Designer Desire: Robert Sonneman

Robert Sonneman (b. 1942) is a New York City-based lighting designer. He began his career at the tender age of 19 as the sole-employee at George Kovacs, a shop located in the Upper East Side of Manhattan.

His designs are influenced by Modernism, most notably the Bauhaus movement. As the man himself says:

I’ve always been fascinated with movement, weight, and balance. I saw the lamps that I built as lighting machines that glorified the industrial aesthetic. As modern design and architecture morphed into other genres of contemporary style, I also explored new creative paths.

In 1967, he founded his own company under the Sonneman brand which became SONNEMAN – A Way of Light in 2003.

He’s very prolific (1,600 designs and counting!), with his contemporary designs available extensively; from his own store and other upmarket retails outlets such as YLighting. His vintage designs are readily available on 1st Dibs and sometimes come up for sale on Etsy and eBay.

Find more of our Designer Desire features here!

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1st Dibs

Retro industrial duty hand lamp

We often write about industrial lighting of the vintage variety; task lamps that have been rescued from the mills, factories and workshops of the North of England. Not everyone likes vintage – some people are happier with new versions that have the look, and are in mint condition and spotless. We were contacted by PIB to review one such item – their industrial duty hand lamp.

Sometimes you can view items online and they look great, but then when they arrive you’re disappointed by the quality. Definitely not the case with this item. It’s got weight and solidity to it, with nice detailing and an excellent finish. It’s a good large size too, measuring 45cm in length.

The bulb cage is made of silver-plated brass with a stained wooden handle.

We’re big fans of this type of lamp as they’re both functional and attractive, adding a touch of vintage industrial style to any space.

They’re also very flexible when it comes to use.

There’s the practical task lamp facility to start with – a lamp that can easily be moved around the house, garage or workshop for bright, directional light.

And when it comes to decorative use their are a host of options. They can be hung from the long flex and attached to the ceiling, they can hang from wall mounts and hooks – or they can simply lie flat on shelves and tables. There’s no risk of fire or damage as the cage protects surfaces from the direct heat of the bulb.

We’ve been trying it out in various sites this week and have become very fond of it already.

We’ve got lots of dark corners in our house, so it’s going to come in useful. It also works well with other industrial look pieces that we have.

It’s most definitely a keeper!!

Box fresh!

We’ve had lots of these classic Herbert Terry Anglepoise lamps over the years, but we’ve never had a box fresh example before. In fact, we’ve never seen an original box until now.

The earlier, stepped-base Anglepoise lamps have firm followers, but this early 1970s version also has devoted fans… and, along with the very similar 1960s Model 75, it’s probably our favourite shape. This site will show you the various Terry-designed Anglepoise lamps available to hunt out – or help you date your own vintage Anglepoise.

This Model 90 is available in a variety of colourways. As you can see from the packaging, it’s mushroom grey in this case.

Some people like their vintage homewares with a bit of wear & tear – others prefer to search out pristine examples.

If you’re the latter, this could be the lamp for you… fully working, and hidden away for 40 years. We can’t guarantee it’s unused, but it certainly looks it!

6 ways to bring sunlight indoors

If some of the rooms in your home are on the dark side and could do with brightening up, there are lots of different tricks that you can use to bring sunlight indoors.

Skylights

Installing a skylight or Velux-type window has one of the most dramatic effects possible, allowing sunlight to flood in from the open sky above. They really can transform a space from dark & dingy to light & airy. There are lots of attractive blinds on the market specifically for this type of window from manufacturers such as Roofwindows.co.uk.

Mirrors

Mirrors are a great, inexpensive way of increasing the amount of sunlight coming into your home. Placed strategically opposite a window, they bounce and reflect light around a space. They work especially well on dark stairways and bathrooms.

Reflective walls

Various companies have developed interior wall paints which contain light-reflective particles. It’s a subtle, clever way to maximise natural light entering the property.

Glazed doors

Glazed doors (both exterior and interior) can make a real difference to the amount of light entering a house and dispersing it throughout the rooms contained within. B&Q have a huge range of glazed doors – traditional, folding and sliding. Similarly, glazed wall panels can divide up larger open plan spaces – creating defined zones for living without blocking light. They’ll need to be made of toughened glass if safety considerations demand it of course – small children or boisterous pets running round, for example.

Daylight bulbs

If you have a room that is windowless and at the centre of the house, you can easily fake natural sunlight these days. There are now specialist bulbs on the market that mimic sunlight, illuminating your room with a sunny glow.

Remove unnecessary partition walls

If it’s not load-bearing, removing a wall won’t require the installation of an RSJ – and should be relatively inexpensive. If it’s made of plasterboard rather than solid stone or concrete it’s even easier! Removing walls between kitchen and dining rooms has become common practice. One of the major benefits of this is to allow light to flow between the front and back of the house. Other common areas where this can have a dramatic ‘opening up’ effect is the hallway, landing and larder areas.

Can you think of any other great ways to bring sunlight indoors? We’d really love to hear your thoughts.

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Tag: lighting