Tripping the Light Moderne - Page 2

"Those are the two biggies," she says, noting that the globe is so popular that they offer a range of diameters all the way up to a three-foot-wide orb (at $2,500) that "is pretty stunning to look at."

For other spherical lighting styles, 'Light Up the Night' recommends the Globe Outdoor by Ligne Roset (starting at $520), and the Garden Orb (priced from $200 at Overstock.com), which can float, sit on a table, or accentuate landscaping. There's even the oblong, pebble-shaped Gregg outdoor lamps (from Ylighting.com), available as a floor, table, or pendant lamp.

The CA-Modern story spotlights examples of the clean, minimalist design of lighting preferred by many modernists. It begins with the "tall and lean design" of pole-like lamps by Belvedere Clove (priced from $795 at Flos.com).

Nearly as minimal are the Bega garden lights that are slender but project diamond patterns on flat surfaces. They are available at Allmodern.com, as are another style in the Spring edition story, Foscarini's Havana line of outdoor pendant lights.

Also profiled in the story are the Koho outdoor lamp (offered at Houzz.com), and two lighting options at AmbienteDirect.com: the portable, battery-operated floor lamp called Wanda; and the even more unconventional Mono light cube. The cube, which is sturdy enough to double as a chair or table, starts at $1,100.

Sandidge notes that a lot of customers "look for the ability to point the light in different directions"—which is fine, of course, so long as your fixtures are period-appropriate.

"It's a passion of mine," she says with a smile of mid-century modern, adding, "In terms of my web store, I really try to make everything fit that aesthetic."

The designer also points out that because mid-century modern permeates her product lines, some customers bring custom projects to her in order to match existing modernist fixtures. (Hip Haven operates a small studio and showroom in Austin, although the showroom is by appointment only.)

"I've had a lot of success emulating old fixtures," Sandidge says. "People seem to be happy with the result."

Working in a field she is passionate about helps keep Sandidge happy. She also strives to keep her designs fresh by incorporating other influences, such as folk art, ethnic art, or a recent favorite of hers, Danish modern.

"That's what I like about modernism as a rule—that it can jump into other settings," says Sandidge, to which we would merely add that moving by foot from place to place is also safer in a well-lit, period-appropriate space.

To review all 13 of Tanja Kern's outdoor lighting selections, click here to read a PDF version of 'Light Up the Night.'