adhering to sustainability regulations and reducing costs no longer have to be at the expense of good design. Commercial lighting costs can be very high if establishments need lighting on all day, every day. In average, lighting takes 25% of electricity bills in the UK so reducing costs is crucial – but implementing ugly lamps and bad quality lighting is not the answer. As designers, it is our role to execute good design with functionality and form, challenge current and previous practices, and improve on what we have already achieved. The result is that we will continue to shape mood and atmosphere across every sector, tuning events into positive experiences and in a way that is sustainable and affordable. A SELECTION OF OUR FAVOURITE LAMPS…


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