Ingo Maurer Oh Mei Ma

Tomorrow we are heading on our annual trip to Munich, then the Dolomites in Northern Italy.
Of course we are going to visit our friends from Ingo Maurer in Munich. Can’t wait to take more photos of their products. It’s just such a beautiful space where all the great Ingo Maurer lights are displayed just right with all the space around them that they deserve.

New Mexico Disaster Dog Training

We care about more than Lighting!

Form + Function pledges 10% of all profits this week to help train more disaster dogs.

The last weeks have brought so much tragedy from earthquakes that most of us are still numb from it.
After this morning’s news I was trying to think of something where I can reach out and contribute something special, something with a more long-term value than donate money (which we did as well).

As I have mentioned before I have a passion (aside from lighting) which has kept me busy in my spare time for the last 15 years.

I am a canine handler with one of the 28 FEMA task forces in the nation, New Mexico Task Force 1. I went to the Pentagon with my black lab Guinness after 9/11 and to Katrina and Rita with my black lab, Spenser.

Throughout the country there are dog handlers training to be ready to go on deployments with the FEMA task forces when needed. Many are volunteers. As a matter of fact, all canine handlers on New Mexico Task Force 1 are volunteers and do not get paid for any of their work.
After 9/11 the canine handlers of NM-TF1  established a non-profit organisation, New Mexico Disaster Dogs. Donations given to this organisation have primarily been used over the years for training purposes.

It takes about two years of dedicated work to train a search dog to be able to complete this difficult task. All canine teams travel a lot to find training opportunities with other task forces throughout the nation, since the training is so specialized. Most training is paid by the dog handlers themselves.

Since there is such a shortage of certified dogs Form + Function  has decided to create a scolarship fund for canine handlers, who show promise and true dedication, but might need financial assistance.

Pele Cluster Pendant by Tech Lighting

Because of the earthquake in Haiti I missed this year’s Dallas Market. (there was a chance that I’d get called out with New Mexico Task Force 1 and my search dog Spenser, so I cancelled the trip last minute.)
After I received all the updates about new products I really saw what I missed!
Tech Lighting had THE most exciting release of new products in my opinion.
The Pele “Chandelier” is just one example of an innovative idea: A cluster of strikingly simple opal white globe pendants softened by unique tapered glass sleeves. Replaces a chandelier or foyer light to create a striking focal point. Contemporary home lighting at its finest!

With literally hundreds of home lighting options, the choice can seem daunting. To break them down, think of lighting from two aspects….functional and aesthetic.
Home lighting needs to provide the correct type of light in sufficient quantity for the task. Aesthetically, the right lighting can create the desired mood and make you feel good.

A good home lighting plan should include task, general, and accent lights to provide lighting that is not only functional and effective but also fitting your decor and lifestyle.
Light fixtures can change the tone of any room in your home and bring out the features you think are important and want to highlight.

You finally got your dream kitchen? – Show it off!!  During the daytime with the light spilling in through the windows it might look just perfect. The right lighting will make sure that it looks just as good – or even better – at nighttime when you are entertaining.

It is amazing how the right lighting can bring out the beautiful colors of a countertop in the kitchen, the dramatic textures of a natural stone fireplace in the den or the richness a beautiful heirloom dresser in the bedroom. There is not a place in the home that can’t benefit from a well- thought-out lighting plan.
Planning your home lighting does not mean spending more, but can actually save you money by focusing on what’s important. (AND if you ask any of us from Form + Function for advice it’s FREE!)

The right home lighting is not only there to illuminate specific tasks, but is also used to bring out the beauty of your home’s décor. Illuminate what you want to be seen.
An evenly illuminated room is boring. You need light and shadows to create atmosphere.  A reading lamp next to your favorite chair, a pendant over your dining table, a small table lamp on a console table “just to add a little something”. It’s amazing what all these “pools of Light” do to the overall comfort of the room.
Your home lighting design gives you the opportunity to choose what to highlight – and what to leave in the shadows.
Want to be able to choose the right socks on an early winter morning? Want to be able to see you face, not just the top of your head in the bathroom mirror? Want to walk to the back porch without tripping? So many apparent challenges – so easy and often inexpensive solutions!

Light fixtures can add beauty, warmth and drama both indoors and outdoors. The right outdoor home lighting plan can enhance the exterior of your property by illuminating paths and making your doorways inviting as well as safe. Exterior light fixtures can both brighten and beautify your garden, pond, deck, fountain, trees, and driveways, adding value to your property.

Contemporary lighting, Craftsman Style, Tiffany, modern lighting, traditional, eclectic….there is a style that fits you.
At Form + function our selection is favoring contemporary and modern designs, but we still feel strongly that the most important thing is finding the fixtures and lamps that work harmoniously in your home.

Kichler Lighting Takil LED Wall Sconce

The Takil outdoor wall light by Kichler combines energy-saving LED technology with a rustic, yet elegant organic design.

The Kichler Takil outdoor lightis named for a palm native to the foothills of the Himalaya.
The rectangular Takil lanterns feature exposed palm-leaf designs on three sides that throw intriguing shadows across the wall sconce. Offered in two sizes in an Aged Bronze finish.
Using 75% less electricity than their incandescent counterparts with an average lifespan of 15 years, Kichler’s new Design Pro LED lanterns apply the best LED technology available to produce a bright, white light in the same color range as traditional incandescent lighting. The Takil wall lights from the Design Pro LED family by Kichler are both Energy Star and Dark Skies compliant.

Linear Chandelier by Michael McHale

Just stumbled upon the wonderfully creative chandeliers by Michael McHale and it was love at first sight!!
His tongue-in-cheek approach to the dining room or foyer staple  combines reclaimed plumbing pipes  with high quality Bohemian or Swarowski crystal. The result is surprisingly  elegant with an industrial, charming twist.

Welcome to our home

Got snow this year – like everyone else around the country, it seems.

I feel like keeping the Holiday lights up for the rest of the winter. They make our entrance look so inviting.

Luceplan Titania

Wish I were there to see it!!
From December,6 to January,10 Milan hosts the first edition of  LED, The International Light Festival promoted by the Milan Town Council on the occasion of the Christmas Holidays.
Paolo Rizzatto, who designs for Luceplan, created an exceptional path of lights in the historical squares near the Scala Theatre. He  transformed the Titania Lamp into a big installation suspended in the sky. The Titania pendant light , which he designed with Alberto Meda in 1989 is one of the Italian icons of Italian design.
We carry the smaller version that will light up your living or dining area with a cheerful design, unique.

Flos Fucsia 12

The dining room chandelier is the place to create a Wow! experience.
Make this centerpiece a strong focal point.  Allow yourself to splurge  on a designer piece or hang the crystal chandelier you hauled all the way back from the Paris flea market. Get it rewired and just do it!!
Caution: You want this piece to stand out and “make” the room, but that doesn’t mean it has to be the workhorse that does it all.
Add buffet lamps, candles, indirect lighting to the illumination over your dining table.
One light source by itself creates too harsh transitions between the areas of light and shadows. You want to create several layers of light throughout the area and you want to be able to dim all lights to fit the tasks or mood of the moment.
Balance is key.
It is proven that the even, bland light of fast-food restaurants make people hurry up and leave sooner.  High end restaurants , however, deploy a variety of sophisticated subtle lighting schemes to create a comfortable atmosphere that make guests want to linger. We look and feel a whole lot better better in good lighting and it’s usually so easy to achieve with a few simple adjustments.