Recycled Lighting Artist Spotlight

“It takes true creativity and a strong imagination to transform an item into something else with a completely different function. And that’s exactly what artist Carolina Fontoura Alzaga does to create her “CONNECT Series” of lighting fixtures. She collects old bicycles from junkyards and dumpsters and uses the parts to create beautiful chandeliers and lamps.”

Carolina Fontoura Alzaga (Caro) is a multidisciplinary artist who operates under the name Facaro and is recognized internationally for her unique perspectives on medium and form.

In the CONNECT Series, Caro reimagines used bike parts to create luxurious, cascading chandeliers.

The lights are a careful balance of style and substance. Each piece is unique and no two quite the same. Photos of the Connect Series are of past stock and each piece is made to order and customizable in Caro’s Victorian Bike Punk style.

Some of the Connect upcycled chandeliers are massive and can take months for the artist to make in L.A. studio.

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“Making each chandelier an approximate perfection despite the imperfect nature of the material. I’ve had to surrender to the rhythm of creation and accept regressing in order to progress.”

Carolina Fontoura Alzaga was born in Mexico City, then moved to Denver, where she graduated East High School in 1999. She got her BFA from Metro State, where the chandeliers were her thesis piece, in 2007. Her very first chandelier was donated to Derailer, a bicycle collective that dissolved and gave birth to the Bike Pit, where the chandelier still hangs.

Caro’s Facaro studio focuses on art that explores of the “third function” of materials. She hopes that her creations will inspire dialogue about the importance of eco-friendly up-cycling.

Last year she was invited to show her work at Comme des Garçons Trading Museum in Japan, and she recently finished a ten-foot-long, four-foot-wide chandelier commissioned by Heineken.

For more information about Facaro and her work visit facaro.com.

September 21, 2014

Nouveau Rebel

It’s hard to believe a year ago I was attending the London Design Festival and visiting amazing showrooms. How can a year go so quickly? One showroom tour I really enjoyed was Lee Broom in Shoreditch.

This year Lee Broom launched a new collection of lighting and objects at Electra House, his flagship store, under the tongue in cheek title, ‘Nouveau Rebel.’

“I named the collection Nouveau Rebel as it is a material favored by the traditional art world and also the nouveau riche. I like the tipping point between these two worlds, and I wanted to create contemporary products that use the material in new ways whilst referencing 80’s styling and traditional production methods”

The lighting features diffusers made from hollowed out Carrera marble. A light source inside illuminates the stone’s veined surface from behind.

The collection includes Chamber pendant lights, a spherical Dome light and a linear light called Tube.

The Tube Light is made from a cylindrical piece of marble that is just six-millimetres thick along its length, with LED bulbs inside and bronze caps on each end.

“It’s a marble take on a fluorescent light,” said Broom. “It’s probably the difficult piece in the collection to make because its using one long piece of marble.”

Nouveau Rebel lighting at the launch party at the Ace Hotel

August 20, 2014October 25, 2018

Outdoor Kitchen Design

Outdoor Kitchen Cabinets and Design | KitchAnn Style

Using a designer with expertise in Kitchen design for your outdoor BBQ makes sense. We’ve master the ability to understand how a kitchen should flow and how it should be planned so the chef is not isolated and can socialize with guests. Continue reading “Outdoor Kitchen Design”

May 31, 2014

Lighting on My Mind

Table lamp ideas for kitchens | KitchAnn Style

As a Kitchen and Bath Specialist I don’t usually specify furniture or soft goods such as upholstery so I was a little worried when I saw BlogTour NY was scheduled to visit the Donghia showroom in the D&D Building that I’d struggle to come up with something to write about this sponsor.

My worries were quickly put to rest as I sipped Prosecco and was introduced to the new spring product offering. I quickly fell in love with the Murano lighting and wall coverings.

It seems like designers are always looking for great chandeliers to hang over kitchen islands now that open floor plans are preferred and higher ceilings are in more demand from homeowners. But what about table lamps in the kitchen?

Table Lamps in the Kitchen

Table lamps are great accessories in the kitchen and are too often overlooked. They provide great task lighting as well as soft ambient light when dimmed for parties or quiet mornings.

Whether you want to use a pair or a single lamp paired with a vase, picture frame or other accessory of your choosing, lamps can fit most any design theme.

Some planning is needed to locate outlets for the lamps in each designated spot. Lamp chords will also most likely need to be shortened by your electrician or lamp shop.

Lamps make a kitchen feel more like a room and less like a food laboratory.

What do you think? I think they are a better alternative to Swiss cheese ceilings with too many recessed can lights.

The Margot Lamp in satin sepia was my favorite piece from the new spring collection shown in the Donghia showroom (see first picture). The Murano glass is most alluring. For a shorter lamp, I really love the clean design of the Clara lamp.

About Donghia

Donghia, Inc. produces furniture, textiles, lighting and accessories sold exclusively to interior designers and architects through Donghia’s 12 showrooms across the United States and in over fifty representative showrooms around the world. With a forty-year history at the forefront of the luxury home furnishings industry, Donghia represents American design at its best.

Donghia Associates was founded in 1972 by Angelo Donghia and focused in the areas of residential, contract and hospitality design. In 1978 Donghia Furniture was established to produce fine upholstery and casepieces and Mr. Donghia continued the growth of his companies, expanding his network of showrooms and products across the United States.

Since his passing in 1985 Donghia was owned and operated as a private company. In 2005, the company was purchased by the Rubelli Group, a leading designer and manufacturer of textiles from Venice, Italy.

(Donghia is a sponsor for BlogTour NYC May 2014, but the views and opinions expressed on this blog are mine, and I will be honest in what I share. You, the reader, are my top priority and it is my goal to make sure you can trust the content and integrity of this blog.)

Category: Lighting

Recycled Lighting Artist Spotlight

“Making each chandelier an approximate perfection despite the imperfect nature of the material. I’ve had to surrender to the rhythm of creation and accept regressing in order to progress.”

Nouveau Rebel

Outdoor Kitchen Design