Irwin Weiner ASID - I've just been shot up with truth serum, and I cannot lie: many of the exhibits at the latest Architectural Digest Home Design Show were boring and same-old-same-old. So imagine my delight when I discovered Bec Brittain, the talented industrial design and architecture trained product designer (from lighting to jewelry). Everything she does has a sculptural edge to it, a love of beautiful materials, a familiarity borne of combining elements from our collective past, and a love of modern LED technology. Her Maxhedron two-way mirror pendant light (top photo) is a revelation ... a floating optical spaceship that looks like a piece of contemporary designer jewelry.
Brittain's SHY Light (photo above) features skinny LED tubes in brass fittings that can be configured into infinite custom shapes. I loved how she's reworked the designs of Gerit Rietveld's 1920 Hanging Lamp - with its sculptural use of fluorescent tubes - yet given homage to his influence. Her beautiful A Shades line (photo below) features sensuous copper pendant shades suspended by leather rope.
Visit the Bec Brittain website for more information. Designers like Bec are the future of the interior design industry, and I hope to see many more push-the-envelope designs from her.