Awash in spheres of light
At a major show in Spain, almost a million decorative fixtures arc, bob and float across interiors.
By Janet Eastman
Thursday October 07, 2004
VALENCIA, SPAIN -- Spain's largest convention center bubbled with activity like an overheated lava lamp last week during the International Fair of Lighting Fixtures. Almost a million lighting styles were shown, in forms as varied as minimalist LED dots and overdressed chandeliers, at the only fair in Europe this year devoted to decorative lighting.
About 470 exhibitors set up a circus of lights to satisfy most any taste. Hanging lamps looked like swollen pumpkins held airborne by a single string; arcing floor lamps resembled egrets pecking at the ground; and wall-mounted lights of brushed aluminum, alabaster, enameled porcelain and polished wood looked as if they were barely there.
Fixtures were as small as a brooch and as large as an entire wall. Some were dripping with crystals, draped in gilded leaves, and printed with the Mona Lisa or the Simpsons. Shades were fashioned from stone, fireproof denim, even paper.
Veterans of Milan's prestigious lighting show, which is held every other spring, said they saw many Spanish products for the first time. "It's very local," said Josie A. Anthony, president of Leucos U.S.A., an Italian lighting company with an office in New Jersey.
Spanish designers and manufacturers showcased their fluency in classic styling and their forward thinking in progressive contemporary offerings. Other major exhibitors came from Italy, Portugal, Germany, Britain and Turkey.
About 25% of these companies' sales take place during the six-day show, making it the Christmas sales season of the lighting world. Residential lighting sales in the U.S. topped $5 billion last year, according to the American Lighting Assn. in Dallas. Almost all of the residential lighting in the U.S. is imported from China, Italy and Spain.
At the fair, Estiluz of Girona, Spain, showed how it solved the problem of requiring one fixture to do two tasks: Its series of handsome floor lamps illuminate a room with a light at the top and an adjustable arm to provide task lighting (www.esti luz.com).
Vibia of Barcelona introduced its graceful Jazz line, a sculpted light that is almost 7 feet tall. To make the willowy, modern floor lamp, a piece of polyester resin is stretched and twisted, leaving a wavy center anchored by a cone-shaped bottom and top. A halogen bulb fits in the top. The body is lacquered in white, red or black, and also comes as a hanging lamp (www.vibialight.com).
Modiss Iluminacion of Barcelona revealed its Bloss suspension lamp with a white-glass orb nested into a clear acrylic, C-shaped bar. It is held in place by a steel cable with a raising and lowering device.
The firm's lead designer, Alfonso Fontal, also created the '70s-retro Tybo, which looks like a cluster of balloons, their white opal spheres connected by chrome (www.modiss.com).
B. Lux and Vanlux of Bizkaia, Spain, presented its Jackie line of table and floor lamps that place a cylinder inside another transparent cylinder that sits on three steel legs. The space between the cylinders can be filled with rose petals, colorful stones or fabric to match the decor.
Another new product is ceiling lights in flameproof fabrics that conceal existing nondescript ceiling lights. The fabric panels are printed with geometric pinwheels, autumn leaves, water drops, or the day or night sky. They are stretched across the light and attached to the ceiling by springs and anchoring hardware. Panel sizes range from 3 to 5 feet square (www.grupoblux.com).
Lighting is a small part of the furnishings market, but it has been growing in the last few years because of new home construction, increased remodeling and the public's understanding of lighting's ability to transform a room, often showcased on home makeover shows on television.
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