Crystal Clear
French crystal brand Baccarat teamed up with talented designer Thomas Dariel to create a showroom that was timeless yet elegant with a touch of Parisian chic.
To celebrate its 250th anniversary, French crystal brand Baccarat wanted to write a new Chinese chapter in its legendary history. In order to pay homage to its heritage while revealing a new image to the Chinese market, the brand invited Thomas Dariel, the talented Shanghai-based French designer, to imagine its new showroom space and create a bridge between the two countries.
The showroom is located in the newly renovated Rockbund compound, which combines historic and new buildings, luxury stores and cultural venues, at the confluence of the Hunagpu River and Suzhou Creek, illustrating the diversity of Shanghai culture as well as the city’s timeless elegance. Baccarat House is hosted on the ground floor of a red brick heritage building that fits well with the brand’s image. Eliminating mundane and predictable clichés, Dariel defines the showroom as an elegant Parisian apartment with crafted textured details yet in a modern and youthful way.
Inspired by French Haussmanian style, Dariel divides the showroom into two distinctive spaces. Accessing from the Victorian porch, the main living room is a pastel pink scheme, with coordinate contemporary furniture in wool fabric and simple lines, the first impression is of purity and warmth. It is a simple scenography that allows highlights of three magnificent Baccarat chandeliers from the Zenith range - icons that punctuate the space.
Modern style extends through to the display area where a pure white marble hexagonal high table and black pillar shaped displaying features toning down the pink and distinguishing themselves as functional areas. Shiny stainless steel trays superposed on the dressing tables exhibit Baccarat’s latest collection. Elements extracted from Parisian Haussmanian influence continue through the display space, with the wooden floor cut into herringbone patterns, carefully chosen pastel tone wallpaper evoking the feeling of a French salon or boudoir, and as a contrast to this traditional setting Dariel designed quirky moldings drawn in neon lines that galvanize the space by spreading out pink reflections to the Zenith chandeliers.
As you walk through a preserved old door, you enter into a dining room that offers even more sophisticated scenography where Dariel plays with crystal, mirrors and lighting to achieve a game of spectacular reflection. In the centre of the room a sumptuous crystal table – designed by Philippe Starck – glitters with thousands of lights and harmoniously displays and blends timeless Baccarat collections. Above the table a huge magnificent stainless steel framed mirror occupies the ceiling. While magnifying the table’s setting, the mirrors positioned above and around the table also enlarge the dining room that becomes a fantasy place for opulent parties. What’s more, the three-dimensional geometric wallpaper especially designed for Baccarat House, plays another role – adding more angularity to the space.
For this project, Dariel’s aim was to bring to the Chinese customers a feel of an elegant and exalted French lifestyle, experiencing the domestic life of Parisians with the use of Baccarat’s products… This is the core design concept of Baccarat House.
Project Details:
Baccarat House, Shanghai, China
Interior Design: Dariel Studio
Lighting supplier: Baccarat
BLOOM
Melbourne-based industrial designer Jan Flook launched first international collection with striking pendant named BLOOM, a rounded powder-coated white aluminium shade with yellow silk orchids cascading from the interior. The tapering two-tiered form bounces the light around the interior of the shade, creating a powerful downward focus of light, ideal for hotel lobby desks or café counters.
Flook’s collection also includes chandeliers, industrial-style wall lights and pendants, dramatic feature lights and quirky one-offs made from recycled materials. Flook commented: “I’m very excited to launch my collection internationally, and hope they will connect with people who, like me, are passionate about the new.”
A UK-born New Zealander, Jan Flook set up his studio in Victoria in 2008 after four years in the Alpha Romeo and Design Continuum teams in Milan.
Since then, Flook has worked with a range of distinguished architects, interior designers and private clients on bespoke feature lights for projects such as Melbourne’s fashionable Atlantic restaurant.
Further pieces from the Collection will be launched in the coming months. Flook’s aim for the future is to use his knowledge of both modern and historic lighting to create artistic works that surprise and delight.
Shade by Cocksedge
(UK) - Designer Paul Cocksedge created Shade for Italian lighting brand Flos. Shade plays with the boundaries of technology and materials, resulting in an original statement light.
Cocksedge said: “The Shade lamp started with the problem of how to rid ourselves of clutter usually connected to light fittings. The solution turned out to be quite mysterious, almost dreamlike. It utilises both floor and ceiling, but it appears connected to neither.”
Shade eliminates conventional intrusive wires, cables and switches. The power is sourced from a small LED floor fitting that shines light upwards into the Japanese paper shade, which is suspended from the ceiling using near-invisible capillary-thin nylon wires. The shade appears to float while diffusing soft, warm light.
Shade’s durability was enhanced by a special coating to protect the textured paper shell, and was created especially for flat-pack shipping.
