Growth opportunity
Once upon a time, there was the Babylon Light, a groundbreaking pendant/plant system by Ryan Taylor of the Toronto studio Object/Interface. Now, a few years later, Taylor has fine-tuned the concept with the Well Light, a more flexible design that wraps a removable 13-centimetre-high planter around a fixture inspired by well glass (the marine-grade curved lights you’d see on a boat). “I’ve always loved its iconic industrial/nautical look,” Taylor says. “But I wanted to make something that was more refined.” Crafted in aluminum, it’s available in white, black or a combination of the two.
$634, 24 cm by 30.5 cm, objectinterface.ca
Right angles
Chinese screens and Ettore Sottsass’ Memphis Group provide the disparate inspirations for Beaubien, the latest lighting collection from Montreal design studio Lambert & Fils. Shown here in its wall version, the design is also available in a floor lamp and a couple of pendant variations, all of which feature the same black powder-coated aluminum frame and brass accents. The resulting aesthetic redefines the usual vase-like lamp shape with something far more geometric – a mathematical, elegant take on the neon wall signs gaining artistic momentum.
$2,495, 43 cm by 150 cm, lambertetfils.com
Rebirth of cool
Though Toronto’s Lightmaker Studio has a mid-century aesthetic, all the fixtures inside offer a fresh modern feel. The Shout table lamp, for example, offers bulbous brass diffusers that look distinctly retro, but the off-kilter steel frame is distinctly of the moment. The lamps are made to order in the brand’s Distillery District studio and an alternate version features ethereal blown glass orbs and a brass body.
$425, 24 cm by 26 cm, lightmakerstudio.com
She’s crafty
Madebyild founder Isabelle Le Doussal is seriously into the Slow Design movement, and her Papier Mâché Hanging Lamp is perfect evidence. The Montreal architect/designer makes each pendant individually from recycled newspaper and applies gold leaf to the entire interior before finishing the piece with transparent varnish that resists stains, dust and scratches. Commissioned by new Quebec design retailer Chic & Basta, it’s overtly handmade, but balanced, thanks to the modern, clean-lined feel of its LED bulb and sleek, red fabric-covered cord.
$190, 38 cm by 15 cm, en.chicbasta.com
Knots landing
Looking more like a marker sketch than a light fixture, the Lubach Pendant is a bit of an optical illusion. The made-to-order cylindrical fixture is multiple layers of welded steel, and one of the two premiere collections of Halifax’s Luxi Studioworks, headed up by metalworker Alisha Boyd. It’s made to mix-and-match: the powder-coated diffuser is available in six standard colours and myriad custom options; the brass socket is available in six finishes; and the braided rayon-covered cord comes in a seemingly endless array of patterns. Still, a simple black-on-black configuration might prove to be the most dramatic.
From $435, 30.5 cm by 9 cm, luxistudioworks.com
Turn for the better
Kurva is Swedish for bend – Victoria’s Mike Randall named his design house to signal his love for both Scandinavian style and curvaceous forms. It’s no surprise, then, that his new Bow Light is defined by a serious arc: The technique he uses to bend the bleached maple it’s made from is the same one used to create a long bow. Its plywood base is covered in ebonized white oak veneer, while an LED strip is embedded into the top third of the extra-tall floor light that’s specially designed for rooms with high ceilings.
From $2,400, 210 cm by 150 cm, kurvadesign.ca