Happy Birthday Dear Bauhaus……
This year marks the centenary year of Bauhaus.
And may we say a style looks as box-fresh, relevant and radical today as it was ten decades ago. Ah, Bauhaus, you don’t seem to have aged a bit! Rather than placing candles on the cake, we are offering a rather different form of illumination; Designer Lighting Company is shining a light on the Bauhaus movement.
Bauhaus… Who? What? When?
Allow me to put a spotlight on the ‘movement’ as it was known which despite its age, still holds great resonance in today’s interiors. You may be surprised to know that Bauhaus was a group of German art schools which began in 1919 when World War One ended, yet the style still lives on. It was an amalgamation of art and functional design; a collaborative approach which itself, became the subject being taught at the school.
Design Zeitgeist
Describing the ‘zeitgeist’ (meaning spirit of the times) is complex, however here it goes… Bau (translates as building) and Haus (meaning house) was a modernistic style, a marked absence of unnecessary ornamentation.
This was not just as simplistic as form over function, or vice versa for that matter! Fine art, craft, colour, furniture manufacture and architecture all collaborated to form a conceptualised, largely industrialised product range and design discipline. I guess it’s multi-disciplined exterior and interior design that was to be accessible for all, affordably mass produced.
I guess if you likened it to today, it would be less ‘radical and arty’ and more flat pack furniture. The cheap lamps with funny bulbs that you can’t buy anywhere. Please don’t take this as an insult to flat-pack furniture manufacturers; I’m sure this was the dream and is still the dream to many but for others, it’s like playing in a house with toy furniture.
Bauhaus Design Philosophy
Bauhaus seems to have retained a special reverence in our hearts, despite the overall intention being the same; one concept perhaps being perceived as making-do, whilst the other is being revered with nostalgia.
Bauhaus represents a philosophy to design, a community of artists, working together and is arguably one of the most influential schools of modern art. Theory met practise and this interdisciplinary style existed alongside the Gestalt psychology movement in Berlin, where understanding of the whole was greater than the sum of the parts.
This is still relevant to how we understand perception; for example, explaining how we succumb to visual illusions today and how we taste, see and hear. A true pioneer of abstract art, Kandinsky taught at the Bauhaus school and his paintings embrace an experiment representing how line, tone and colour interact to create an overall impression on the senses.
Kandinsky Yellow-Red and Blue (1925)
100 years on Bauhaus is still being interpreted as a modern style, albeit divided into two distinctly differing styles. At a cross roads, the look is still embraced by many; after all, what’s not to love about contemporary? It’s just the quality of the offering that deeply divides us.
If you’re on tight budget and just want a quick look, there’s the obvious choices. However, seekers of higher quality who want an aesthetic slanted towards the more luxury contemporary, may well opt for designer pieces that are graphically teamed whilst offering durable craftsmanship. Lighting, furniture and colour depictions blended for a cohesive, truer Bauhaus essence.
Effortless Style
Modern interiors, despite the size of your budget, is always worth investing in impeccable lighting. Lighting has an effortless way of making a room look easy on the eye. Lighting when layered evokes a feeling of quality. A well-chosen light reflects the aesthetic of the room when selected as a contributing piece in an interior design, lighting is the one element that brings it all to life.
Bauhaus style lighting allows us to propose some contemporary designs that evoke the legacy of Bauhaus for your consideration.
The story of Bauhaus continued…
Influencers and contributors to the Bauhaus movement dubbed it ‘world style’, simply resurfaced in Chicago where a design school still continues. Some interesting events celebrating 100 years of Bauhaus are sure to be held in the art and design circles over the coming year if you fancy a delve further.
Geometric Shapes and Smooth Lines
The interaction of modern minimalist design meets multi-functionality in the Niko table lamp by Faro. Simple smooth lines juxtapose geometric shapes, reminiscent of Bauhaus style. The rectangular base follows with continuity to the spherical dome of light, all in the colour white. This lamp is made from high-quality metal, opal glass and wooden detailing.
