September 29th, 2013

Using Leather in Lighting

Leather has been used as a material in home and fashion design for years, but now it’s featuring in a new location – the ceiling.

Leather light fittings have hit Australia, courtesy of New Zealand design duo Ben Wahrlich and Kiri Hughes. The Design Files reported that the idea for leather lights came out of nowhere for industrial designer Ben, who quickly spotted the gap in the market for their inspired product.

Under the name AN/AESTHETIC, Wahrlich and graphic designer Hughes, now based in Sydney’s inner West, produce their lights using locally-sourced hides individually selected for their quality. The shades are sent off to be cut by another local company. Once cut, the designers then mould, assemble and package the lights by hand.

Made from a mixture of materials, including leather and brass, the range of bespoke pendant shades is currently being sold online and through selected retailers. AN/AESTHETIC’s Hide leather lamps also formed part of this year’s DesignEX in Melbourne.

[Source]http://thedesignfiles.net/2013/08/anaesthetic-hide-leather-lights/