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We had a chat with the innovative designers at Koncept and we want to share it with you! We discussed modern design, the importance of form + function, as well as future ideas for Koncept. It all started a couple months ago when we attended the Dwell on Design event. At the event, we ran into Kenneth Ng (President) and Edmund Ng (Vice President) from Koncept and we promised each other we would schedule a longer chat at a later date. Well, we did....

ESL: Are you led by aesthetics or function when you design?

Koncept: Both are equally important. Ultimately it depends on project. For the Zbar / Equo both were equally important. Sometimes, it can even change throughout the process of designing any given project. The Equo was a little more aesthetic when it first came out and was not as functional as it has become over time.

Tono Floor Lamp

ESL: Where do you go for inspiration?

K: We maintain a very free creative process, finding inspiration everywhere including magazines, architecture, open houses. New materials inspire as well. LEDs inspired us to jump in and design Zbar. If we find a good material, we are able to create an exciting design around it.

ESL: Since you mentioned architecture, do you have any favorite architects?

K: Frank Gehry, especially his residential building in Hong Kong. He inspires us to do something special that no one else is doing.

Equo Task Lamp 

ESL: How do you select materials?

K: Mostly market availability, need, and pure inspiration become the factors in our material selection process. For example, organic LED is a new material we are starting to work with. It's made with organic materials and consists of a thin sheet of material that glows strongly. They aren't cost effective yet so that's where need comes in. So far, it only last 10k hours vs. 50k of regular LEDs. It's jut not efficient enough yet.

Z Bar Task Lamp

ESL: Why LED? What is all the hype? And what are the negatives, if any?

K: LEDs lasts a long time and they are better for our environment. If we switch to LEDs for general lighting, we’ll have less impact on the environment in the long run. Even though the technology is more expensive, consumers need to see that they last 1000s of hrs longer. Consumers will come out on top by lowering their electricity bill and helping the environment at the same time.

The good news is, the cost is coming down. There have been so many advancements lately. We predict  the demand for old bulbs will fade out and the cost will continue coming down.

Mosso Task Lamp

ESL:  What's in the future for Koncept?

K: Well, most of our current products are for small areas, like desk tops. We want to expand into other categories and do more residential lighting fixtures, possibly large scale modern chandeliers and pendants. We also want to do ambient lighting as well, impacting an entire space with light rather than just a desk top.

Of course we also want to continue monitoring the development of organic LEDs.

Thanks Koncept!

I think we can all agree that there is excitement for what Koncept does next and there's no doubt we will bring it to you as it happens!

Images: Koncept

So, we featured an image of this awesome art installation as one of our Facebook posts last week and we just couldn't let it go so we decided to blog about it too! A colorful and whimsical umbrella art installation floats above this promenade in Águeda, Portugal. It casts a shadow of geometric shapes on the ground below and fills the streets with a fairy tale like energy. This colorful public art installation is not only functional, but also brings uplifting energy into a quiet community during the lazy days of summer!  

The sun shines through the umbrellas and they just light up in the sky! Bringing this type of vibrant energy into your own home is as simple as adding colorful modern ceiling lighting.  

All Red Giclee Glow 20" Wide Pendant Light

Peach Flower Small 15-3/4" Wide Pendant Light

The juxtaposition of the bright colors and the natural elements of the historic buildings form such an interesting composition. The reflection of the colors in the glass windows creates a stained glass like effect.

Colorful glass pendant lighting looks beautiful when installed with this type of juxtaposition. The combination of the colorful sleek glass, mixed with historic brick walls, creates depth in design and adds visual interest to a space.

LBL Mason Steel Bue and Satin Nickel Pnedant Light

Pop Collection Green Glass 15" Wide Pendant

Photographers Patrícia Almeida and Diana Tavares were able to capture the amazing umbrella installation with photos that evoke so much emotion that you might just feel like you're about to float away on one of those colorful umbrellas. Hope your week has been as magical as this installation!

Images: My Modern Net, Architizer

Believe the hype: LED lighting can help you save money. When looked at holistically, factoring in the cost of electricity over the lifetime of the bulb, a house full of LED lights could actually save you hundreds of dollars. 

Let's do the math.

