Aim lighting brought to you by FLOS, is available in three brand new anodized colourways; Ivy, Light Silver and Steel Blue.

Aim from FLOS Lighting Design is now available in a new chromatic range. The lively weaving of cables and lighting fixtures, is extended with three brand new anodized finishes: Ivy Anodized ( green), Light Silver Anodized (aluminum) and Steel Blue Anodized (a gray/blue tone).

Aim’s design is inspired by organic shapes and scenes from nature, featuring curved and rounded elements, bringing elements of calm and sophistication to lighting design.

For more information, visit flos.com.

The post Aim by FLOS Lighting Design appeared first on Visi.

Everything is Illuminated

These brilliant lighting systems allow you to create your own compositions, brighten up dead zones and enhance the architectural genius of your space. If you’re looking for more striking additions to elevate your interiors, don’t miss our feature on Statement Table Lamps for Your Home.

Sticks

Pure and graphic, the minimalist aluminium rods of STICKS – designed by Arik Levy for Vibia – can be used to transform linear light into a floating sculpture, to brighten corners and to highlight architectural elements using light. Create your own layout by adding connectible STICKS or stand-alone models to your composition. The STICKS measure 1.5m, 2m or 3m, linking together to reach a maximum length of 6.5m with a single electrical connection.

Wiring

Andrea Trimarchi and Simone Farresin, better known as Studio Formafantasma, are Italian designers based in Amsterdam. Since graduating from Design Academy Eindhoven, they have developed a body of work characterised by experimental material investigations and a critical approach to the significance of objects as cultural conduits. Studio Formafantasma’s WIRERING light range for Flos includes a belt-like electrical cable and a ring containing an LED strip. The cable – often considered something to hide – is the focus, cleverly drawing attention to the transmission of energy through the design.

Infra-structure

Vincent Van Duysen, a Belgian architect based in Antwerp, is well known for his restrained, pared-back design. His INFRA-STRUCTURE range for Flos is tubular, and compatible with a wide range of light fixtures, with magnetic fastening and mechanical safety locking that make it possible to combine vertical and horizontal elements to generate 3D combinations in infinite variations. The graphic simplicity of the elements – and the speed with which they can be combined – allows for a creative approach to any space.

Flat

The FLAT collection is one of three lighting collections created by Japanese designer Ichiro Iwasaki for Vibia. The FLAT hanging lamps are expressed as metal planes that descend from above and terminate at different heights. Hanging from cables suspended from the ceiling, the pendant fittings are both delicate and strikingly graphic, and seem to almost float overhead. They reflect light from their surfaces too, projecting an enveloping luminance into a space.

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.

The post Everything is Illuminated: Clever Lighting Systems appeared first on Visi.

Located in the heart of Florence, Italy is a minimalist gem designed by Pierattelli Architetture that boasts an unrivalled view of the famed Ponte Vecchio.

Spacious for compact living at 130 m², the lounge of this single-storey stunner boasts two off-centre pivot windows that give the illusion of space by welcoming the most iconic picture-frame view of Florence’s Old Bridge.

A real-time painting of sorts, the sounds of the rushing river and beams of natural light pleasantly flood the apartment keeping the bustle of the city close enough to enjoy but far enough to experience tranquility.

Pierattelli Architetture approached the design with the aim of creating an interior that whispered luxury as opposed to shouting opulence. Intricate detailing on furnishings custom-built by local artisans reveals a keen eye for attention to detail. Calming hues of white and blue allow for statement pieces such as Flos lighting fixtures and Knoll furniture to take centre stage, while not detracting from the calming ambience.

See more projects by Pierattelli Architetture, here.

The post Cool Spaces: Chic Florence Apartment appeared first on Visi.

Lighting has transcended its traditional form, says Deputy Editor Annemarie Meintjes, after seeing the latest designs at the international lighting exhibition Euroluce in Milan.

Held in parallel with Salone del Mobile in Milan, Euroluce is described as “a veritable laboratory of design innovation in both the decorative and the lighting technology sectors”. This year, 485 exhibitors showed the latest in lighting design. It was very clear, says Annemarie, that designs have moved beyond the fitting and the shade, and, in most cases, even the light source was concealed. Inspiration came from torchlight, tubes, cylinders and circles, as well as jewellery, the alphabet and even blow-up toys, but what the designs all point towards is that transforming a space with light is the way forward.

1. FARE LUCE (Shedding Light), an installation by architect Giovanni Maria Filindeu for Foscarini. “Light and shadows are the most essential elements that can grant meaning to an architectural space, transforming it into a destination,” says the designer. Available at spazio.co.za.

2. FLASH by Studio Job for qeeboo is a cordless, dimmable, rechargeable LED table lamp with 6 hours’ output that is operated by remote control. Available at qeeboo.com.

