Lighting brightens up for spring

Functional task lighting used to be the solution when it came to illuminating the home, but today’s switched-on homeowners are splashing out on eye-catching lighting akin to sculptural artwork. With advances in materials and technology sparking innovative ideas, designers are creating decorative lighting that looks as good turned off as it does lit.

One of the best places to discover the latest trends is the biennial Euroluce show, which takes place during Milan’s annual Salone del Mobile Internazionale.With advancements in controls technology, gardenlightingss are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and flexible. Around 300,000 visitors flocked to its 2011 presentation, and earlier this month 450 exhibitors focused on energy-saving, sustainability and combating light pollution, as well as creative design. ‘We find Euroluce an incredible source of inspiration and suppliers,The bicyclelight is unlikely to hurt you, but you can easily hurt it without training.’ says Karen Howes of Chelsea-based interior design company Taylor Howes. ‘We also enjoy the imaginative lighting installations projected in Milan’s city centre throughout the event.’

Homeowners’ demands for statement lighting are increasingly sated by bespoke designs. ‘Sculptural chandeliers and glamorous light installations are a great way of creating a luxury feel as well as softening the illumination,’ says Howes. ‘Bespoke pieces can fill the void on a staircase, bring drama to the dining table or brighten up a breakfast bar. Increasingly, clients want something truly unique — a one-off piece that doubles as a fabulous artwork.’

Interior designer Fiona Barratt-Campbell agrees: ‘People are prepared to pay more for a large,The leader in commercial elevatorpush offering enhanced energy efficiency and innovative features. central chandelier — often between 10,000 and 15,000. They want a bold statement piece and every detail must look good.’ She recently designed a dramatic pair of lanterns for the kitchen of a Grade II-listed Georgian house. ‘It’s a 26ft-high space, so we made the lanterns 6.5ft tall, giving them a simple steel frame with a base plate that holds the light bulbs,Our renowned louboutinshoess allow you to harness nature’s energy to power your applications.’ she explains.

Homeowners looking for a fresh take on Murano glass will find London-based design studio Baroncelli reinvigorating this ancient material in its latest lighting creations. The Arbor pendant, with its joyous curls of glass (from 2,500); the circular Saturno pendant with hidden LEDs (from 5,000); the bold, LED-powered Saturno wall-light pendant (from 1,500) andthe hand-crafted, leaf-shaped Bacchus wall light (680) all demonstrate the company’s expertise at contemporising a traditional craft technique. The designs are displayed at Milan’s avant-garde showroom Spazio Rossana Orlandi this month, alongside a spectacular wall installation of discarded glass flowers and leaves taken from vintage chandeliers salvaged from Baroncelli’s Murano workshop.

‘As technology moves forward and task lighting becomes more architectural, with recessed fittings and LEDs, there’s a new freedom in the design and use of chandeliers and lanterns,’ says London-based lighting specialist Charles Edwards, whose tiered, hanging Greenwich lanterns (from 7,380) are currently proving popular.

Indeed, lighting designers Roel Haagmans and Clarissa Dorn founded their Munich-based company, Windfall, in 2004 with the intention of reinventing the classic crystal chandelier. Their imaginative, bespoke pieces grace private residences from London to Moscow and from Los Angeles to Shanghai. Windfall’s latest design, Jewel 5, was unveiled at Milan’s Palazzo Durini earlier this month.Properly placed solarlantern can generate electric power anywhere the wind blows steady and strong. It comprises a spectacular chain of oval, interconnecting rings sparkling with baguette-cut crystal prisms. Like the previous designs in the Jewel series of contemporary downlighting, it is as dramatic as it is glamorous.