Willowlamp

Willowlamp has been around since 2005, but they are new to me and feel like a breath of fresh air! A testament I guess to the design duo Adam Hoets and Sian Elliot who formed the company and together create the beautiful lighting designs. Sian is also a jeweller, and I think you do see this in each piece as they truely feel like jewellery pieces for the home. They create light and warmth, but also make a real statement and hang as objects of beauty to be admired.

My favourite (at the moment!) is The Faraway Tree chandelier. The form from the outside is organic and unusual, then peep underneath and you see the true beauty of the design, showing the tree branches fanning out and dripping with metal. It would be just stunning at the top of a simple staircase.

Herve van der Straeten - Modern, Luxury Craft

I've long admired the works of Herve van der Straeten, as they seem to me the most beautiful representation of luxury modern design embracing traditional craftsmanship and expertise.

What I find most exciting is that he continues to design such contemporary pieces, and yet they have an instant timelessness. This is true in both the furniture & lighting items and the stunning jewellery collections.

Furniture & lighting are available through Ralph Pucci International and jewellery from Blue Velvet Boutique, among others. For now though they will have to remain on the wish list...

Trumpeting in the New Year!

I know it's late, and I know there hasn't been a post since October, but am promising this - I will do better! So to get down to it....

I stumbled across the fantastic Gramophone Chandelier on the Leigh Harmer website and am just in love with the bold design! You look at it, and try to understand it, and then all you want is for it to burst into song!

The Gramaphone piece has been exclusively designed for Leigh Harmer by the talented Alex Randall. A browse through her website is like opening a box of hidden treasures, I could write pages but it's probably best if you just take a look for yourself...

NeON and on

I've been a fan of Paul Cocksedge's work since I first clapped eyes on the inspired NeON light.

Each glass vessel is filled with gas which is then charged with an electric current, creating hanging droplets of pure, beautiful colour.

The design for NeON was developed in 2003 but still feels fresh today. I had tried to use these in a bar installation but was told they too closely resembled a mans rubber friend! I'd honestly not seen that myself, but I guess, as in art, we all have our own interpretation!

One of his latest installations for The Wellcome Trust building in London has passers by literally stopping in their tracks and shows Cocksedge is pushing the extremes of lighting design once again.

Euro Baby

I am a sucker for anything retro and this Euro Lantern with patterned shade from Nordic design house Moooi certainly ticks that box for me!

But I also love the delicate oriental influence which echoes the design of traditional Chinese paper lanterns. The lamps are made from stretched polyester over a wire steel frame plus they have a beautifully detailed decorative ring at the base. Surely the best way to display would be in a cluster of the different sizes available to create an eclectic showcase!