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This article was taken from the March 2012 issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content by subscribing online.
Illumination that puts the obvious in the shade.
Five decades of light
Moooi Raimond light
Inspired by geometry, Raimond Puts's pendant invokes the feeling of staring into the universe. Its spring-steel structure gives the complex lamp strength and the metal spheres it comprises supply the current to each of its 162 LED terminals. It creates an even spread of warm white light and its manufacturers claim it will last for 50 years.
£1,785
Lattice light
Hive Pendant
This hexagonal pendant light comprises a network of geometric shapes of fused metal. Its matt-black powder coating provides the shade that prevents any glare from its LED bulb, which can be a maximum of 60W brightness. Measuring 50cm by 43cm, this light fixture is also available as a half globe and as an elongated oval.
£69
Mouth-blown transparency
Sofie Refer Mega Bulb
To maximise light output and hence energy efficiency, the entire structure of this mouth-blown glass shade is transparent. This means that you get an even spread of warm halogen light from all angles. Here the flex is made from clear plastic, so the porcelain bulb holder is the only opaque element, but a red flex version is also available.
£127
rockettstgeorge.co.uk
Bottled sunshine
Conical by Benjamin Hubert
As part of Hubert's Labware collection, Conical is a playful take on scientific glassware. The E27 13W low-energy bulb illuminates the blown white opal glass to give a pure glow. The light fitting is built into the neck of the "bottle", which is plugged with a hand-turned, bark-topped stopper made from Portuguese cork.
£299
Sci-fi lighting
Philips Ledino
The heavy disc of high-grade glass looks purely decorative, until it's illuminated by a white LED in the base. Its dimmable light fills the frosted glass in a horizontal plane and radiates in a circle around the simple brushed aluminium base. It's a table lamp that wouldn't look out of place on the bridge of the USS Enterprise.
£320
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
