Nearly 130 years after Edison’s invention of the light bulb, we are still trying to perfect the way in which we deliver light. We’d like to share with you a few lighting brands that are doing interesting work in both the design of their fixtures and the innovative lighting technologies being used.

Corbett Lighting
Corbett Lighting is known for their creative use of hand-forged iron and hand-applied finishes. They use the finest glassware, shades and natural material.

Vertigo by Corbett is truly mesmerizing just to look at, with an assortment of circular hand-crafted iron rings in various sizes fused together. It is available as a two, three or four light pendant, one light mini-pendant, and one light sconce in either a bronze/gold leaf finish with caramel ice diffuser or a modern silver finish with citrine ice diffuser; this dizzying design creates a perfect mixture of motion and balance.

Vertigo by Corbett Lighting

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Remodeling a bathroom is still considered a smart and economical choice for homeowners – they can enjoy the fruits of their labor now and recoup much of the costs later. The building blocks of any bathroom seem relatively elementary: sink, toilet, shower, vanity, mirror, lighting. However, choosing products for this room still intimidates many homeowners. Here are a few choices for the bathroom that we consider to be liberating, not limiting.

Ameli from Hastings Tile & Bath

Choosing pure white for your vanity should not feel as though you are settling. With the Ameli from Tulli Zuccari, you need never apologize. Graceful and elegant, the vanity sits atop two tapered legs that can be adorned with either gold or chrome accents. To coordinate the look of the entire piece, the towel bar under the vanity is also available in chrome or gold finishes. The vanity top is offered in a satin finish in pure white. The Ameli is perfect for minimalists who appreciate its modern appeal.

Ameli Vanity

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With summer upon us people will be taking advantage of the friendly climate to spend more time outdoors: hosting parties, dinners, and other social events. This means you will want to have plenty of light for your back yard or patio, lest people be standing around in the dark. At the same time, you won’t want to rack up a huge electric bill in the process.

We came across an eco-friendly and stylish solution. These cool looking Vazon Magnum translucent planters by Rotoluxe are made for indoor or outdoor use and use low watt CFL/LED lighting to give off an ambient glow. You can use them to hold your outdoor plants and place them throughout your back yard. They serve as great night lights and accent pieces.

The planters can be powered via standard wall plug or by rechargeable battery (LED lights lasting 8-10 hours). There’s also an assortment of modifications available for your planter, including speakers, outdoor draining system or fabric. Best of all, they are made of 100% recycled plastics and the low wattage will keep your energy costs to a minimum.

Find more information about the Vazon Magnum planter at www.rotoluxe.com

Vazon Magnum Translucent Planter

Lightfair International (LFI) – taking place in Las Vegas, NV from May 12-14 — is the world’s largest annual architectural and commercial lighting trade show and conference. LFI brings the top international and domestic Architectural, Design, Engineering and Lighting professionals together with exhibitors from around the world. More than 475 of the world’s leading manufacturers will be displaying their products.

At this year’s Lightfair, much of the attention is being directed towards the newest products in LED technology. LEDs, or light-emitting diodes, were in the past primarily used just as indicator lights, but are now being increasingly used for lighting thanks to the improvement of high power and high efficiency LEDs and the many advantages that they present over traditional incandescent light sources. Some of the advantages of LEDs include lower energy consumption, smaller size, longer lifetime and greater durability.

One innovative new product being exhibited this year is Creative Systems Lighting’s (CSL) Eco-Downlight LED IC/Airtight Adjustable lamp, which is the only IC version available in the industry. This ultra-efficient 3” LED recessed downlight is adjustable up to 45° and features 360° rotation with locking hardware. It is Energy Star Commercial and Residential compliant and is considered a true low-power replacement for the less efficient 50W MR16 lamps.

You can find more information about the light fair at www.lightfair.com

For more information on Creative Systems Lighting visit www.CSLLigthing.com

Here are some pictures of the CSL booth and the adjustable lamp. Click any of the pictures for a larger version:

CSL Lighting Booth

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Luxury lighting designs are an essential addition to any environment, affecting the way we see things. Setting the style and tone to the room, Studio Italia Design’s Plafoniere Luxury Lighting applications takes lighting to the top, literally, with imaginative ceiling mounted fixtures. Beautiful in any setting, the collection offers an array of design options, from the extraordinarily unusual, to the remarkably elaborate; each detail ingeniously imagined and created. Involving a thorough process to create the final form, each Studio Italia Design masterpiece is meticulously handcrafted under the talented eye of skilled craftsmen and artisans. For more information visit sid-usa.com

Kapp

Kapp – Artful, inventive and playful, the exquisite details of the Kapp fixture will capture any imagination. With stunning hand-blown glass horns creatively assembled, the inventive fixture is skillfully designed to accommodate a ceiling mount application in addition to several other configurations. Each horn is assembled individually according to the eye of its creator until the final masterpiece is complete.