As the first product for Flos by Cocksedge, Shade captures the simplicity and pragmatic solutions of Paul Cocksedge Studio.
The Alchemist Collection
The glass shades for each Alchemist light fitting are hand crafted in England. The range features Long, Globe, Squirrel, Radio Valve, Spherical, and Squirrel Table Lamp, each with varying dimensions, lumen power and an LED option. The translucent and highly reflective nature of the glass combined with a warm Edison filament bulb makes them ideal for interiors where creative and inspired lighting is desired.
darc awards now open for entries
(UK) - It is now time to enter the darcness... You can now enter your projects and products into the darc awards, the international lighting design awards organised by mondo*arc and darc magazines for lighting designers, suppliers, architects and interior designers.
Every entry will be displayed online for full exposure and every company who enters will receive a free profile in the online darc directory. Just like in the pages of mondo*arc and darc, we're not after the most efficient, the best money saving, the safe. We're after the creative, the clever, the brave.
The categories are:
1 Best interior scheme - low / high budget
2 Best exterior scheme - low / high budget
3 Best landscape /urban / streetscape / masterplan - low / high budget
4 Best decorative lighting installation
5 Best light art installation
6 Best architectural lighting product - interior / exterior
7 Best decorative lighting product
8 Best lighting concept
Now, over to you...
Holloways of Ludlow at Clerkenwell Design Week
(UK) - In collaboration with Concrete LCDA , Holloways of Ludlow presents new range of lighting at Clerkenwell Design Week.
Its range features designs from Holloways of Ludlow’s own-brand lighting collection Old School Electric, Jielde, David Trubridge and Officine Dasa.
Old School Electric’s lighting collection will display British industrial-chic spun-steel pendants, handcrafted blown-glass pendants and industrial wall spotlights. Their stand will also feature iconic lights from designer Jielde, which includes cast-metal desk lamps, floor lamps, wall lights and ceiling pendants.
New to Holloways of Ludlow’s portfolio, Italian manufacturer Officine Dasa’s range of Cubit ‘up & down’ lighters and spotlights will be presented, as well as New Zealander David Trubridge’s organic bamboo and timber lighting designs.
Barton Restaurant, Spain
On a bright corner of Barcelona's Eixample neighbourhood, interior designer Isabel Lopez Vilaita has transformed a delicatessen into the Barton restaurant, specialising in traditional local cuisine, tapas and raw food.
Retro decorative elements such as the timber panelled wall create a dialogue with more contemporary elements such as the minimalist bar counter or the polished concrete floor, which captures the essence of the innovative Spanish tapas.
The raw food school of cooking brings an avant-garde aspect to Barton’s offering both in terms of its innovative approach and cooking techniques. The result is a delicately sensitive cuisine with an imperceptible scientific foundation, concepts which have been transposed onto the space through the lighting scheme featuring lamps such as Wireflow produced by Spanish company Vibia.
The strong graphic character of these lamps designed by Arik Levy provide a poetic touch and yet at the same time are very high-tech. The lamps’ wires define its graphic and delicate tracery, which seems to hang from the ceiling like some ethereal stray wiring.
Such a large scale lighting scheme creates a very particular ambience in a restaurant where the huge floor to ceiling windows of the facade blur the boundaries between the interior and the street outside.
Vilalta explained: “We retained these wonderful windows from the previous incarnation but it presented a big challenge because we had to create a specific atmosphere within a space, which, because of the large windows, feels like being in the middle of the street.”
The row of Wireflow fittings strung out along the transparent divide where the dining tables are organised, also helps to subtly define the street boundary while maintaining visual continuity with the outside.
Vilalta’s studio was also commissioned to custom design and produce almost everything else at Barton. The panelling was made using recycled wood which transmits an aged quality to the bar counter and furniture, while high tables are combined with In Between chairs by Sami Kallio for tradition and low plywood lounge chairs originally designed by the Eames for Vitra.
The kitchen is connected with the dining area via a screen of open shelving which lends depth to the space and facilitates a fluid and direct communication between the chefs and the waiting staff. The felt used to cover the walls and ceiling, provides a warm ambience and contributes to the overall acoustic comfort while the coloured cushions bring a laid back whimsical element to the space that is an experience for all five senses.
Sussanne Khan joins YOO as Creative Director
(India) - Sussanne Khan, one of India’s foremost design icons joins design company Yoo, as Creative Director.
Founded by international property entrepreneur John Hitchcox and Philippe Starck in 1999, Yoo has partnered with Khan to create sustained value through exceptional design, launching with an exciting project in India in Q4 of this year.
An inspirational meeting of huge talent and experience, the partnership will create desirable homes and hotels that result in increased value for developers and residents alike.