3. SAWARU, designed by Nendo for Flos, consists of two independent cylinders touching each other in a perpendicular direction. One acts as the a source and the other as a base. The projection angle can be altered in three stages. Available at spazio.co.za.

4. CAPSULA, designed by Lucie Koldová for Brokis, is a pendant light with overlapping hand-blown glass capsules, connected by a tubular diffuser that emits a frosted LED light.

5. GUISE, designed by Stefan Diez for Vibia, is a collection of lights that transforms its materiality into the medium of light itself using a slim row of LEDs. Light conducted by glass is invisible, only emanating at the edges.

6. ISP, designed by Ilia Sergeevich Potemine (hence the name ISP) for DCW ÉDITIONS, comes in a table and a wall lamp. It is reminiscent of 19th century steampunk lamps, but only in appearance. To illuminate the ISP lamp, you pull out the cylinder with the LEDs by means of a small handle from the surrounding brass tube. How far depends on how much light is needed. Available at generationdesign.co.za.

7. FILO – Ruby Jaypure, designed by philosopher-turned-designer Andrea Anastasio for Foscarini, is a dazzling table lamp that brings to mind a precious necklace. It comprises an electric cable decorated with glass baubles, with a porcelain cone lampshade that projects the light on the wire and the glass.
Available at spazio.co.za.

8. BLOW ME UP by Theo Möller for Ingo Maurer is an inflatable air hose with a LED strip that comes rolled up in a can. A sensor switch is integrated on one side of the LED strip, which radiates the reflective side of the tube, thus scattering indirect light in the room.

9. COLIMAÇON, designed by architect, city planner and designer Jean-Michel Wilmotte for Artemide, is a family of aluminium, steel and LED wall lights.

10. ARRANGEMENTS, designed by Michael Anastassiades for FLOS, is a modular system of geometric light elements that could be combined in different ways, creating multiple compositions into individual chandeliers. Each unit simply attaches onto the previous one as if resting, balancing perfectly as part of a glowing chain. Available at spazio.co.za.

11. ALPHABET OF LIGHT was a lighting installation by Italian brand ARTEMIDE and Danish firm BIG. The latter has created a modular lighting system that can be arranged to “write” on a wall. The letters are formed by joining lengths of LED strip lights with magnets. There are two linear elements of different lengths, and two round ones that can be separated into modules to join the linear elements.

The post What’s Trending In Lighting appeared first on Visi.

This exhibit will feature leading international brands Cassina, Kartell, Flos and Moroso. Here, he tells us more about what we can expect.

What will you be doing at Design Joburg?
We will be designing a “beach cabin” style space, or at least our take on a beach cabin, with Moroso, Flos, Cassina and Kartell.

Why are you a good fit with these brands?
I am personally a huge fan of these brands and the elevated craftsmanship they stand for. We recently completed a project in Rosebank, a club called MESH (which VISI featured here), where we were privileged to customise iconic pieces from Cassina and Moroso. We’ve formed a good relationship with these brands.

What can visitors expect from the stand you are designing?
Our intention is to create a slick and serene breath-of-fresh-air space in which visitors can appreciate the design details and craftsmanship of Cassina, Kartell, Moroso and Flos pieces up close.

What do you think sets Africa apart from the rest of the world with regards to design?
Growth. Africa is rapidly growing and keeping up with this growth is both exciting and challenging. This creates demand and room for the development of new ideas. Africa hasn’t reached its full potential just yet, so the possibilities are endless. While some more established parts of the globe seem to have reached a point of stagnation, the African continent is a trailblazer in original design.

Any scoops on upcoming projects for Studio A?
We have some great high-end residential projects coming up this year in Johannesburg and in Normandy in France. We are also busy with two restaurants in Miami, Florida and wrapping up a fast-casual-food concept in Dubai. In Johannesburg, we are working on a bar called Milk and Honey that is going to be a departure from our masculine aesthetic.

What trend/s are you all over for 2017? 
Detail. There is luxury in the detail of design. This is a trend I am sure we’ll be seeing more and more of. The focus is on creating a design experience and carrying this through into small, usually indistinct, or often overlooked, details.

Which international designer would you like to spend a whole day with and what would you do with them? 
Masamichi Katayama of Wonderwall Design in Japan. I would spend a day in Tokyo at his office and try to figure out what keeps him pushing ahead of the rest of the design world.

JVR Architects and Generation Store will also come together to create a Collaborative Roomset at Design Joburg – you can read more about it here. Thabisa Mjo and Tempur are also collaborating. The show runs from 12 to 14 May 2017. Tickets are priced between R80 and R110 and are available here.

The post 5 Minutes With Designer Tristan du Plessis appeared first on Visi.

Bring a muted lounge to life this season with big and bright florals and patterns. A striking rug takes center stage under the subtle spotlights. Splashes of colour and patterns complete the pretty picture. Swap in and out to make it your own with these additional products from our decor promotion in the SPRINGLOADED VISI 68.

