Celebrating Global Illumination

Nothing personifies the holidays quite like a beautiful display of light. This is something that every country in the world has in common. Let’s take a journey to see a few stunning light displays from across the globe…

Paris’ Champs-Élysées…

Tel Aviv…

Toronto…

Denver Colorado….

Madrid’s Plaza Mayor…

Paper lanterns in Buenos Aires…

From the Light Festival in Berlin…

Tokyo Japan…

And of course San Francisco’s Waterfront…

Here is wishing you a peaceful holiday season filled with light, and a prosperous new year ahead!

Barbara Ashfield & David J. Hansen

Photos from top:

A collage of light displays from digitalproductionme.com

Champs-Élysées from travelinparis.com

Tel Aviv from telavivartanddesign.com

Toronto from iloveto.com

Denver Colorado from crazy-frankenstein.com

Madrid from your-city-guide.com

Galleries Lafayette in Paris from myexpatgermany.com

Buenos Aires from escapefromamerica.com

Berlin from Magix magazine

Tokyo from celinecats.wordpress.com

San Francisco from junbelen.com

Latest Turn-ons

Recently, when shopping for lighting accoutrements, I stumbled across Forbes & Lomax, a very posh English vendor of even more posh light switches and plates whose appearance can absolutely add to the quiet elegance of a room.

Their current collection includes such lux finishes as nickel, uncoated brass, frosted glass, stainless steel, bronze, and a clear glass “the invisible light switch” which just becomes invisible on a wall. I’ve spent enough time in years past just hating so many of those dreadful switch plate covers to seek out something different.

No need to look further, this is where it’s at…Note that they are available in the States!

There must be an invisible switch plate here no doubt. Portrait of Queen Elizabeth II by Annie Lebovitz (c).

Visit their site at www.forbesandlomax.com

Barbara Ashfield

Jewelry Makes the Outfit!

In Design School one of the best adages I learned about Interior Design was “A room is like an outfit” and “If a room is like an outfit, then lighting is the jewelry”. I always tried to keep this analogy in mind…It all needs jewelry, but not too much! Of course a crystal chandelier epitomizes this idea of jewelry and traditionally has provided the perfect accent and “sparkle” to beautifully appointed rooms.

A variation on Windfall's "Balance" chandelier featuring topaz crystals available at Moura Starr.

I recently learned about the Windfall Company in Munich, Germany who has gone about re-imagining the idea of a crystal chandelier on a massive scale. They have managed to build a bridge from the past to the 21st Century using the traditional crystal in new ways.

A Windfall concept for a Mosque in Sheffield, England-not realized.

The company is the brainchild of German Clarissa Dorn and Dutch born Roel Haagmans. Both parties brought a vast knowledge of lighting and chandelier design when they formed Windfall in 2004. The idea of the company was to “explore the contemporary potential of crystal chandeliers”.

Clarissa Dorn and Roel Haagmens, the Principals of Windfall in Germany.

You won’t find Windfall’s products featured in magazine ads or see their work in most domestic showrooms however they are represented by Moura Starr in New York and Los Angeles. Windfall’s work has caught like wildfire with global high-end retail and commercial clients such as Cartier, Roberto Cavalli and numerous hotels world wide. They have also completed commissions in numerous private homes throughout the world. All of their work is custom and is designed per project.

A Windfall creation in a Roberto Cavalli store.

The most instantly recognizable of the company’s designs is the “Balance” chandelier which at first resembles a traditional chandelier, but upon further examination has no frame and is suspended using nearly invisible means, where each “candle” becomes independent, but allows the piece to work as a dazzling unit.

Windfall's "Balance" chandelier in context.

In doing my research for this post I noticed that fellow local blogger Katie Denham featured one of Windfall’s pieces in her post here.

I think the jewelry analogy is quite appropriate to the work that Windfall does as they have been asked to outfit every Cartier store around the globe with variations on their Balance chandelier.

A chandelier done for a private commission in Bukarest.

I admire Windfall’s approach to the idea of a chandelier, and since they are a relatively young company, look forward to what they will bring to the market next.

David Hansen