As regular readers will know, there isn’t much we don’t love about cork (see: Trend Alert: Cork as More than Bulletin Board and Bottle Stopper). Sustainable, durable, and tactile, cork adds warmth and texture to any setting. More often than not, cork products—table mats, trivets, stools, lids, pegs, and such like— have a utilitarian bent, which is why we were drawn to a new cork collection by the British homeware designer and creative consultant Matilda Goad.
“Cork is often associated with less glamorous uses and purposes,” explains Matilda. “I wanted to show it in a different light. When I was playing around with designs I was drawn to more classical shapes. They somehow gave the material more importance.”
The result is a pair of sculpted lamps bases—a striking obelisk and a curvaceous ball—and a playful cork urn designed to hold anything from houseplants to pencils. Each piece is carved out of a single block of cork and is produced in Portugal, where the cork is harvested.
“The obelisk lamp stands loud and tall,” says Matilda. “Mine currently sits on my desk, which I love—but it also looks very good as a pair on either side of a bed or on a console table. The ball lamp, meanwhile, is small and agile. I like adding lamps in unexpected spaces such as a bookshelf or corridor, and this lamp works so well for that.”
The bases come with a new range of card-backed cloth shades with pretty perforated holes and a subtle, scalloped edge: “These shades offer a fresh alternative to our signature designs,” explains Matilda, who is known for her shapely rattan and raffia shades. “One of the reasons I’m drawn to lighting design, is that it’s such a great opportunity to add a new material or style to any room,” she says. “Other than getting the base-to-shade proportions right, there are no rules.”
The urns are available in two sizes: “The large looks great filled with leafy greens,” says Matilda, “but when not in use, it will look just as striking sat on the top shelf. The smaller urn currently acts as a pen pot on my desk.”
See more whimsical lighting design:
The Master of Plaster: Stephen Antonson’s Sculptural Lighting
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