At ELLE Decoration we seem to have many mantras, but one I’m particularly fond of is: ‘It’s only worth doing something if you do it well, really well, otherwise it’s better to not do it at all.’ This is particularly true when it comes to who we partner with and how we move the brand into different areas.
Those familiar with our world will know that we already have paint and wallpaper collections, and even a range of mattresses conceived by some of our international editions, but here in the UK we rarely commit to licensed products. Why? Well, to be frank, there are so many incredible designs out in the world, there’s no point adding more to this glut unless what we’re doing is outstanding and offers something new, which we are confident our audience will love as much as we do.
Just under a year ago I met with Niki Wright and Scarlett Hampton, the founders of lights&lamps, the forward-thinking lighting-design studio whose work for their own company and for a number of other top international firms has long been on my radar. There was a total synergy between what we all wanted to achieve and, after a number of discussions and a sharing of ideas, we decided to collaborate. The ‘Editions Collection’ was born.
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Working closely, we have come up with a range of six table lamp bases and six shades (all designed to complement each other), which allow the possibility to create a personalised design for your space. The result is a collection of aspirational lighting crafted from marble, concrete, glass, metals and wood, which we know will appeal to design enthusiasts across the globe.
Materiality, proportion and scale, contrast versus uniformity – these were all concepts we had at the forefront of our minds when developing the range. A focus on shape ensured every shade sat perfectly with each base, and was not an afterthought as is often the case with lamp designs.
The overall feeling had to be totemic, trophy-like, a beautiful piece of art on a plinth.
Thoughtful contrasts in colour, texture and shine come together to make the aesthetic of each combination stand out while retaining individuality. For instance, the warm white plaster shade complements the concrete base, but has its own surface character; the matte walnut shade, with its angular facets, juxtaposes the high-gloss lacquer and smooth curves of the wood base, while the bronze and brass versions offer differing heights and widths, and the gloss olive shade links to nature in its essential go-with-everything green.
Join us during London Design Festival at light&lamps’s dedicated pop-up at 145 Shoreditch High Street, London (15-23 September). It’s a chance to discover the designs yourself, interact with them and work out your favourite combination of shade and base.
The collection starts from £450, lightsandlamps.com