Khan is widely lauded as a leading interior designer, tastemaker and style influencer - with over 15 years’ experience working on international design projects. She obtained an Associate Art Degree in Interior Design from Brooks College, Long Beach, California in 1995 and is a self-proclaimed victim of a curious mind. Her signature is a seamless blending of industrial masculine tone with feminine classical bohemian chic.
As Creative Director of Sussanne Khan for YOO, her eclectic and sumptuous signature style and experience will resonate widely with both Eastern and Western aesthetic tastes.
Speaking about her new role as Creative Director of Sussanne Khan for YOO, she said: “I am completely honoured to be part of the YOO design family. I have always admired the work and vision of this exceptional company. Together, I hope to offer new dimensions in creativity to the global market. New India is a rich mother lode of style, structure and material and the world is now ready to explore these intricately. Design to me is a feeling and an emotion and when all such energies align, we will, hopefully, reach heights of intensity and balance.”
John Hitchcox, YOO Founder added: “We’re delighted to welcome Sussanne Khan to the YOO family in a collaboration that represents an exciting evolution for the brand. This partnership creates a unique opportunity to promote the very apex of contemporary Indian design across the world through one of its foremost figures. Sussanne brings enormous experience and talent to the collaboration and we see great potential in this incredible new offering.”
Hamilton appoints new Marketing Manager
(UK) - Hamilton Litestat strengthens team by appointing Gavin Williams as Marketing Manager.
With over 15 years’ experience within the electrical industry, Williams came from position of Senior SBU Manager at Havells Sylvania, and previous product and marketing roles at MK Electric and Deta Electrical.
Williams will work on marketing and promotion of Hamilton, as well as new product development.
Williams commented: “Hamilton is in a very strong position to build on some great new product development, extending the brand within key market sectors.”
Ian Hamilton, Hamilton’s Managing Director said: “Williams joins us at an exciting time. We are forging ahead with our plans to grow the business in established areas and new product sectors and his experience and expertise will be a great asset to the team.”
Holiday Inn Wembley chooses Kolarz
(UK) - Kolarz installs specially commissioned crystal lights in newly refurbished banqueting suite at Holiday Inn Hotel, Wembley.
Made from the finest Kolarz crystals, these bespoke lights create a stunning feature in this beautiful room, which features four large rectangular lights, with double rows of oblong and round crystals.
Kolarz also installed recessed LED lights around the perimeter of the room, which can change colour to coordinate with the décor and theme of the function to add ambiance and drama.
"The lights bring glamour and atmosphere, adding wow factor to any event held here," said Kristina Griffith, Managing Director of Kolarz UK. "The four large lights really stand out and when the room is dressed for a function the overall effect is stunning."
The lights were specially designed and produced at the Kolarz Italian factory and as well as the four large ceiling lights bespoke chrome framed crystal wall lights were installed in the banqueting suite.
#WeLoveLight film release by L-RO
(International) - Valentine's Day film launched by Lighting-Related Organizations, Official Partner of the United Nations International Year of Light 2015 under the patronage of UNESCO.
#WeLoveLight is a Valentine's Day film about the climactic end to a first date... But it's mostly about light! This is a declaration of love from the lighting design profession to the wider public: all the people we hope to work with and share our passion, our knowledge, our skills and our resources.
People take for granted that outdoor lighting is there to help keep cities moving after the sun goes down, that light can influence health and performance at work, as well as children's wellbeing and their ability to learn. But who safeguards the consumers and guarantees results, timings and costs? Shouldn't society demand good quality lighting?
The Coordinators of L-RO have collaborated with the award-winning collective of filmmakers Zero in order to create #WeLoveLight. This is an opportunity to make the lighting design profession better known and understood; the provocation is an instrument, the story we are telling is a commonplace. Extra-ordinary is the Light!
#WeLoveLight is also an open announcement: Lighting design is an affordable service for everyone. Quality lighting is as much a right as health care. Look at your life in a new light. Regenerate the context in which you live. Turn on your right light!
Watch #WeLoveLight enjoy and spread some love for our profession, our passion, our lifestyle. Sometimes it's not a bad life, it's just a bad light - Lighting Designers #WeLoveLight
Innermost celebrates Asteroid success story
(UK) - A decade of success for Innermost with designer Koray Ozgen’s Asteroid light.
Introduced at 2005's 100% Design event in London, it is based on a unique geometrical form. No two of Asteroid’s 24 individual faces are identical, and no two of its edge lengths neither. In clusters, this generates the illusion of many different shapes, when there is only one.
In celebration innermost presents the Asteriod Petrol pendant light, which is dipped in an iridescent majesty.
Ozgen’s Asteroid first began life as a white porcelain vase, which could be rested on any of its faces for a customisable decorative arrangement. Ozgen Design Studios collaboration with Innermost saw this concept take on beautiful life as a light fixture, with the positionable feature retained in the table lamps.
Asteroid is available in clear or petrol coloured glass or in white plastic, which is suitable for outdoor use.
