Creating Custom Luminaires to Double as Art Installations

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With more modular systems and easily customizable stock fixtures available today, it’s easier than ever to create a truly original light installation that provides illumination and visual interest. Consider the recently completed 51fifteen bar and restaurant situated at downtown Houston’s Saks Fifth Avenue, where a dramatic field of illuminated flower forms were “planted” into a ceiling cove. Aptly called Blossom, these are actually readily available pendants from LightArt’s Artisan collection that were clustered to create the stunning display. Read on for a few more ideas to help you plan a focal lighting installation of your own.

LightArt’s Blossom installation at 51fifteen

Aamsco Lighting: Spider Globe Pendant

Aamsco Lighting

Lately we’ve been seeing some whimsical pendants that allow the cord to become a major part of the overall lighting design. One such product is Aamsco’s Spider system, which features simple medium-based porcelain sockets dangling from textile cables available in different colors. Cluster the cords into a single chandelier or spread them out to produce an alien-like appearance with wider light distribution.

Blackbody: I.Rain Individual

Blackbody

These OLEDs (organic light-emitting diodes) are disc-shaped and attached to short stems in white-painted brass, brass, glass, copper, chrome and black nickel. Group these in large numbers, suspended at different drop lengths, for a dramatic effect. Shown here are custom installations by Buschfeld Design.

Delta Light USA: Forty-5

Delta Light USA

These isometric cubes bring geometric dimension to the wall that’s reminiscent of a Donald Judd or Rachel Whiteread work of art. The sconces are available in left- or right-leaning versions and protrude 2-1/8 inch from the wall. The 3-watt LED source is hidden behind the cube to create an ethereal effect.

LightArt: Square Sconce

LightArt

While the aforementioned Blossom pendant by this manufacturer lends a more baroque touch, LightArt’s newly launched Square Sconce is all about color and minimalism. Their clean 8-inch-square by 3-inch-deep shades are constructed of 1/16-inch 3form Varia Ecoresin in a choice of more than 250 colors (eight of which are standard stocked), including wood-grain mimicking patterns and with different opacities. The units can be specified for accent lighting, wall washing and ambient illumination, making this a versatile little unit.

LightArt

Installed in multiples, they can break up a blank and bland wall surface including, thanks to their slim profiles, in narrow corridors and stairwells. The sconce implements a solid-state LED system with a 6W dimmable LED in 3,000K, 3,500K or 4,000K white color temperatures.

Marset: Nenúfar

Marset

Each model is a cluster of LED discs attached staggered on a central stem. On its own, this pendant is stunning, but combined with several others, it resembles a starry sky above. The fixture comes in preset configurations of three, five, seven or nine LED discs.

Looking for more ideas? Click here to learn how Architizer Source can help you find the right material options.