• FLOS AIM spotlight
  ELDC, 310 Victoria Rd, Woodstock, Cape Town, 021 448 8684, www.eldc.co.za
• Love Home Slanted Glass Bowl, JIA Glass & Resin Tealight Candle Holder, Menu Howdy Owl, JIA Purple Clay Coffee Set, Normann Copenhagen Swing Vase
  Entrepo, Tyger Valley Centre, Canal Walk Shopping Centre, Waterfront, Cavendish, Constantia, Blue Route, Sandton City, Hyde Park, 021 462 2063, www.entrepo.co.za
• Osborne & Little, Serai, Fuschia/Blackcurrent/Lilac; Designers Guild, Viola, Heather; Designers Guild, Seraphina, Delft; Osborne & Little, Tabriz, Chartreuse/Grey
  Home Fabrics, Midrand, Brooklyn, Kramerville, Morningside, The Foundry, Mill Park, 011 266 3700, www.homefabrics.co.za
• The Modern Collection, Tiles
  Rug Revolucion, 186 Loop St, Cape Town, 021 424 6250/1, www.rugrevolucion.com
• Lun-Koon Lounge Chair, Korogated Side Table, Lun-Koon Coffee Table, Comfort Lazy Chair
  Warisan, Somerset Square, Highfield Road, Greenpoint, 021 421 1122, www.warisan.com

Need help with the rest of your home too?

For more spring inspiration, get the SPRINGLOADED VISI 68 at selected stockists or the digital edition right now.

The post Hello spring: Lounge appeared first on Visi.

The 52nd edition of the Salone Internazionale del Mobile took place at the spectacular Milan Fairgrounds in Italy during the 2013 Milan Furniture Fair. Apart from the overwhelming amount of chairs, sofas, tables, office furniture and accessories for the home, the biennial Euroluce exhibition of lighting showcased 479 designers in an astonishing 38 000 sqm exhibition space. Here are the top ten designs that light up our lives.

More articles from Milan Furniture Fair 2013:

• 4 views on Milan 2013
• Milan preview: 8 of the great
• Make way for Africa

The post Top 10 lights from Milan 2013 appeared first on Visi.

Southern Guild ArcelorMittal SA Heavy Metal was an independent exhibition of high-end design investment pieces in the Woodstock Foundry at the same time as Design Indaba. Is this the beginning of a design-fuelled fringe festival?

Trevyn and Julian McGowan, the directors of Southern Guild, were not the only people to piggy back their event on the influx of design professionals into the Mother City. The European Light and Design Centre flew in Giullermo Simo Pascual from FLOS Italy to launch Patricia Urquiola’s new Tatou series, and Sodastream SA took the opportunity to celebrate the new Yves Behar-designed machine.

The Heavy Metal exhibition’s opening was perfectly timed: straight after the first day of the Design Indaba Conference. A live performance by Them Tornadoes, kinetic fire sculpture by Brendhan Dickerson, food trucks, and lots of wine and bubbly made for a stylish but laidback party atmosphere. Celebrated Malian designer Cheick Diallo showed work, and conference speaker David Adjaye made an unofficial appearance and whirlwind tour of the work.

With over 40 pieces on show, also noteworthy about Heavy Metal was the number of top South African designers and artists who were not exhibiting at the expo. Gregor Jenkin, Andile Dyalvane, Porky Hefer, Dokter and Misses, Joe Paine and many others chose to make a single statement piece for Heavy Metal, rather than creating a mass of low-cost high-turnover wares that typically do well at the expo.

“With the Heavy Metal exhibition we want to celebrate this age-old tradition of designers working in steel, bronze, copper, aluminium, gold and silver and the beauty of the raw material, but we equally want to throw a spotlight on the durability and appropriateness of this material in tough economic times when high quality investment pieces are, rightly, favoured over cheap, mass-produced, low-quality objects,” said Trevyn.

VISI thinks that it is fantastic that the South African design industry has grown to this point and the quality of the work on display said it all. In particular, we loved Ceramic Matters’s Dream Dolls, Dokter and Misses’s on-trend use of colour, Haldane Martin’s fabulous Hex brass tables and Guy du Toit’s whimsical hare tables.

For more of Southern Guild’s design collaborations, visit their website www.southernguild.co.za

The post Metal mania appeared first on Visi.

Debbie is also a Cordon Bleu chef, and on Wednesdays she hosts an open day luncheon where clients are treated to a sumptuous spread, and walked through her home to view the various combinations of linen and accessories on display. Two of her rooms are dedicated product spaces, where clients and interior designers can get a ‘look and feel’ experience of the product, particularly the handmade VISPRING beds. VISI photographer Fay Jackson went along to one of Debbie’s luncheons and took some photographs of her innovative dual space.

The post Real spaces: Debbie Hall’s home showroom appeared first on Visi.