Some of the trends at Euroluce 2023 were specific to a particular type of light. But others were more overarching, and therefore more significant. Colour , as we have seen, was one. Another was linear lights being made softer, to move them from the office to residential and hospitality environments.
This softening is part of a wider trend, away from hard glass and metal finishes towards more organic, vegetal materials, to lights that are gentler, more informal—cosier even. They also reflect a move from the machine-made to the hand-made, and therefore are more culturally diverse.
Vibia Knit
Knit exactly captures this mood. Vibia say that, “Knit delights in the femininity and softness of its outer layer. It exudes intimacy, comfort and familiarity.” It does this by covering its large ABS shapes in knitted Lycra:
There are four shapes, plus a floor and standard lamp versions. I think they work well—this one is quietly confident and, complements the wood all around it perfectly:
Forestier grass
Holly, the Company Dog, has a collar made by the wife of a Masai warrior. Forestier’s web site does not say who makes these wonderful lights. In spite of the name of the collection (the English word “grass”), they are made from the fibres of the abacá tree, a type of banana native to the Philippines, where it is still hand-loomed into various indigenous textiles. It is important to know, particularly if you are thinking of specifying them for a coastal or a hospitality project, that abacá is naturally salt-resistant and is exceptionally strong.
There are various shapes and sizes, that include these smaller ones:
There are floor versions…
…and wall versions:
To prevent glare, the lamp is shaded thus:
A related collection has also been designed by Jette for Forestier: Parrot.
A wall version is the topmost of the three shown on a wall above.
Bover Valentina
Joana has been exploiting soft-looking, basket-type materials almost since she opened her eponymous company. After all, Garota was introduced in 2015, and Mei as far back as 2004. But the change of ownership has released a wonderful blossoming of this side of her creative character. The outdoor Nans family seems to grow by the day! It now includes new styles; a lampshade shape…
…and a linear light:
In keeping with our theme in this post, this next design is actually called Soft:
Valentina, above and here…
…was inspired by ripples on water. It casts direct light from its carefully designed diffuser, but also a gentle light reflected from its inner surface. It is a particularly good luminaire to go over a bar, because it functions well when hung low, yet is not so big as to get in the way
The reason we are seeing more fabric-covered luminaires generally nowadays is because of the growing requirement for sound-deadening. Bover join in with Noren:
There are various large, slim shapes that emit directional light from the bottom—see how well the light falls on the table tops above.
Of course, Catalan lighting has a long tradition of using ribbon, as has Bover. So we now have the fabric-covered ring! This was Roda at Euroluce:
In fact, so committed is the brand to organic, vegetal—soft (soft-looking, at least—they are all very hardy, especially those intended for outdoor use), that this is how they dressed the outside of their stand!
So, pulling together the re-introduction of colour and of more organic materials, there is something of a sea change going on in decorative lighting. The result is gentler, more comfortable contributions to interiors—more positive and varied in feeling and emotion. Is this part of a wider societal trend? It would be so good if it were. But so much is pointing in the opposite direction. Therefore let's all do what we can to make spaces calm, harmonious havens of peaceful contentment—and beautiful, and interesting….
This is the last of my posts about Euroluce 2023. Click the titles below for the other posts about the Fair and the trends that will affect decorative lighting for the next few years.
Euroluce 2023 trends #1: colour, new directions in linear lights
Euroluce 2023 trends #2: balls on sticks, spots on bars, lines & belts, dots of light
