Plumen 001
Light bulbs are an ever-present and integral part of daily life, but their ubiquity also makes them easy to overlook. They are frequently hidden behind lampshades, masked by storefront signs, or shielded by semi-translucent plastic. Their purpose is, ultimately, utilitarian, which means their aesthetic quality tends to go by the wayside. We acquiesce to the long fluorescent rod and simple, rounded incandescent because, after all, they only provide light, right? Well, British design company Hulger and designer Samuel Wilkinson are trying to change the way you think about the light bulb.
Their 11-watt fluorescent light bulb Plumen 001 does serve that utilitarian purpose that we expect from a light bulb. It casts a warm, white light, is 80-percent more efficient than a standard incandescent, and has an 8-year lifespan. But what makes the Plumen 001 a novelty is its design. The bulb, which recently won the Brit Insurance Design of the Year award as well as their Product award, forgoes the traditional conception of the light bulb as simply a source of light in favor of a treatment that turns the light bulb itself into an attraction and source of aesthetic pleasure.
Plumen 001 at a cafe
The bulb is comprised of two, twisted-glass tubes that are entwined to create a bulb that, through its contoured lines and use of negative space, calls to mind a traditional incandescent bulb while elevating the light bulb to a status that is at least as important as whatever is holding it — and often even more important. The designers note that, “The name Plumen comes from “plume,” a bird’s decorative feather designed to attract attention to its prowess and beauty. Indeed, with the Plumen it is the bulb (ideally used without a lampshade or other type of cover) itself that is attention-grabbing, not the lamp.
Brit Insurance Designs Jury Chair Stephen Bayley commented, “The Plumen light bulb is a good example of the ordinary thing done extraordinarily well, bringing a small measure of delight to an everyday product.” The bulb, which is currently unavailable for purchase in the United States, can be purchased for use in Europe and the U.K. on the Plumen website. It is unfortunately not yet available for sale in the U.S.
Lite Brite Neon's Floorlamp
For those Stateside who can’t wait to indulge their interest in artfully designed bulbs, the design of Plumen 001 calls to mind another low-wattage light bulb manufacturer, Brooklyn-based neon light designers Lite Brite Neon. Neon lights are another fixture of our lighting lives, but they occupy a much more specific place in the popular conception of lighting: selling products. From the neon beer signs that adorn the windows of our favorite taprooms to the lights that highlight specials at the local bodega. Lite Brite Neon makes their own line of stylishly curved neon lamps and light fixtures that undercuts the typical concept of the neon light. Though both the Plumen and Lite Brite Neon share a love of contoured lines, the works of Lite Brite Neon (which is made of Tecnolux Tri-phosphor coated 8mm tubes) aren’t simply light bulbs. They are stand-alone fixtures that are as impressive as pieces of furniture as they are as well-designed glass light bulbs. Perhaps they’re not as chic as Plumen, these fixtures are more energy efficient than an incandescent and a far cry from the flashing neon signs we all know and loathe. Either option is a good one, as both elevate glass light bulbs to something more than the ordinary.
—Jason Gutierrez