Lighting is one of out favorite elements to see at any design show because it is an easy update that can make a huge impact in your home design. The 2016 Architectural Digest Design Show had a wealth of exciting lighting design for every taste, from ship lights to chandeliers.
Magnus by Gordon Auchincloss is a kinetic fixture with dimmable LED lights. We love its modern, mobile-like structure, particularly the clear glass shades.This capsule-shaped light shown by Ben & Aja Blanc caught our attention for its striking appearance. Hung singly, the spare fixture still makes a dramatic impression. The couple produces limited edition furniture, lighting, and objects handcrafted in the U.S.A. The studio makes its name on creating modern, minimalist forms.Neptune Glassworks designed this understated and chic table lamp called Emergence. It has 9 identical curves forming a fluid lamp. Designer Uri Davillier combines hand craftsmanship with the latest technologies. A trained artist in glass, ceramics and sculpture, Davillier creates pieces that straddle the realms of art and technology.Neptune’s Quadrature Rain has hundreds of individually hand-pulled glass droplets. Davillier writes that “the fixture was born from an exploration of mathematical transformations and is informed by a drive to explore how complexity can arise from relatively simple components.” An installation like this one hangs in the Otium Restaurant in Los AngelesCartwright’s Otto Luce chandelier is stately without the usual stuffy vibe. The brushed brass fixture has hand-gilded alabaster glass, giving the shades a milky, ethereal look.This sleek sconce from Delightfull is called the Coltrane, named after the great jazz master for his innovation and the expressive music. Available singly or in a set of two or three tubes, the sconce is steel, with a variety of finishes to choose from.Delightfull’s Atomic wall lamp looks a bit like a molecule, with each shade casting an interesting light on the wall. Inspired by the 50’s, the fixture is fit for a modern home design. It is made of brass with aluminum shades and is available in a variety of finishes.A magnificent chandelier, this looks as it it were fashioned from brass musical instruments. The structure is handmade brass and that is covered in a gold finish. Named Botti (we’re guessing after master trumpeter Chris Botti) it is an elegant chandelier — with a touch of fun — for any style of home decor.Janis Joplin’s “Best Of The Best Gold” was the inspiration for this floor floor lamp, aptly named Janis. Delightfull says that it evokes “the golden jazz spirit of 60’s.” It’s a commanding fixture for any space.For a more casual setting, particularly a beachy one, Dunes and Duchess has this elegant suspension light perfect for a seaside retreat…or at least for the feel of one. The company is a partnership between well-known photographer Michael Partenio and stylist and writer Stacy Kunstel. All the pieces they sell are handmade in the United States.From a distance, these looked a bit like some sort of tractor tire, but in reality, they are amazing, giant pendant lights by Studio Endo, inspired by the carved interior of Japanese Taiko drums. Called the Hira Series, the lights have traditional patterns of the drums hand-pressed into the copper and LED’s are projected across the surface. The inside of the shade is sandblasted and coated. The exterior is available in a a number of finishes, patinas and painted options.Hubbardton Forge presented a large number of new lighting products at the Architectural Digest Design show and we had a hard time not photographing all of them. This is the Otto Pendant, a large, blown-glass ball with an adjustable hanging rods so you can turn it to your desired angle. The bulb itself comes in a frosted inner tube or a stainless steel mesh tube.The Otto also comes in a vertical version that has “steampunk” style. Same series, very different feel.We love the juxtaposition of the modern-looking tubular bulbs with the rustic, jumbled, almost haphazard style of the fixture. The Celesse consists of adjustable rings that hang from two steel cables. If you fancy a more modern look, it is available in other finishes as well.Small but bold, these Amulet low-voltage pendants are just beautiful. The fixture was inspired by a jewelry design from one of the Hubbardton Forge design team’s newest members. Simply stunning.Industrial yes — but not quite modern and not quite old-fashioned. The Cityscape Table Lamp evokes a modern skyline, yet has the mood of a city from years gone by. It has two dimmable light sources and can be had in Vintage Platinum or Soft Gold.From top to bottom these are the Collage, Quad and Tress sconces from Hubbardton Forge. All three are modern and stylish, but would work well in almost any style of home decor.Forged in Vermont, the Flux Wall Sconce has elegant curves that evoke a feeling of movement. It is truly stunning and adds a touch of unusual elegance.The Flux series also includes a chandelier that has six separate edge-lit LED light guides. The ribbons of the fixture come in Soft Gold, Vintage Platinum or Gloss White. The fixture is hand-curved.Hubbardton Forge says this Switchback suspension light has the graceful curves of a Vermont ski trail. We just think it looks really cool.A