What can differentiated lighting in the home contribute, and what is especially important when we decorate with light at home? The design studio Space Copenhagen, which is behind several of GUBI's designs, gives in this interview their suggestions on how we can best decorate with light.
Photo: Space Copenhagen
The duo behind the design studio Space Copenhagen has, during their long career for the Danish design house GUBI, worked with design in all its facets.
But lighting, according to the design duo, is a sensuous experience that offers something very special within the design world. In this interview, we talked about the role of light in the home of the designer couple, Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou.
What does light and design mean to you?
"Light in architecture and design has always had a very special meaning for us. This might be because we come from a country that is very dark half of the year.
With light, one can change the perception of a space completely - both functionally, but also in relation to the more sensuous perception and your mental well-being. Light is absolutely essential to creating atmosphere, warmth and presence."
"There is a general perception that 'as long as there is enough light', it is good. That's basically the way you think of light in a supermarket - everything equally important and unimportant"
What do you find interesting about working specifically with lighting?
"Mostly that the design is not limited to meeting a functional need. Light has its very own poetic life, which the design can take advantage of.
A beautiful, sculptural lamp design can create a very special magic in a room. This means that the process of creating lighting, or creating a lamp, seems far more intuitive and playful than with other objects."
What considerations do you make about the interplay between aesthetics and technique when designing lighting?
"As an architect and a designer, there is always a framework or premise that you need to relate to. On the other hand, it can be exciting when you work with technology that provide new aesthetic possibilities."
During the day, w hen do you experience that light is most important for you?
"It's difficult to find times in the waking state, where light doesn't matter. Whether there is a lot of light or just a little, is not necessarily the deciding factor. It depends on what the light is to be used for.
When the sun goes down and the natural light is limited, we need to contribute with artificial light, to create a nice feel in the room. The atmosphere around some of our important daily rituals, like the meal or when working, is absolutely crucial to the experience."
Lighting should create glow and magic
Photo: GUBI Gravity Table Lamp Black Marble
What are the typical mistakes that consumers make when decorating with lighting?
"Of course, it's very individual how we want our private surroundings, but there is a general perception that "as long as there is enough light", then it's okay.
That's basically the way you think of light in a supermarket - a good, even light throughout the room. Everything equally important and unimportant...
A home is far more interesting if there is variation. If the light is allowed to descend into areas and create more intensity, glow and magic in areas, where it is needed. Then, the senses are stimulated in a completely different way.
One must also remember to differentiate between where one needs direct, more precise lighting (work, reading, cooking, or in front of the mirror), and where it's enough with an ambient, mood-creating and more diffused lightsource - lamps like these can define a corner in a room, create an atmosphere around the sofa or be placed in the windowsill."
"With light, one can change the perception of a space completely - both functionally, but also in relation to the more sensuous perception and your mental well-being"
Photo: GUBI Gravity Floor Lamp Gray Marble
Can you give some tips on decorating with the Gravity series, that you designed for GUBI?
"We use the Gravity Collection very much ourselves - both at home and in interior design projects. It is very versatile.
It's strong and simple, but it also provides space for other furniture, textures and colors to stand out. Above all, it provides a very comfortable, warm and ambient light, which is cosy and evocative, no matter what room you place it in.
Depending on the atmosphere you want to achieve, you can choose either the more elegant stone types or the more raw gun-metal. We use the two sizes of table lamps in all possible contexts, on a small table next to the sofa, on a console or in the bedroom on the bedside table.
Somewhat surprisingly, we also use it on the kitchen table, as a more decorative feature in order to give the kitchen a less practical and cold look. It looks incredibly nice this way.
The different floor lamp typologies are also ingenious and easy to use in the living room or in adjacent rooms - where a soft and diffused light is needed to create a special atmosphere."
Photo: GUBI Gravity Table Lamp Gray Marble
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