Whether natural, glamorous or industrially chic: imm Cologne highlights current lamp trends that create moods using light – from decorative to industrial – with new products and design classics staged in inspiring presentations.
The manufacturers of high-quality lamps create emotional and poetical models, where the source of light is artistically integrated into the design.
Anyone who has tried to enjoy a cosy meal in a too brightly lit room or to work under poor lighting conditions, knows only too well: Light is much more than just lighting. It has an effect on moods, influences the concentration and controls the daily rhythm. Today, well-designed lamps are an integral part of modern interior design and also play a central role at the international interiors show, imm cologne, as numerous new products demonstrate.
The English designer and manufacturer Tim Dixon is famous for striking designs made of metal. “The Etch Family” is a series of products made out of fine, metal cubes that have a mathematical appearance, the upper surfaces of which have been processed using a digital technique that is similar to etching, whereby recesses arise in different patterns. The ceiling lights and candlesticks in black, copper and gold achieve dramatic effects whether placed individually or in groups.
The trend towards industrial charm in precious metal colours has also caught on with other manufacturers. The design studio “Form Us With Love” has designed the “Work Lamp” for the Design House Stockholm, a ceiling lamp that reminds one of commercial garage lighting, but which elegantly breaks up the anonymous look of this industry product: Rounded corners and new colours like gold, white and copper lend the light a homely appearance – without refuting its industrial origin. As a result of this interplay between the acquainted and something new, the “Work Lamp” makes an eccentric, yet elegant impression.
The inhabitants of the North know more than anyone else about the significance of light on one’s well-being especially during the winter months. Perhaps this is why particularly Scandinavian consumers and manufacturers have developed a special feeling for well-designed sources of light. For example, Louise Campbell doused her design installation “Das Haus” at imm cologne 2014 in magical light using her Shutters lamp by Louis Poulsen. In her home town, Copenhagen, it is already dark at three o’clock in the afternoon at the moment, the Danish designer explained: “Then everybody moves back inside and we seem reserved and unapproachable, like completely different people. Our homes reflect that too. In winter, we turn them into cave-like places and use a lot of energy to create atmospheric lighting: we need it to make up for the lack of daylight.“
Because the field of science confirms that light has more and more influence on people and because new technologies always come into play, there is a lot of experimenting with light in the contemporary interior design sector. The light atmosphere is of particularly interest here. In this way, the US designer Todd Bracher is going to have an overdimensional ball of light resembling a moon float over his version of “Das Haus” in 2017.
The new product that Louis Poulsen is going to introduce at the next imm cologne in January 2017 also conveys a feeling of naturalness. With its spiral-shaped pattern, the pendant light, Patera, which was created in collaboration with the designer Øivind Slaatto, reminds one of natural shapes: The seed structures of sunflowers or pine cones have a similar, honeycomb structure. The white lamp radiates a soft, comfortable light. This combined with its special design, the complexity of which isn’t noticeable at the first glance, turn the lamp into a discreet eye-catcher. The Patera is designed as a modern chandelier – a light that unites the room and makes spending time in it more human,” commented the designer.
Modern light design conveys cosiness using a host of different materials, design elements and colours. Whether industrial charm or elegant naturalness: The international interiors show, imm cologne, presents many different executions of lighting design and thus offers fans of attractive interiors a comprehensive selection.
Article and images courtesy imm cologne.
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