First week of April… before heading to Milan for Design Week I did another photo shoot for the DJCAD catalogue, this time with a much better result compared to the previous one. Because my project is not only about lamps but also involves the controller which can regulate their brightness, I had to show this in a clear and simple way. The way I held the aluminium cylinder in the previous photo didn’t really give a clear idea of how it works, also it didn’t show the charging dock.
However, the current photo will only be used for the DJCAD catalogue and not for my final booklet. I’m planning to do the final photo shoot in a luxury hotel room in Edinburgh and to actually show all four lamps, and not only one.
BEFORE
AFTER
In this blog post, I’m going to share some of the highlights from Milan Design Week that really triggered my attention.
THESE CRYSTAL OBJECTS ARE LIKE JEWELLERY FOR THE HOME — TOMÁS ALONSO
I fell in love with these marble trays from the first moment I saw them. They were exhibited at Atelier Swarovski. The reason I like them so much is because Tomás, the designer, managed to keep an incredibly simple design that was able to impress. This series called ‘Prism’ is composed of reflective crystal prisms with jewel-like glazes that live within a marble base for a stunning array of light effects, enhanced by Alonso’s signature vivid colour play.
It’s all about details. When I designed my marble lamps I wanted to create a chic detail that completed the overall form of the product. That’s why I decided to add a hemisphere of copper to it. Admiring Alonso’s work made me believe that my lamps could look as awesome as his trays once they will be exhibited at the Degree Show.
These lights are amazing — they have an opening and closing click mechanism! When you push them in the wall you reduce the LED brightness, while if you press again they will come out and the light will go back to normal. A really clever system to change the luminosity of the room by just touching them. I was really inspired by them. I loved the idea they had for the shape (square) as it was the same used for my project. However, I think those lights aren’t quite as classy as some made with marble.
Next, I’m going to feature a few projects that I thought were also worth sharing in this article.
The Mito lighting series was designed to celebrate the natural beauty and character of raw materials. Minimal in design, Mito juxtaposes precision manufacturing techniques with natural hand finished timbers and stones to create a truly sculptural light. Honest in design the Mito light reveals its entire modular structure. Warm indirect light flows across domed forms crafted from natural materials to highlight the products. Modular in design, the Mito series may be configured at any angle and comes in a variety of both wall sconce and floor lamp configurations. The Mito light. Pure materials, precision made.
Ballerina / for Marsotto edizioni by Nendo
A side table designed for Marsotto edizioni an Italian brand specializing in marble furniture. Two contradicting elements which are lightness and weight were mixed, which is achieved by cutting out a part of the tip of the legs in a shape of an arc so to give the legroom some lightness, whilst maintaining the inherent dignity of the marble. It was named “ballerina” after its appearance embodying standing on tiptoes.
Lean / for Marsotto edizioni by Nendo
Although at a glance it may look as though a panel is leaning on to a conical vase, in reality the area that the panel is touching the floor is greater than that of the vase, therefore it can be described that the vase is in fact supported by the panel. A design where there is a lack of clarity between which one is depending on the other.
