The Beauty and Brilliance of Glass in Contemporary Lighting Design

Contemporary lighting designers have always weighed their materials carefully. Considering the type of materials, the colors, the textures, and what the materials said about the design. Often times, it’s the construction materials themselves that can make a bolder statement than the design piece itself.

A perfect example lies in the recent shift in contemporary lighting design to incorporate recyclable materials. Contemporary designers, more aware than ever of the green movement, have begun to explore the possibilities of what recyclable materials can say about their specific designs. This surge has been especially true with recycled plastics.

The use of plastics in contemporary design is nothing new. Plastic is a relatively inexpensive and easily molded material that can offer the manufacturer and the lighting designer a higher profit margin. And, while the use of recycled materials is a responsible application of the cast off plastics, it still begs the question, are we continuing to feed this environmental waste by creating a demand for the recycled materials?

There’s another reason why the use of plastics should be questioned in contemporary lighting design. Contemporary design can be viewed as cold and devoid of real warmth. Plastics in the design can often validate this viewpoint. It almost takes the life and soul from the design. Everything in the production is manmade. The antithesis of what lighting design should be. This transforms what started out as an artistic form of expression to one that is merely a functional item in your room.

At Iris Design Studio, there are no plastics to be found in our workshop or our designs. We still hold on steadfastly to the materials that give life and breath to our designs. Warm metals fused with glass and wood make up the bulk of our products. This allows the design to remain connected to the earth and nature. It brings that spark of life, that resemblance to the earth and sky, the sun and the rain.

Glass especially plays a big role in our designs. Its unique and exquisite ability to transform rays of manmade light into ethereal beauty is worth the extra price in production. Glass, easily created from the earth, and easily returned to the earth, can turn a functional lighting fixture into a beautiful work of art that is a tribute to the natural world.

At different times of day, the light will create a different display, sometimes catching the morning light of a sparkling sunrise, sometimes catching the full on brilliance of an afternoon sun. Mixing with the soft glow of electric light, it creates an unmatched display of beauty.

Made of only superior materials from Israel, designer Iris Kadouri’s native country, the floor lamps, ceiling lamps, and chandeliers found at the Iris Design Studio are unmatched in their ability to seamlessly combine function and art. For more information on our unique lighting designs, you can visit our website at www.IrisDesignStudio.com.