6 Contemporary Light Fixtures Made Of Natural Materials

Details

Contemporary lighting fixtures made of natural materials illuminate the storied interiors of the Park Avenue Armory.


Brent Warr’s Katie contemporary table lamp is shown atop the wood Paleta pedestal from Arhaus

All photos by Patricia Heal

Petite Player

Brent Warr’s Katie table lamp is compact enough to work in a range of environments while remaining functional. Shown atop the wood Paleta pedestal from Arhaus, both the shade and base are made of cast plaster and punctuated by playful semi-spheres for added dimension. When illuminated, the natural imperfections of its uneven surface reveal arresting shadows and color variations. Warr, an Auburn University graduate who is based in Atlanta, also offers the design in custom colorways. objectivegallery.com, arhaus.com


Natalia Landowska’s Cashew Cream wall sconce beams with exquisite minimalism

Ethereal Element

Porcelain’s materiality is reimagined with Polish-born interior designer-cum-ceramicist Natalia Landowska’s Cashew Cream wall sconce. The fixture is covered in multiple layers of glaze resulting in a delicate flaky texture that gives the piece an organic, earthen quality. At her circa-1900s Brooklyn studio, each thin, shell-like form morphs in the kiln and no two glazes appear the same after firing, ensuring that each design is a unique creation. natalialandowska.com


Collaborating with In Common With, Danny Kaplan created the Helena Floor lamp

Power Pose

Behold the Helena Floor lamp by Brooklyn-based ceramicist Danny Kaplan in collaboration with In Common With. A study in aesthetic purity, the fixture’s seductive form is achieved through coil-building, whereby rings of clay are stacked and then smoothed before firing. The matching shade conceals seven light bulbs, which can be dimmed by turning the brass knob crowning the top. Shown here in Stone, the lamp is available in six colorways and three brass hardware finishes. incommonwith.com


Ryan Korban’s debut collection for RH Contemporary consists of five lighting pieces

Classical Note

Designer Ryan Korban’s much-anticipated debut collection for RH Contemporary consists of five lighting pieces, including the Garonne Grand sconce. Pictured here against the layered walls of the historical Park Avenue Armory, the stately fixture channels traditional 1930s French silhouettes, while its sleek lines and matte finish echo a modernized, minimalist sensibility. The sconce is handcrafted with steal and finished in a smooth plaster. rh.com


Old meets new in Barbara Palatin-Doyle’s Charta Alba I table lamp

Mixing Traditions

Old meets new in Barbara Palatin-Doyle’s Charta Alba I table lamp. For the sculpted base, the Studio Palatin founder was inspired by 17th- and 18th-century designs as well as humble brown wrapping paper from an Amazon box. Palatin-Doyle, who splits time between New York City and her native Austria, worked said paper into unique crinkled forms before enlisting Augarten Wien, a 300-year-old porcelain factory, to bring the stunning white shape to life, which is topped with a handmade Japanese Hosho paper shade. lizobrien.com


The White Fins pendant is handmade by Dana Castle of Crosland + Emmons

Tactile Forms

The White Fins pendant is handmade by Atlanta maker Dana Castle of Crosland + Emmons. Each piece is composed of white stoneware and threaded through a brass stem that can be adjusted to the desired position, encouraging one to engage with the light like an evolving piece of art. Castle avoids color as not to distract from the raw beauty of her material, and finishes each design in a chalky white glaze that “adds a softness without hiding the evidence of the hands that made it.” croslandandemmons.com