Flame of Life
French designer Patrick Norguet takes inspiration from traditional storm lanterns for Flar, a new lighting collection for Lodes
“The responsibility of the designer is to introduce good products that are timeless, with quality and value,” declares French designer Patrick Norguet. With that intention in mind, Norguet has created Flar, a new collection for Italian lighting brand
Lodes that’s a modern interpretation of traditional hurricane lamps; the latter feature glass shades that keep a burning candle away from strong winds.
“The job of the designer is [also] about using the right technology and craft to design products with quality and value,” adds Norguet, whom we met at the Lodes Milan showroom during Milan Design Week in June; in Singapore, the brand is available at Marquis Qsquare and Million Lighting. He tells us more about the lamp and his key priorities as a designer.
What was the design concept for the Flar collection?
The idea was to use glass techniques to create something visually strong and unique, and in different sizes. We spent almost two years working on it.
I’m happy with Flar because there’s not too much to explain; it’s like a candle. We tried to do something very elegant, and luxurious, although I don’t like this [latter] word. But it would be interesting to make a limited-edition version of this lamp in red or orange; it could look really cool in a bar.
What’s a pandemic-related trend that you think might be set to stay?
In the past, furniture companies worked on the hotels, and now the focus is on the residential market. Now that we have gone back to normal life, our responsibility is to ensure that we work with materials that are good for the environment, and to reduce waste.
What’s a material that you’re interested in using?
Aluminium is very interesting because it’s easy to recycle. I love aluminium, as there are also different techniques to use with it.