Light Before Wires Long before electric bulbs and ceiling fixtures, Japanese homes were lit by a quiet, portable object known as the Andon. Made from wood, washi paper, and a small oil flame, the Andon did more than illuminate a room. It shaped the way space was experienced after sunset. In traditional interiors of the …
Light as Culture, Not Just Illumination Across Latin America, light is inseparable from celebration. It marks festivals, honours faith, animates streets, and transforms ordinary spaces into places of gathering. Lighting is rarely neutral. It is expressive, colourful, and deeply human. From punched tin lanterns in Mexico to woven fibre shades in the Andes, Latin American …
Light Through Metal and Pattern Long before electric light, homes across the Middle East were illuminated by pierced metal lamps that turned flame into pattern. Brass and copper were shaped, carved, and perforated by hand, allowing light to escape in delicate constellations across walls and ceilings. These lamps were never just functional objects. They were …
Light in Motion Stairwells and hallways are transitional spaces. We do not linger in them, yet we pass through them constantly. They are the connective tissue of a home – vertical, narrow, and often overlooked. Because these spaces are about movement, lighting here does more than illuminate. It shapes rhythm. It sets pace. It influences …
When Earth Becomes Luminous Ceramic light begins in the most grounded of places: wet clay, heavy with mineral and memory. On the wheel, it is coaxed into form by hands and gravity. At this stage it holds no promise of radiance. It is opaque, cool, and dense. Yet within it lies the potential for glow. …
Light as Memory In Vietnam, light has always carried meaning. Long before lanterns became symbols of tourism or festival décor, they marked time, guided travellers, and signalled belonging. To hang a lantern was to announce presence. To light one was to invite protection, fortune, and continuity. Nowhere is this more visible than in Hội An. …
Where Light Becomes Craft On a small island in the Venetian lagoon, light is shaped by breath. For more than seven centuries, Murano’s glassmakers have transformed molten sand into objects that shimmer, bend, and glow. Among their most enduring creations are chandeliers – not assembled from parts, but grown from fire. Each arm, leaf, and …
Where Light Becomes Presence In Hindu temples, light is never incidental. It is not simply a way to see – it is a way to encounter. Flame, shadow, and glow shape how the sacred is perceived, guiding the body and the mind toward reverence. Unlike modern interiors, which aim for even illumination, temples are designed …
Light as Offering, Light as Impermanence Long before light became a matter of switches and sockets, it was something carried, tended, and offered. In Buddhist tradition, light is not merely practical – it is symbolic. It represents clarity, wisdom, compassion, and the fragile nature of existence itself. Butter lamps, found in temples, monasteries, and homes …