Designer Tejo Remy is hot and so are his lighting designs. The Dutch designer, Droog, features many of Remy’s designs around the world, giving a modern lighting crowd an artful experience with illuminating excellence. Always focused on the permeable boundaries of sustainable design, Remy proves that reclaimed and everyday materials can indeed delight us to reduce, reuse and recycle.

The noted Milk Bottle light, by Remy, is a symbol of a nostalgic time and at the same time, casts useful, subtle glows throughout a room, something you could never find in the 50s. Twelve individual bottles group together to form an inspirational lighted space to hallways, dining areas and kitchens as well as in museums and in commercial buildings. Plastics form a unique configuration of art when used by designers with an insight and direction for beauty, a welcomed trait of Remy.

Fifteen year old Droog has been making a difference with green innovative products in style and purpose and was once again a popular choice at this year’s ‘A Touch of Green’, held in Milan. A company demanding a change without compromising style, Droog is based in Amsterdam but has independent designers as well as clients all over the world.

As a design collective, Droog expertly taps the talent of other talented young designers including Rody Graumans. Selected for inclusion in Droog’s first design collection, Graumans’ 85 Lamps Chandelier was also chosen for the permanent collection of MoMA as a testament to its design ingenuity, economy of form and minimalist aesthetic. Comprised of a simplistic array of 85 individual 15-watt bulbs and a bundle of black cords and sockets, the collective effect of these simple bulbs is a stunning display of light. Used in many museums, this timeless piece can also serve as an amazing contemporary addition for the living room or dining room with its splendor.

Another designer of Droog is Arian Brekveld who contributed to the lighting line with the Droog Soft Hanging Lamp. With Brekveld’s striking background in environmental and industrial projects, this designer uses flexible PVC dip, turning a seemingly traditional lamp into a safe and soft modern object. The lampshade has such a soft appearance making the hanging cord appear to be meshed as one.

Droog continues to light the way with the newest innovative green design ideas, remaining at the forefront of modern lighting design trends. Recognizing that creative design enhances human experience, alters reactions and energizes performances, consumers have learned to count on Droog for their recognition of the mental or human side of sustainable design.

Winter becomes an uplifting time of the year when you walk into a room that is surrounded by mists of warm, soothing light. The wide array of options for modern lighting on the market today can bring a sense of mellifluous relaxation to your living room or an enhanced brilliance to your work area.

History has seen an evolution from the kerosene lamp to the light bulb. Designs have been used to disguise and make attractive our only source of light but once again we find ourselves evolving into a new era of form with light. Many top notch engineers and designers are focusing on fixtures and the type of lighting that helps feed different moods. Simon Karkov, together with Normann Copenhagen Companies in Denmark, is one such artist who is well-known for his ideas and creations with lighting. The simple, organic hanging lamp by Karkov, is a work of art that also serves a purpose for providing soft, sensuous light for any area of the home.

As an industrial designer, Venezuelan born Pablo Pardo creates light as art with his famous creations. The Pablo Bel’Occhio is simple and radiant all at the same time. Designed as either a movable spotlight or an ambient table lamp, it attracts attention as a work of art while perfecting any type of area or close up source of light.

Showcasing collectibles and personal treasures has never been easier than when using the Pablo light bench in a hallway or corner to achieve radience. Also fashionable as a resting bench, the white acrylic top resting on two clear ends, softly glows from within, the light source completely hidden.

Created with multiple uses in mind, the light box by Gus is a simple, yet brilliant idea for creating a warm glow in any area. Perfect for apartments, the space-saving roto-molded plastic box, has a hidden light bulb that lights all sides of the square for perfect light wherever needed. Use as an end table, lamp or even an ottoman in a living area. The durable cube is designed to withstand 500 pounds of pressure.

New ideas abound with fresh artists and designers as our trend for lighting needs increase and expand. Light is no longer limited to the 100-watt light bulb sitting coldly on a lamp stem and with today’s focus on green ideas, it seems the ideas are limitless in the area of modern lighting. Explore the exciting choices of today to see what has dramatically changed in the last few years. It could bring a whole new light on home living.