Perhaps we recall precious gems when we look at chiseled and prismatic objects, or maybe we’re just naturally wired to look at all things geometric. At the end of the day, faceted designs intrigue and attract most of us in the architecture world, and product manufacturers continue to cater to this fascination. Here are some of our recent favorite faceted luminaires that are, one might say, “cut from the same stone.”
Axo Light: Necky
This whimsical ceiling and wall light takes its name from Louis Albert Necker and it’s easy to see why. The Swiss scientist was best known for devising the optical illusion the “Necker cube,” which is a line drawing that fakes dimension much like an isometric projection does. (Though, Necky sports real facets with minimal depth.) White-painted metal rods form this fixture’s lines, while the diffuser is a simple, white elasticized fabric stretched over the frame. Lamping is LED, fluorescent or halogen.
Brand van Egmond: Fractal
A strip of steel is perforated, folded and woven in what appears to be a haphazard way to create a chaotic yet poetic light pendant. The steel can be specified in black matte, white matte, stainless steel, brass high gloss or copper.
Karboxx: Starlight
Available in a suspension and wall sconce design, Starlight uses a composition of triangles to playfully recall a crystalline form. The suspended luminaire takes 44-Watt LED lamping, while the wall light takes 19-Watt LEDs. Both are made of white or anthracite painted aluminum; the wall version additionally has diffusing lenses in the “facets.”
Karman: 24 Karati
A play on jewelry pendants, these luminaires come in two different shapes — an octagonal prism or baroque pendant — and in milk-white, smoked or pale yellow glass. Group them in multiples and mismatched for a dramatic effect.
Kartell: Battery
The company is at it again with its vibrantly hued, plastic table lamps. This one, however, boasts a faceted shade, stem and base resulting in a unique play of light. It’s also a portable, chargeable lamp that illuminates for up to eight hours on a full charge. The transparent PMMA lamp comes in amber, blue, crystal, fume, green or plum and measures 5.1 inches wide and deep by 8.6 inches high. Kartell additionally offers this lamp with an opaque metallic gold or silver finish base.
Original BTC: Hatton
It took labor-intensive processes to fashion bone china into multifaceted forms that almost resemble folded paper — and the results are beautiful. Hatton, launched at the recent Maison et Objet Paris, comes in two different wall-sconce designs, a table lamp, two floor lamps, five pendant styles and three different pendant cluster configurations.
Stickbulb: X Diamond Chandelier
Known for its LED wood-stick luminaires (hence the company’s name), the New York City studio introduced a nine-foot-tall chandelier in the VIP Lounge at Scope Art Fair in Miami this winter. The limited edition octahedral fixture is constructed with 60 maplewood Stickbulbs attached with cast brass joints. If you missed your chance to get this monumental piece, consider the other X Collection designs from Stickbulb: Truss and Triple X Chandelier. (A matching occasional table is also available.)
Vibia: Origami
An indoor/outdoor luminaire, Origami is more like wall art than a sconce as it consists of multiple folded-plane diffuser modules in limitless configurations. Each polycarbonate diffuser measures 11.75 inches square and comes in white matte lacquer, oxide matte lacquer or oxide green matte lacquer.
