Chris Fordham is pleasantly surprised:
Decorex 2022: what another one?! It’s hard to believe, but somehow since September we have almost had as many lighting shows, (or shows that include lighting) as prime ministers. Hopefully, that will be the first and last time that I ever, ever, have to write that!
So, what did Decorex 2022 have to offer for those with a passion for decorative lighting? Well, in its 44 years it’s certainly changed from being a place solely for ‘high-end design professionals to meet and do business’, to become a broader church. You still find highly decorative pendants here; but there is far more to the show nowadays.
This year there was a plethora of high-quality design coupled with funky stuff, the like of which first sparked my interest in lighting; the sort of products that make you stop and think ‘ I want that it’s so cool! Now where the hell can I put it; I may need a bigger house?’
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A fine example of this was the Reed Wall installation from Tom Kirk Lighting, a company based in South-East London. The photo (shown above) is impressive but, in real life, it takes on an even more ethereal appearance, a real eye-catcher. The products themselves are also available as single pieces in the ‘The Reed Collection’, as owner Tom Kirk told me; ‘Inspired by bullrushes, originally it was conceived as a vertical light that you would hang in stairwells, double height ceilings, the idea being you can cover large spaces with a light source that is low maintenance, but with an interesting form. The Reed Wall Installation is bespoke, available in different finishes, dimmable, and programmable, you could pulse the luminaire or use it in in some form of sequence should you require’
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Fresh off the press, (or perhaps more accurately the kiln) were ‘Lightscapes’ from fluxsurface. Based by the sea in Sussex, as founder Amy Frankie Smith explained
‘I like to sea swim, and the works are inspired by the ocean, waves, water, and landscapes around me. I am working with flow and ideas of perspective, fluidity on the surface, which is where the business name comes from.
To produce the lights, I roll out thin flat pieces of clay by hand, carving into them whilst still wet. I am trying to work quite freely, whilst not overworking the material, as it is quite delicate and liable to break. After being fired when porcelain is thin, it becomes translucent, and produces this beautiful, diffused light.’
What Amy has produced is as much a piece of art as a light source, and something that has appeal when not illuminated. The result is a subtle light of beauty, where every piece follows the same theme, but due to the manufacturing process, is still unique, and sustainable due to the material used.
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(in the UK from Cameron Peters Fine Lighting)
Serip Lighting is a Portuguese company founded in 1961, that creates sculptures inspired by nature.
Bringing to the show the ‘Voa’, part of their new collection for the show, this light really caught the imagination, for its use of natural elements.
There are no straight edges here, nor minimalist design ideals, Serip’s approach to design could be described; I suppose, as a form of organic opulence, responding with ‘difference, unevenness and contrast, as in nature’.
As Jose told me ‘The inspiration behind each collection is quite unique, for example the Voa, (Voa is a member of the swallow family and a Portuguese icon) was designed by the son’s owner after a group of birds were constantly spotted ‘hanging around’ in the factory. Each bird is made from hand blown glass, and created by methods that rely on highly skilled craftsmen and women. It has been a difficult journey, and due to the production methods, no bird will be the same, as it’s a very artisan process’.
(in the UK from Cameron Peters Fine Lighting)
Everything can be customised, so Jose told me, (and I hope he also told his factory!). Their standard products are the wall-mounted and ceiling-mounted versions. It comes fully assembled from the factory and is sent in large wooden crates, to prevent damage in transit. They recommend at least four or five people to install at the other end, due to the weight and product fragility. The ‘birds’ are available in a variety of colours.
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.Candlelight has been created by German designer Sebastian Hepting and is available in three different versions, as Rebecca Mepham (sales representative for Kaia lighting) told me at the show.
‘These are designed to be floating above a dining table, and available in three different versions. They are all very low voltage (24V), and fed through suspension wires, so no additional power cable is required’.
The luminaires variants are – a glass led candle and downlight which can be dimmed and turned off via a motion sensor on the stem (the electronic candle can also be swapped out for a normal wax version), a dimmable downlight via motion sensor and conventional candle (this can be upgraded to an electronic candle), and a non-dimmable downlight version where only conventional candles are allowed.
Due to the design, it really does appear that the luminaires are floating in air over the table, this coupled with the fact that the product has the possibility to utilise the warmth of a real candle, makes it a real eye catcher, unique. A sublime blend of old and new technologies.
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Elstead Lighting, was displaying products from the new Quintiesse range for the first time. The product that caught my eye was the ‘Styx’ range’ , Mark Smith, head of U.K. sales told me ‘ Styx fuses rich glamour with modern styling for an enthralling and dynamic silhouette with unexpected elements‘. An integrated LED open frame is fully dimmable, composed of clean angles, and finished in a chic black finish. The frame illuminates textured metal branches in gilded gold, mingling organic and contemporary elements.
The new product range is a slight change of direction for Elstead, concentrating as it does on the higher end of the market, and aimed at designers who appreciate a strong aesthetic.
You could describe Decorex as the foremost decorative show in the U.K. and I was pleasantly surprised by the depth of lighting product on offer, the general ambience. As I finish this piece, I find to my bemusement that we have another pm lined up. Well at least the design world has avoided being dragged into the quagmire, and we can share the joy of well; just communicating through our work something that can cheer us all up, and don’t we all need that !