Studio Italia's UFO.
As the star-studded Golden Globes light up Los Angeles today, I thought it would be the perfect time to illuminate my Examiner pages with my own red-carpet picks. You won’t find George Clooney or Angelina Jolie here but you will see a variety of the grooviest globe light fixtures that came across my radar this week. These are my choices from around the, ahem, globe: take a look at my Miami Interior Decorating page to see some of the brightest choices from the design-savvy city.
We kick off our international survey with Studio Italia’s UFO, which wins top prize for being both golden and a globe. Brian Rasmussen designed the pendant for the Venice-based manufacturer, which despite its other-worldly name has down-to-earth appeal. Tom Dixon’s Copper Shade pendant lamps, which launch the slideshow below, are oh-so-shiny fixtures with a metalised copper mirror finish. These reflecting beauties are in the uber-designer’s 2009 portfolio. Currey and Company’s hand-rubbed bronze Temple Pendant has plenty of old-world charm, a bauble that someone as achingly chic as Penelope Cruz might wear were it an earring.
I was surprised to find that when it comes to globes, there’s truly something for everyone. Very contemporary choices include Normann Copenhagen’s Norm 03, Artemide’s Dioscuri table lights and The Conran Shop's beautifully delicate Bocci. There were a surprising number of retro options, too, including the Meteor pendant at V and M, and Design House Stockholm’s Cord floor lamp.
I asked a handful of my favorite designers for their picks and they didn’t disappoint. Kara Mann, who has been recognized by InStyle magazine as an “of-the-moment” designer and tapped as a member of “The Vogue 100,” chose Ochre’s beautiful Arctic Pear Chandelier (for another groovy choice of hers, visit Design Commotion’s Golden Globes page). One of my favorites, the "Vine" illuminated sculpture by Jeff Zimmerman at R 20th Century, leads the Design Commotion page. Talk about artful illumination!
Evelyn Benatar weighed in with two choices that are clean and classic. She placed the Caboche pendant lamp by Foscarini, which was designed by Patricia Urquiola and Eliana Gerotto, in a tranquilly tailored kitchen she designed (see it in the slideshow below); and the Cascade Luminaire Grand fixture, designed by Todd Rugee for Boyd Lighting's Kentfield Collection, in a living room she designed (also shown below). She says of her choice, “This is a condo on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in which the focal point was the view. The room was to be glamorous but also functional because there is no family room. I needed something airy, and modern that would look good but would not interfere with watching television from the sofa. I must say, this is one of my favorite fixtures.”
Brooklyn-based designer John Loecke, who with dashing partner Jason Oliver Nixon founded John Loecke Interior Design, chose the Vaughan pendant for our stylish survey. “It’s simple yet elegant,” says the talented designer. “I like it because the frosted star motif casts a magical glow. I often place several in a row in long hallways.” Christina Romann of C2 Limited Design Associates picked clear globes she spotted at the Procurement Consortium because she likes their refined utilitarian design. “These work nicely in an entry foyer or as a grouping of two or three over a kitchen island in a loft,” she explains. “They are stylistically flexible, making them excellent choices in both residential and hospitality/contract design.”
New York-based designer Charles Pavarini III placed an Art Deco antique fixture that he found at Paul Samati Gallery in a dining room he designed for the Hudson River Showhouse in Nyack, NY, in 1999. Pairing the antique with contemporary elements brought it a freshness it might have lacked in a less upbeat setting. And Inner Garden's George's Modern chandelier is the epitome of a modern blown glass design.
I’m staging a contest on the Design Commotion fan page on Facebook. I hope you’ll visit us and take the time to vote. Glamorous gawking, Globe fans!
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