This lamp smartly meets the needs of the modern world with a touch switch on the base allowing you to easily adjust the intensity of light emitted. Offering additional USB charging function, it also offers an inductive charging pad, shown with the wooden circle.
Phone Box Red
Submarine Yellow
Designer Lighting Company’s Cobal industrial ceiling pendant embraces primary colours, pictured here painted in powder coated submarine yellow and phone box red. With striking and contrasting black metallic cage and suspension cable. Handcrafted with a mixture of the finest and most durable metals this light adds a bold and retro- style look to a home or venue, where you would like to make a Bauhaus statement. A vitality and confidence in colour, art and design.
Here at the Designer Lighting Company we have chosen what we think epitomises the iconic Bauhaus style and present to you the aptly named, Artist 40 pendant by Design for the People, a designer brand which has in their heart and mind a kindred purpose to the Bauhaus movement, to bring designer lighting to people at affordable prices.
Sleek and Shallow Shade
The design has a sleek and shallow shade, an enduring aesthetic with practical LED embedded light for optimal energy efficiency. Shown here a feature is made by suspending a group of the the Artist 40’s at different heights, which you can achieve at the point of installation through shortening the braided flex cable.
The Aviator range exhibits expert craftsmanship from Cotswold’s designers and manufacturers David Hunt Lighting. Traditional style lights are brought into modernity with industrial designs reminiscent of exposed pipe works, with rich metallic bronze finishes. A Bauhaus-retro style is expressed in the strong lines and exposed bulbs.
Vivid Colour
The Domus table lamp by Faro’s Bauhaus influence is visible in the combination of geometric shapes on the base, stem and conical shade. A radiant, retro-red cable wire weaves through the wooden stem, adding a vivid and vibrant colour accent. Efficiency is inbuilt into this design with a lampshade that flexibly manoeuvres, emulating a Bauhaus functional, minimal and modern design. The white base and shade are cool, contemporary colour choices and of course serve a functionality, best for reflecting and emanating light.
Bauhaus Architecture
The Matrix, by designers Forestier Paris has been chosen here by Designer Lighting Company because we think it emulates the architecture of the Bauhaus school of art building itself. With angular, geometric lines and modernist architectural shape. The cross-hatched design is reminiscent of iconic Bauhaus architecture, which allows light to shine through, like a panel of windows.
Design and functionality interact here in Globen’s Shelfie Light.
As pictured here a rectangular column with compartments and shelves, useful for storage, to display your favourite home accessories or luscious greenery. An exposed bulb-light fills one square perfectly. As shown, you can position this light vertically or horizontally.
The horizontal angle benefits from top shelf space. The braided cable, shelving and in-line switch are all finished in black, a contemporary, minimalist and edgy look for your home. Complimenting the white tiles here wonderfully. Embracing simplicity and function in design, the Shelfie epitomes Bauhaus philosophy.
A Spectacle of Light
The Lumen outdoor light by Design for the People’s sleek, smooth curved lines and linear edge blend beautifully. In contemporary, classic colours black, white or grey. This versatile light cleverly comes with four diffusers’ which allow you to create unique spectacles of light beams all within the same light fitting. This light is IP rated so safe for use outdoors, in bathrooms or indoors.
Design for the People’s the Edge outdoor light has an intrinsically clever design synonymous with Bauhaus art, geometric design features here with a triangle and rectangle shape painted in simple but striking black.
As pictured here the design cleverly co-exists with the wall whilst providing necessary outdoor downward illumination. Manufactured in steel fully IP rated for ensuring durability, available in black, rust, white or galvanised steel finish.
The strap ceiling pendant in brushed steel finish, by Design for The People has a versatility, as it comes with a brown and black leather strap, so you can always keep your look fresh. With a Bauhaus’ contemporary-industrial look embedded in the design with tapered shape and immaculately brushed steel finish meets Scandinavian Design expertise.
