Manhattan-based design studio Blue Green Works presents a new series of lighting designs including lamps, sconces and pendants by studio founder Peter B Staples. The design behind the five collections – titled ‘Trophy’, ‘Candle’, ‘Wood’, ‘Banner’, and ‘Shade’ – features an eclectic mix of visual motifs, materials and textures, with angular bent metal, chunky glass and sleekly crafted wood all contributing to the aesthetic richness of the collection.
The ‘Wood’ sconce, a tribute to Staples’ passion for skateboarding | Image credit: Photography Grant Cornett, styling Tessa Watson
The design of the five ranges is collectively inspired by research into symbols of various kinds: for example, the ‘Trophy’ glass silhouette references chalices given to athletes; ‘Candle’ is a minimalist, spiky interpretation of a candelabra, void of any traditional decoration. Meanwhile, ‘Wood’ is reminiscent of skateboarders’ halfpipes; and ‘Banner’ is a new take on classic 1930s and 1940s military tattoos. Finally, ‘Shade’ is shaped like the cymbals in a classic rock set, completing a series of familiar references refashioned into sculptural, semi-abstract lighting pieces.
Adding colour to the offering, the stainless steel pieces are also available in the studio’s signature palette of Royère Red, Bike Blue, Baby Blue and Sad Beige (with further customisation options).
The ‘Candle’ series started with Staples pondering the question: what type of lighting pairs well with contemporary art? The final design is inspired by a candelabra he once saw in a Mexico City residence, and merges antique silhouettes with a contemporary, no-frills approach | Image credit: Photography by Grant Cornett, styling by Tessa Watson
A text introducing the collection describes Staples’ approach: the designer ‘recontextualises the energy and emotion embodied in these symbols and translates them into tools of illumination that often embody a softer, more sensual vision of masculinity.’
As a teenager, Staples started researching heraldry and the symbols on medieval coats of arms while looking for iconography for his tattoos, shaping his understanding of the power and meaning of logos, from Versace’s Medusa to the Playboy Bunny. ‘A starting point for me is always how a silhouette feels like a little symbol: I think the power of symbols is how they can be personal and universal at once,’ he says.
‘Trophy’ double pendant light | Image credit: Photography by Grant Cornett, styling by Tessa Watson
To create his collection, he worked closely with American craftspeople, from a glass studio in New England to a wood workshop in Pennsylvania, while the candelabra’s stainless steel structures are made in Upstate New York, by a fabricator usually working on motorcycle parts.
‘Trophy’ single pendant | Image credit: Photography by Grant Cornett, styling by Tessa Watson
‘Banner’, a metal sconce inspired by the ribbons depicted in classic 1930s and 1940s military tattoos, and a tribute to the works of Maria Pergay | Image credit: Photography by Grant Cornett, styling by Tessa Watson
‘Shade’, inspired by the shape of cymbals in classic rock drum sets | Image credit: Photography Grant Cornett , Styling Tessa Watson