We used to look to art to write drama into our homes. Today’s stylists have a new favourite trick: architectural wall lamps. Sculptural and lithe, they leap off the walls to up the ante of what we’ve always thought of as the in-between spaces — the loveless corridors or awkward nooks that can prove so difficult to style.
A Stretch Of The Imagination
Like most good design ideas, we have Prouvé, Corbusier and Perriand to thank for this elegant way of light. Originally conceived for projects like Unité d’Habitation and La Maison Tropical, the first examples of architectural wall lights were really an exercise in purity: a naked bulb. A pivoting arm. And a directional shade. However, as they’ve been reissued and new variants have appeared, their ethereal bulbs and delicate stems have become progressively more lovely.
Today, you’ll find them cleaving out arcing focal points above dining tables. Or else as a sculptural alternative to table lamps in offices that are short on space.