Maxim Lighting held its annual Halloween event last week in its California headquarters, turning it into a spirited celebration of teamwork and imagination.
This year’s “Spooky Carnival” theme turned departments into design studios, as teams built haunted circus tents and crafted intricate set pieces, and even incorporated rear-project shadow effects, complete with freshly popped popcorn and cotton candy.
The event gave employees across all departments a chance to combine their specialized skills and problem-solving capabilities in a demonstration of company-wide camaraderie, Maxim said.
“Beyond the costumes, laughter, and creativity, the event reinforced Maxim’s belief that innovation thrives when people are encouraged to think differently, have fun and work together,” the company said in a release. “The Halloween celebration continues to serve as a reminder that culture is the foundation of performance, and that when teams feel connected, collaboration shines brighter year-round.”
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Oprah’s annual Favorite Things list is out, and the Coco & Dash for Savoy House Cora portable LED lamp made the list. It’s half-moon style with a slim profile and is rechargeable.
“A mother-daughter duo designed this lovely 10″ half-moon lamp. With its brass-plated shade, marble base, flat back, and rechargeable glow, the slim LED lamp tucks perfectly against a wall, and a pair make lovely bookends,” noted Oprah. The lamp is featured on OprahDaily.com and in Oprah Daily’s special holiday edition that will be on newsstands Nov. 11.
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The January Lightovation show will introduce Exteriorscape, a new outdoor lighting exhibit showcasing nine leading brands highlighting the best of their landscape lighting offerings. The first day of Lightovation, Saturday, Jan. 10, also being called Exteriorscape Saturday, will be devoted to outdoor lighting panels, tours, and demonstrations.
“We’re seeing tremendous demand for exterior lighting that enhances both style and functionality,” said Cindy Morris, president and CEO of Dallas Market Center. “The new showcase, paired with programming featuring top landscape designers, gives attendees fresh inspiration and direct access to the trends shaping outdoor lighting design.”
Featured brands include AIC (TM 4806), Auroralight (TM 4010), Brilliance LED (TM 4432-16), DALS Lighting (TM 3602), ET2 Lighting (TM 3905), Eurofase (TM 4002), GM Lighting (TM 3143), Hinkley (TM 3210), and Z-Lite (TM 4600).
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California lighting showroom Lightopia has been experimenting with AI-generated product detail pages, which allows online shoppers to ask freeform questions about the products they’re considering, from sizing to compatibility to care. Shoppers can also choose from frequently asked prompts, and get fast, accurate and context-aware answers without digging through specs or reviews. Lightopia has seen a 52% increase in its add-to-cart rate and a 56% lift from shoppers who use a product insight agent, as these AI tools are known, according to Constructor, the AI product discovery platform that Lightopia is using.
“We’ve already seen how powerful Constructor is when it comes to personalizing search and product discovery for our shoppers — so it’s exciting to layer on this new conversational experience, right when they’re deciding what to buy,” said Sharon Gautschi, chief merchandising officer for Lightopia and its sister brand, Rugs Direct. “Even with a small slice of our traffic engaging with PIA so far, the impact has been clear and meaningful. And just as exciting, the data we’re getting back from PIA gives valuable insights into what our shoppers care about, so we can merchandise even more effectively around that.”
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DWR has partnered with BassamFellows to reissue the iconic 1953 Philip Johnson and Richard Kelly Floor Lamp, now available in North America.
Originally designed in the 1950s, the floor lamp had been out of production since 1967– until now.
When architect Philip Johnson collaborated with Richard Kelly, an architectural lighting designer, to create a light for the Glass House, the resulting design became a significant part of some of the 20th century’s most notable private interiors. It was a new way of lighting contemporary interiors with wide expanses of glass.
When the Glass House was completed in 1949, the sight lines from Philip Johnson’s transparent pavilion transformed the way people experienced architecture. Both outside and inside this glass box, everything was visible.
Drawing on his knowledge of stage lighting, Kelly helped design a lamp that turned the conventional approach on its head. Instead of overhead lighting, the lamp featured a concealed, high-powered bulb positioned near the floor. Its light was directed upward, then reflected downward by the underside of a conical shade. The result was a soft, warm pool of light that gently illuminated the seating area without casting harsh reflections on the glass walls.
The lamp would go on to appear in interiors commissioned by some of the most significant art collectors of the era. Later, it was added to the Hodgson House that Johnson designed in New Canaan, CT (1950-1951). Today, the home belongs to Craig Bassam and Scott Fellows. Shortly after moving in, they began exploring the possibility of licensing and reintroducing the lamp into production.
The Johnson Kelly Lamp will be in select DWR stores across North America and available through dwr.com. Retailing for $8,995, the lamp comes in brass, bronze and stainless-steel finish options.
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Italian lighting brand Foscarini has introduced Spokes Ambient, a WiFi-enabled and app-controlled pendant that homeowners can adjust in terms of brightness and direction throughout the day. It has two independently adjustable LED light sources: a powerful upward glow softly illuminates the entire space, while a focused downward beam provides task lighting for a desk or dining table. Users can adjust the lighting using the Tuya app.