truly transitional design, the Halo Outdoor Sconce comes on the company’s traditional standard outdoor finishes and has thick,and-blown glass.The Encounter is an interesting table lamp that has a hand-bent LED light guide combined with a hand-forged steel curve.Iacoli & Mcallister showed this fun chandelier made of caged orbs that surround round, traditional-looking light bulbs.This fixture from Iacoli & McAllister is made of entwined geometric shapes. They are created by stretching fabric over a frame, with LED lights inside.Our favorite was this columnar version made from a striped ticking fabric.Here is the Frame Light on the left and he Nunki No 1.1 on the left. The name Nunki is Babylonian and refers to Sigma Sagitarii, the second brightest star in the constellation Sagittarius. The Nunki comes with different choices for the class color.Ironware produces gorgeous home pieces the are made one at a time in a village in Normandy, France. Their modern design esthetic and old world craftsmanship come together in all kinds of beautiful lighting fixtures.These three Ironware sconces are all different, but equally elegant: From the left, Susi, Capri and Nikki.as well as all the other items, are hand finished in a Nashville, Tennessee studio.The Ondine Chandelier, available in a variety of finishes, is organic and lovely, with a feminine sensibility.Jamie Harris of the Jamie Harris Studio has earned his skills at some of the top glass artistry programs in the United States. The chandelier at center is reminiscent of an old open-flame chandelier. Above it to the left is the Nested Mirrored Disc Chandelier, which is made of blown and mirrored glass discs.Mexico City Leon Lighting had a number of lovely basket-like fixtures in both metal and natural materials. Oscar Mara and Pauline Doric are the designers behind León León and they produce woven lighting and other furnishings.Luke Lamp Company has a wide variety of these rope-like tubular lighting fixtures. Created from LED lights and fiber tubes, the lights are one of the most unusual styles we saw. Starting with some found industrial fixtures, Luke rewired and recrafted them, only to sell out on Etsy. After being discovered by a major design blog, he started creating his own designs and now serves clients as big as Twitter and Urban Outfitters, and other customers in over 30 countries.His designs are available as ceiling mounted fixtures, wall light and table top versions.Michael McHale may have spent a chunk of his professional life as an entertainment lawyer, but he’s now brought his creative talents to the fore. From the day he couldn’t find the lighting fixture he wanted, McHale started creating spectacular fixtures that now adorn celebrity homes as well as major venues such as the American Express VIP Room at Fashion Week in New York, Doha showcases, and Taipei living rooms, as well as restaurants and nightclubs from California to Moscow. This fixture has a wonderful Middle Eastern feel and a certain mysteriousness that emanates from the design. Very sexy indeed.The Tribeca Beacon Chandelier is McHale’s take on a traditional four-tiered chandelier. With a base of black steel pipes, it features a multitude of crystals changing in strands.And here’s a desk version, with a very industrial base and a collection of elegant crystals surrounding the light source.The Plaza Edition chandelier is also a fine mix of old-school design and modern sensibility. The vintage style shades sit atop a modern metal grid, accented with strands of crystals.McHale specializes in linear chandeliers like this one with vertical glass pieces that shield two sides of each bulb.Niche Modern, a perennial favorite of ours, is based out of the Hudson Valley of New York and produces beautiful blown glass lighting fixtures. This is their Solitaire Modern Chandelier.Niche’s Pod Modern Chandelier comes in a variety of glass colors and is equally at home in a modern home decor setting or a more rustic one.The mix of shapes, colors and glass textures in this Lucio Chandelier by Tracy Glover Studio is fantastic. The rectangular fixture has Onion, Barrel and Globe shaped diffusers in a pleasing variety of colors.At the other end of the design spectrum are these fixtures from Shiplights. The company produces nautical and marine style light fixtures from solid brass, which stand up to salt and spray from the sea. We can imagine using this nautical floodlight in many home decor settings.Shiplights.com has a wide variety of lantern-style fixtures as well.Durable sconces like these have smaller profile and are perfect high traffic areas.Actually, Volk is a handcrafted furniture company that produces beautiful pieces, but we were quite taken with this gorgeous chandelier in their booth.Organic chandeliers that look like branches of a tree are common, but we really like this one that looks windswept. After a second look, the slant individual lights also reminds us of how plants tilt toward the sun. Either way, it’s a creative take on a standard chandelier.
Whether you choose a design that costs you thousands of dollars or just a few hundred, there are more lighting options than you can imagine. Remember that updating one key lighting fixture can change your room’s decor and create an entirely new ambiance in your home.
