The past Monday I went on a delightful stroll to Kenmore & Bowery, the street where all the light shops live apparently. One my trip, I tried to examine how the light fixtures were made and what materials were used.
There were many shops to visit, so I will try to list them out in an organized and chronological way.
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a.) Matter Made
On the way there, I noticed a super designer-y type lighting and furniture shop called Matter Made. This was not on the lighting hub of Kenmore & Bowery, but was definitely worth a visit! The products here are divine! This was a good place to get inspiration for lamp design and physical form.
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b.) O’ Lampia Studio
O’ Lampia Studio had a lot of beautiful lamp designs as well. They weren’t as contemporary as Matter Made, but they were still carrying a modern-looking selection of light fixtures. I definitely noticed a lot of exposed incandescent light bulbs and brass – classy (but, dare I say, overdone?) look.
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c.) The Lighthouse
This was a very crowded light shop – it made it hard to sift through. Lighthouse has a wide range of lamps, from the gimmicky to the elegant to the slightly off-kilter.
d.) New Generation
This is the place to go for making lamps! I wasn’t very inspired by their lighting collection, but I love all the lighting parts they sold. I know where I am going when I figure out what to make for the lamp fixture assignment! They had all the parts of the lamp that I often overlook.
I’ll have to visit again very soon!
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e.) A & E Bowery Lighting
They had a mixed range of lights – hard to categorize. I did notice they had more interactive and animated light fixtures.
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f.) MoMa Design Store
On my way to the subway station, I stumbled upon the MoMa Design store. Ugh, I swoon when I’m in there. If only I could make something as nicely designed one day.
Emily Lin 