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The use of nature in designs can be a common theme, but one place we feel it is really appropriate is in the bedroom. While camping or “glamping” is fun, what better way to feel like you are part of nature every day than to use nature based elements in your bedroom. Here are a few ways we suggest you can use nature in your decor:

Bedding:

Nourish in Grass Bedding

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Studio Italia Design is based in Venice, Italy and is a fine lighting product manufacturer that lives the nature of their art. The company is made up of artisans and craftspeople working in studios teeming with liquid glass and metals, designing spectacular hand-blown glass products; from the grandest chandeliers to the most perfectly appointed wall sconce. The art of glassblowing is alive and well in Venice, as it has been for centuries. At Studio Italia Design, each customized lighting fixture produced reflects the artistic spirit of the talented craftsmen who conceive and create these products in their Venice factory. Each metal and glass piece in the Studio Italia Design collection is a one of a kind creation, crafted from element to finished product under the watchful eyes of skilled artists.

Studio Italia Design combines art, science and ritual into one fascinating procedure. Using glassblowing techniques passed down for generations, Studio Italia Design’s artists create glass from a mixture of silica, silicates, soda, lime, various gasses and coloring agents. When the glass reaches the casting furnace, it is in a liquid-plastic state and is then extruded, poured, rolled, stamped, hand blown and spun into a wide range of shapes. In a process that can take up to 24 hours for each design, precise measurements between the perfect mixture of air pressure and temperature must be achieved before the artists move on to the creation of the frame and final shape for each fixture. Judging from the results, it is easy to see that the art and science of glassblowing remains as vital today as it has been for centuries.

All images provided by Studio Italia Design: sid-usa.com . Click any image to see a larger version:

The Art of Glassblowing

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This year was a great one for lighting, and we saw more amazing designs than we can could post here. Every one of these pieces is a work of art, nearly all of them are handmade and all extremely unique. As is the case with the glass pieces, each is absolutely unique, as there is no other light that will exactly matching another. Here are our favorite lighting designs of 2009 in no particular order. Take a look at some of our favorites from the year, and also visit our lighting category for more spectacular designs.

Studio Italia Design - Magnetita

This past year there was one very sleek and stylish desk lamp that we just absolutely loved by Studio Italia Design. The Magnetita was designed by Designer Denis Santachiara, and gets its name from the magnetic system that it uses in its innovative balancing system which is based on the use of multiple magnets that gives it a smooth and precise movement. Learn more at: sid-usa.com

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Studio Italia Design, a trailblazing provocateur in Venetian lighting, has put their own modern and technologically-sophisticated spin on the bedside table lamp. Following a no frills design approach with simple shapes and contemporary lines, Minimania and Buonanotte are ideal for curling up before bed with a good book in style.

“Our modern lighting fixtures are intended to be fun, playful and different,” said David Weisinger, President of Studio Italia Design USA. “With Buonanotte you have an incredibly stylish lamp that is also a point of conversation, and Minimania is flexible for reading in bed, and available in numerous bright and vibrant colors.”

Minimania: The Minimania is available as a sconce or a table lamp. It consists of a small cylindrical shade, available in metal or blown glass, that rotates 360 degrees over its nickel or chrome metal frame. Perfect for bedside applications or versatile indirect lighting, the fixture uses one 75-watt GU10 twist-and-lock lamp, and comes with a wall plate that mounts to a standard 4-inch junction box.

Minimania Bedside Table Lamp

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Lately we have seen a growing trend with designer stools as a way to include a small, yet functional piece to your decor. Here are some of our favorite stools that we’ve seen recently:

Balloona Stool

The Balloona stool was designed by Natalie Kruch who has taken a solid wood stool and tied over 500 balloons all over it in her own design. Designer Natalie Kruch has a penchant for making the ordinary beautiful and intriguing.  See the Balloona Stool at Umbra.com . $350 – Currently Sold Out

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