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| The inspiration for the IdéeAL lamps was unexpectedly organic. Design Clément Terreng was captivated by the lines and distinctive shape of an onion and married that form with the retro 1960s glamour common in James Bond movie interiors. The lamps boast a classic silhouette reminiscent of old enamel factory lights. The graceful concrete body is paired with a crystal glass diffuser to provide a modern twist on a classic style. |
The convergence of admixture technology and enterprising artisans and studios is continuing to position concrete in decorative applications and high-end décor. Artisans and studios continue to push the envelope, and the IdéeAL Ceiling and IdéeAL Table lamps are no exception.
Created by Concrete Home Design of Hamburg, Germany, the lamps were displayed at Chicago-based art, design and innovation group IntoConcrete’s booth at the inaugural Maison&Objet Americas, staged earlier this year in Miami Beach. The premiere lifestyle and interior design fair featured more than 350 exhibitors from 24 countries and attracted more than 8,000 visitors from 82 countries. “We are proud to be able to offer these lamps created by visionary concrete designer Clément Terreng to our discerning clients,” says Mario Guagnelli, IntoConcrete CEO and co-founder.
The attention the IdéeAL Ceiling and Table lamps received was not unexpected given their elegant, timeless design that was flawlessly executed in an unexpected medium, Guagnelli adds, noting, “Concrete is an amazing material. It can be hard like a stone yet appear fragile like porcelain. As we began to work with it, we quickly realized that its potential—to be formed, to be cast—may have no limits but ourselves.”
Terreng also wanted to create a concrete lamp that was surprisingly thin, so he eliminated all but the most necessary mass of the material, testing the limits in a marriage of form and function. “I like my ideas to surprise people,” he affirms. “That’s the reason why I try to create ‘natural contrasts,’ the weight of the concrete, the transparency of the glass, the light of the lights.”
It took two years for Concrete Home Design to develop a mineral mixture that was self-densing for the lamps’ mix. “We wanted to know exactly what would be inside our concrete and not depend on some other producer. Our aim was to make a noble concrete, because everyone can make a rough concrete. We wanted to reach people who normally do not like concrete,” company officials observe. The mixture can be combined with white cement or portland cement depending on the color, plus pigments.
The IdéeAL lamps are an expression of Concrete Home Design’s vision and IntoConcrete’s passion for making concrete beautiful by pushing the boundaries of the material’s possible forms, colors and structures. The company hand produces premium, exposed-concrete products, so that each piece is unique, with its own texture and polish. The IdéeAL lamps, for example, feature a velvety exposed concrete, and are available in ceiling or table versions, and three colors. — IntoConcrete.com