40 | AUG.19 http://www.furniturelightingdecor.comFunctional Art
LED and other technologies free up lighting designers for artistic expression.
BY KATIE CARONW
hile some might say that all lighting
is a form of art in its own way, some
lighting fixtures are especially artful,
designed to catch the eye and add
visual interest even when they’re not
switched on. We chatted with Jeff Dross, Corporate
Director, Education and Industry Trends at Kichler, to
learn more about how technology has given rise to
lighting that doubles as art and the ways today’s spaces
are balancing form and functionality.
Lighting functioning as art has been enabled by the
change from incandescent to LED light sources, Dross
says. Advances in LED technology mean that less clunky
wiring is needed, and lighting can be configured in a
wider variety of ways.
“It has freed up designers to be a little bit more
creative and not worry as much about the placement of
the light bulb,” Dross says.
With fewer constraints on the lighting design process,
more product designers at more companies are
thinking outside the box and creating bold, sculptural
lighting fixtures.
Another aspect of this growing trend, Dross notes,
is the way we light spaces today compared to even 20
years ago. Whereas different spaces in a home used to
have generally one type of lighting — a fluorescent
box in the kitchen, a chandelier in the dining
room, mushroom lights in the hallway — today,
each room is more likely to have several
lighting sources. With more functional
options like recessed cans and toe kick
lighting available, decorative pieces can be
decorative for their own sake.
“When there was only one lighting fixture,
you had to have a lot of function, and the
beauty came along,” Dross said. “Now, I think
we can probably see a reversal of that where
maybe the beauty becomes the first and most
important element of that particular piece and the
function is a little bit lower in the responsibility level,
because we know that there are other lighting sources
in the home that are only functional.”
In both residential and commercial spaces, Dross
says he’s seeing the lighting as art phenomenon most
commonly in the form of chandeliers and sconces
these days.For interior
designers looking to
incorporate pieces of
lighting that stand alone
as art, Dross recommends
picking your battles and not
going overboard with too many
statement fixtures.
With innovations in materials and technology, lighting
fixtures designed for different spaces don’t have to serve
one purpose or look one way anymore. As with any form
of art, Dross says it’s all about making it personal to a
space and having fun with it. FLDRomanian interior artist
Andreea Braescu used
fi ne bone china to create
this bespoke lighting
sculpture. When lit up,
each handcrafted petal and
leaf emits a warm light,
capturing the essence of
living nature.