Hello AT,
What's the AT point of view on these "midsummer lights" that are plastic vines and flowers you attach to a lightbulb? I really like them . . . my bf does not.
Thanks, Chris
Therapist say these are made of plastic stuff cut with laser, and Therapist doesn't like plastic in his home. Still... Therapist thinks Tord Boontje has a cool idea (he has lotsa cool ideas), is a young, nice guy and isn't from USA, so he get a second chance. Also, Therapist realizes he has some plastic in his home already and he should lighten up.
So we likes them and we likes their price, but we also think they're small and wish they were bigger and grander. We also wish we had first hand experience with them, which we don't, so we'll shut up now.
Therapist
I drooled over them at a friend's house, and he told me that he recieved them as a gift, but I could find them at Moss. I trotted over there and read the little museum tag. They're made out of die-cut Tyvek, just like those thin post office envelopes, and they're quite beautiful. I seriously considered buying a long white panel and hanging it over my red wall in the "living room" section of my studio, until I found a vintage propaganda poster of happy Chinese farmers for $8 at the flea market.
Thank you for answering my question!! I'm really interested to hear what people think. I am so sick of the ugly celing fan in my bedroom (it doesn't even work!) and would like to replace it with something beautiful.
There is also a silver-plated brass version sold through the moma store
momastore.org/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&productId=26674&categoryId=10262&langId=-1
I think I have read that you can use two of these together to make it look more generous? I belive this idea was either in Living Etc magazine or NY Times.
The metal ones don't have the same kind of "drape" that makes the tyvek one interesting. My bedroom walls are dark chocolate brown with white trim so I thought this white midsummer light might be great.
I think they are very pretty. Sort of like draping a scarf over a lamp to diffuse the light. The downside would be dust, as I'm sure it collects it. But I suppose the vacuum hose would take of that.
I like plastic, and lights, and flowers, and white, but that lamp needs to be pruned.
I bought two of the silver-painted garland lights months ago at CB2, which also sells the midsummer light. We combined them with an extra-large Ikea lightbulb to create a larger light fixture. It looks great over our stainless steel dining table.
PK, do you have a picture you wouldn't mind sharing? It sounds very cool.
I have the silver garland light and I absolutely love it. It's so pretty and delicate looking and nicely diffuses the light. I highly recommend buying a clear light bulb for it (as opposed to a white one), it looks much better.
Also, I've seen the Tyvek ones in person as well--they are great too!
Chris, I'd be happy to take and share a picture. But I'm not sure exactly where or how to post it/send it.
We are huge Boontje fans and bought the midsummer
light in white about six months ago for our bedroom
overhead light. Its perfect, because we put it on a dimmer and the soft light coming through the garland is such a pretty effect we actually use the overhead light all the time! Boontje's has a big exhibition of his work
taking place at Moss starting on Feb.8th. Don't miss it!
I too am a Boontje fan.
He created a grander version of Midsummer for Italy's Moroso as part of the Milan furniture fair last year. You can see more at mocoloco.com/archives/000383.php.
I've had my eye on the Midsummer lamps since first spotting them (and consequently lusting after them) at SFMOMA this fall. I took home the notecard garland version and have adored it ever since...until I was able to score a full on Midsummer lamp at my local art store for *$15*!! The lamp looks beautiful (I purchased it in blue) and I am very satisfied-Boontje's design is stunning and serves as a great conversation piece. You won't be disappointed...
I like his sense of innovation, but personally, I am waiting for a follow-up to this laser-cut wave he's been riding. I think it's great when an artist continues to revisit a motif, but I think product designers need to move on (Mr. K. Rashid, please also take note!). But maybe that's the point... that he is blurring the art/product/furniture lines.
I also just think this laser-cut stuff has to be a real bitch to dust.
I also think it is about marketing, context, and point of sale. If this showed up in a Wal-Mart, I think we'd all think it was kinda crappy.
Maybe that's true, but i've been seeing it for months now at a range of san francisco stores, and have fallen in love with it.
I can't wait to live with a white one, with its elegant shadows most evident, in a plum colored bedroom, or maybe grey-purple floors, ceiling, walls and bed.
The price is great, so democratic--he could have made it much higher i think.
I love white plastic light fixtures; have recently found two--one is the globe of consequatively smaller plastic globe of rings, which swirl like a sea-shell inside a silver ring stand (a knock-off, gasp, of a seventies design by one of the famous designers), at bed bath + beyond, for twenty dollars, and from eurway, another sphere made of discs with slices that fit together gride wise.
The bontje lamp is sublime however, and to state the obvious, ghostly, and joyous at once, and can inspire a love its whimsy, even if you normally shun those kinds of things.
ps
in regards to patrick's remark on context,
i like how the smaller silver and gold painted lights look good with regular frosted white bulbs if surrounded by high end glossy minimal things, but much better with smaller clear bulbs, if in a less posh, lower end, but perhap more plush home.
Has anyone got any information about Tord's Fallen Flowers hangings for Moroso? The Observer reported that it was "the perfect 21st century answer to lace curtains" but unfortunately the Observer also reported that they are yet to arrive in the UK. Need to buy them right away!!
Could anyone who owns this light tell me if it is hardwired or if it plugs into an outlet? Even the manufacturers page doesn't seem to specify. I'd like to use them in a commercial setting, so it makes a big difference.
My friend in Singapore bought it, and she said hers is hardwired. Plus... hers is the LARGE sized one which is about 51" long! and we can only get those in 30" in the US. or is it just me who can't find the large sized one? I wonder what is going on.
We have the silver one and it annoys me that the light bulb shows through so conspicuously. I wish there was more foliage to disguise it...or that it took a smaller bulb. Any one else have this problem?
SmokinJunita, where in Singapore did your friend buy it?
hi,
my friend made a mistake with the measurements. turns out, it is of one standard size.
she told me which store she got the light at, but i have forgotten right now.
will update later.
This is the Midsummer Light, which is kind of a papery drape thing and comes in different colors, the metal ones (available in bronze, black, white, gold, etc) are the Garland lights, which are long strands of flowery metal you can shape around a lamp. Just go to Tord's site if you'd like to know more: http://tordboontje.com/
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