Published on : Friday, August 31, 2018
“With fall comes a few changes. The temperature is lowered, the hours of daylight are shortened and the colours of our surroundings are altered. And so, we made a few changes as well. Some of our familiar classics have been given a new look to meet the needs of a new and somewhat darker season. Meet our downsized Dahl, darker Diva and brighter Say My Name.” – Northern.
Dahl Small
Dahl’s seamless curves and crisp, white surfaces may seem completely contemporary, but this classic design has a long and illustrious past. Dahl was originally created in 1956 and installed in the newly-renovated Norwegian Parliament building two years later. The light was reintroduced by Northern in 2016, following the relaunch of Birger Dahl’s classic Dokka and Birdy designs. For decades, Dahl’s smooth shape and soft contours have blended effortlessly into modern interiors and created a focal point that illuminates the room.
Northern brings Dahl’s smaller sibling back into the light. The design is a scaled down copy that fits perfectly into compact spaces. Although the new proportions are somewhat smaller, its potential to make impact isn’t shrinking. The new size makes it easier to install a series of lights overhead, or create a cluster of pendant lamps at eye level. The metal parts of both versions are now available in matt white, introducing a complement to the existing matt brass and black-coated steel finishes. Ready to shed light on a variety of surroundings, the new smaller size is making Dahl’s appeal even bigger.
Award-winning designer Birger Dahl (1916 – 1998) was a pioneer of contemporary Scandinavian lighting. While acclaimed for his lighting designs, Dahl is also considered to be one of Norway’s leading Post-war interior architects. Strict geometric shapes, such as circles, cones and cylinders, were the building blocks of Dahl’s design vocabulary, which he softened with gentle contours. He emphasised the purity of form, highlighting the shape of the object rather than hiding it behind decorative details or layers of ornamentation. Sensibilities like these explain why his work still appears modern today, and why lighting designs such as Dokka, Birdy and Dahl are so compatible with the interiors of our time.
Say My Name
A favourite choice for contemporary spaces, Say My Name is as practical as it is beautiful. Few lamps have been able to blur the boundaries between art and design so perfectly, and inspire designers and glass artists to combine their skills. Morten & Jonas created the design in Norway, then entrusted the manufacturing to master glassblowers in Venice. The glassblowers use time-honoured art techniques to craft each lamp individually. As a result, each lamp is unique, but the colour, proportions and shape are standard for each and every lamp they create.
This season, a new version of Say My Name in matt white will complement the smoked grey colour introduced last year. The white version is designed to emanate brighter light, providing a stronger light source when more illumination is needed. The matt surface diffuses and softens the light while concealing the bulb from view. Low-voltage light bulbs can be used to create a softer glow, generate a subdued atmosphere or soften the mood. A subtle design with a strong presence, Say My Name’s new version in white speaks to the surroundings without shouting out loud.
Diva
Designed to take centre stage, Diva is a statement-making light source that makes its presence felt. Diva’s distinctive, spiralling shade creates a sculptural shape that can be appreciated from several vantage points. Made from 32 strips of laminated plywood, the lamp showcases the sophisticated techniques required to craft such an expressive shape. The pendant lamp adds a striking feature to the interior while softly diffusing light over the room. Recently re-designed in a sleeker style, the floor lamp balances the shade on a shining metal disc that sits flush with the surface.
Now, after two decades of popularity, Diva is ready for a new look. The already existing walnut and light oak versions have now been accompanied by smoked oak, refreshing the design with a contemporary Scandinavian material. Flexible and strong, smoked oak is equally unique in its ability to create contouring shapes. The new version heightens the contrast with the light-coloured oak lining the lamp’s interior. As the darker and lighter wood tones appear to spiral together, the lamp’s sculptural character shines through.
Tags: autumn special, Dahl Small, diva, few changes, new look, Northern, reinvent design, Say My Name, switch of mood
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