Light up when you remember the sun
Hey hey!
LuxLive is Europe's biggest lighting event, so from 23rd through to 24th Nov there'll be a ishload of light talk going on at the Excel centre.
Has autumn knocked the denial out of you secretly hoping for an Indian summer? It defo has here in London, which means we're reaching for the light switch way earlier in the day. But, I am excited LuxLive 2016 is next in line for the capital's design events and a product that debuted at this year's Designersblock should be available before we celebrate another new year.
I'll be heading on over to cop a look at the latest news since lighting can turn your home from okayish to a bucketload of awesome.
Ahead of that though, I'm giving you a heads up about a light about to hit the market before 2016 is called the past.
Did you get over to Designersblock during the London Design Festival in September? If you don't already know, Designersblock camps out at the Bargehouse, Southbank. It's a bit of an underdog compared to the lux. of Decorex or mainstreamness that graces 100% Design, but I personally love the awesomeness of a walk 'round a raw building decked out in fire damage and naked brick. It rocks! The warehouse grunge vibe is a big eff you to London's gentrification spots that I'm beginning to kiss my teeth at.
If you’re allergic to the poshness of Decorex pouring from with every wine glass, make sure to head on over in 2017 and treat your eyes to the good, the bad, and the somewhat questionable.
Designersblock itself is where you’ll find debut exhibitors who add a dash of experimental to their brand and bring new products to the design market. Plus, it's minus the crowds. Sold yet?
“Oh, quick tip: Don’t do what I did in ‘16 forget to register for a design show. You’ll only find yourself standing at the entrance fiddling around on the phone willing your illusive 4g to keep still. ”
Lemme tell you about the Sun Memories Lamp ...
So there’s this company called Olive Creative Lab, an Italian co. run by Giulia Liverani and Marco Signoretto. Thinking back Marco could've been the guy sitting on the stool next to her. But since he didn’t get up and chat, let’s just say he wasn’t around at the time.
Since Sun Memories is all pared back in minimalism, the look doesn’t get in the way of being so flipping cool through function. As a designer who loves to rock a room with patterns, I'm still sold on function over beauty! Seriously, you need to perch one in the bedroom whilst you lounge around in bed on a winter morning or have one over to hang around in your reading snug.
This isn’t just about owning a cool light, Sun Memories triggers your memories.
The Sun Memories lamp is a good-looking notch-up from light therapy boxes! Not just an on-off lamp to plonk yourself in front of the light to rid yourself of the winter blues, this lamp hacks into your brain and triggers memories. Calm down, not literally. This ain’t Black Mirror!
Do you mind if we get techie for a second?
Before plugging up the lamp needs you to record a memory. So fling the recording device around your neck and jet off on holiday or take yourself on a day trip worth capturing. It cleverly records the activity in the sky, cloud movement, sun intensity, and colour temp and there you have yourself a playlist of the good times.
Using the accompanying smartphone app, you can go about sharing your lists with your people who also own the lamp. Pretty nifty for a pressie idea I'd say.
Switch the sun on and let the lamp take you back you sunbathing on a beach in Goa whilst hubby splashes with the fish. Or that day you almost lost your tour group in Morocco and stumbled across one badass market stall! Or can you imagine catching that rare summer’s day in England when you’ve headed to the park for picnics and turned on the roundabout?
But however, you capture happy times, what a way to feel better when you sat in the reality of snow and hail feeling full of blah? Cool right? It's a pretty cool bonus to add an oomph of drama when flicking through photos you've snapped.
Anyway...
How many people have told you how cold it’s gotten lately? Or have you had that “I've had to put my heating on” chit-chat yet? You know that typical waiting for the kettle to boil 'friendliness' that hacks away at the awkwardness of silence.
Yep, autumn has shown up and it’s pretty much dull, damp, and grey with a hint of faux sunshine.
I don’t mind the season too much to be fair, except for the constant reminders that winter approaches with every mention of Crimbo. The blah-ness starts getting all too cosy for many people trying to fight off the symptoms of S.A.D. and somewhere between the curiosities at Designersblock, from a rope made out of hair (nods) to New Era hats with a miniature garden rake attached (nods again), was a light bulb innovation that I kinda can't shake from my memory. The Sun Memories Lamps didn't look all too groundbreaking sitting on a ledge of Bargehouse wall, but the designer was unlike some exhibitors and wasn't on her phone. Yeah, she actually wanted to tell everybody how much her product rocked. And you know what? It does.
S.A.D.
“Sleep Issues: Disturbing nights and wanting to nap in the day.
Social Issues: Being irritable towards the folk you live with or longing from them to be someplace else
Or simply feeling a level of anxiousness”
S.A.D, Also known as Seasonal Affective Disorder is no joke and apparently goes about winter months creeping up on people to make winter even less bearable. Since we’ve headed from one indoor space to another 90%, I repeat, 90% of our lives, being hidden away from the sun and outdoor atmosphere, that’s a long time to be cooped up and feeling crappy. Err, no thank you.
There are regular SAD light boxes and lamps sprouted all over the place taking up space until the coat’n’gloves season arrives and then you wake next to happy-giving lighting conditions to therapy your way through the symptoms.
The sun memories lamp seems to be a worthy alternative to keep an eye out for.
