What’s new in lighting and home tech?
Bring patterned light inside naturally by choosing shades made from bamboo, rattan, jute or wood. Freedom Furniture’s Bell Basket pendant (1) looks great hung over a dining table, or mix and match in a cluster with other dome, teardrop or drum-shaped pendants made from similar materials. A tip from Freedom’s Myelz Moss is to swap out standard bulbs for a warmer and more homely glow. See freedomfurniture.co.nz.
Old handcrafts translated to new mediums are making an impact in the design world. Take crochet, for instance. Using those techniques to weave steel wire has created delicate yet impressive statement light shades (2) that throw dappled shadows into the space. The shades are available in simple contemporary designs right through to ornate lace replications, from Bianca Lorenne, biancalorenne.co.nz. Multifaceted rock crystals disperse light and radiate a romantic glow, which is why British creative director Timothy Oulton and his team harness these semi-precious attributes in the Elysium lighting collection (3). In a modern version of a chandelier, icy shards of rock crystal are lightly polished by hand and fixed one by one to an iron frame: the largest (with 6000 crystals) takes 18 days to make. From Dawson & Co, dawsonandco.nz.
The Hilo by Feiss (4) has slim metal arms in an oil-rubbed bronze finish that create an organic globe. The true beauty, however, is that this modern chandelier can be used in transitional areas like porches and covered patios. Candelabra bulbs are covered in clear glass casings to protect them from moisture. Available in nine-light and 12-light versions from Auckland’s The Lighting Centre, the chandelier can use dimmable LEDs. See nli.co.nz.
Have you ever set the timer on your home irrigation system to water for the summer only for it to rain buckets? The solution is to get smarter with a system that takes the local weather into account. Skydrop (5) is WiFi connected so it receives live weather updates and automatically adjusts the watering levels over various zones in your garden. So you can do the best by your plants while saving a precious resource for a lot less effort and expense, skydrop.co.nz.
Glass pendants are practical in a kitchen, stairwell or living room as they won’t block a view and are easily cleaned. Glass can add a layer of sophistication to a minimal scheme: the Everly collection from Kichler Lighting (6) blends an old-world Italian aesthetic that fits without fuss into a modern kitchen and there are more than a dozen sizes, glass types and finishes to choose from. From Vogue Lighting in Tauranga, nli.co.nz. Design Denmark has recently brought a newcomer to our shores – a collection of pendant, track, floor and table lights from Light Point, designed in Copenhagen with effortless simplicity in black or white lacquered aluminium. We rather like the Madison lamp with its tiltable shade and gold glow (7), and the Soho wall lights (page 151), that, to us, look like a version of The Dots wooden coat hooks. See designdenmark.co.nz.
You can dip your toe in the water of smart systems without investing a fortune. The PDL Iconic switch range has a Bluetooth low-energy mechanism that is operated from an app so you can schedule the light to turn on or off at particular times of day or even for a season. Start with as many or as few switches as you like and there’s no need for a router/hub or any special wiring, see pdl.co.nz.