LED Is for the Long Term

According to GreenBiz.com: "A conventional 60-watt bulb lasts about 1,000 hours, uses 60 watts of electricity and costs $180 to run for 25,000 hours. The LED equivalent lasts 25,000 hours (nearly three years if you left it on 24/7), uses 12.5 watts and costs $37.50 to run for 25,000 hours."  I've outlined the math below.

The calculations above are based on the Philips Ambient 12 Watt LED Medium Base Light Bulb, a light bulb that fits into any medium base fixture, intended to replace incandescent bulb usage. However, there are also tons of designs available with the LEDs built right into the design.

Save money by using LED lights in every room of the house:  

The Entryway>

The Dining Room>

The Bathroom>

The Office or Work Space>

Discover a Warmer, Gentler LED

You most likely have heard an incandescent bulb described as a "warm" light. This look or feel of the light is its color temperature. Lower color temperatures (in the range of 2700K to 3000K) appear yellow/white and, despite their lower color temperatures, are referred to as "warm" in color; higher color temperatures (5000K and higher) appear blue/white and, despite their higher color temperatures, are referred to as "cool."

LED lighting has typically been associated with these harsher looking higher color temperatures. But that is changing. Increasingly, LEDs are reaching down into the warm 3000K range, resulting in color akin to incandescent bulbs and much more natural light than most fluorescent lights.

The environmental impact of LED lighting is difficult to compare directly against other options, but the circumstantial data is encouraging.

• Requiring 1/5 to 1/10 the energy of an incandescent bulb, LEDs clearly reduce strain on power plants.
• With a life span of decades, not months, LEDs reduce strain on landfills.  
• Unlike the compact fluorescent light (CFL), the LED doesn't contain toxic mercury.  

Natural looking. Cost effective. Environmentally friendly. LEDs are a slam dunk, right? Assuming you find a style you like, the answer is probably yes. In an interview blogger Cori Magee conducted last year with Edmund Ng and Kenneth Ng of Koncept Lighting, they discussed the role of aesthetics in designing for LEDs. "Both form and function are equally important," explained the Ng brothers. "New materials enable new designs. If we find a good material, we are able to create an exciting design around it."

It's this type of commitment to design, technology and, ultimately, cost that leads us to believe the future looks bright for LEDs.   

Images: Koncept, Kozai Modern, Toni Spilsbury

Did you hear... the Curiosity Rover landed on Mars! Of course you have, but still what an incredible performance by Nasa's JPL and everyone in the world that has been involved in the creation of the Curiosity Rover and this incredible feat. Is there life on Mars? When will we be able to travel to Mars? How will this event inspire the future?  We just might be able to answer some of these questions soon. We gain inspiration from nature and everything that surrounds us so there is no doubt in my mind that design, architecture, music, fashion, and film will be extremely inspired by this journey as well.

I'm already imagining the first houses inspired by this trip to Mars. Mars is a very peaceful place right now with only Curiosity wandering around, as far as we know! The bold white geometric concrete structure contrasting against the rough red rocky landscape is what comes to mind.  It's peaceful and elegant while the surroundings appear to be rough and a bit harsh.  

I image the modern kitchen on Mars would be natural in its elements, but ultra modern in its technology and aesthetic. The concrete kitchen, Twenty Cemento from ModulNova is a great example of this. The concrete cabinet fronts are subtle, but the soft texture is something you just want to reach out and touch.

Pairing sleek modern barstools with more organic materials like concrete and wood creates layers of materials that are perfectly balanced. Too much of anything is never a good thing, but a pop of chrome and white leather is like the icing on the cake.

Zuo Flick Chrome and White Bar Stool Set of 2

Modern bathrooms don't always have to be so sleek and clean. This solid wood vanity stands strong against the naturally textured concrete wall, while the modern pendant light hangs gracefully from above. It's like the combination of the surface of Mars mixed with the sleek elements of the Curiosity Rover. 

The mix of modern mini pendant lights with rough natural materials blend together in such a way that still allows each element to hold their ground, make a statement, and maintain the balance.

Silver 24" High Satin Nickel Mini Pendant Light

There are so many things this world needs, and although a Mar-traveling rover and a house on Mars may not be on the top of everyone's list (yet), it should be able to bring inspiration to each and every one of you. Just think of the possibilities! How has this event inspired you?

Images: Mashable, Fran Silvestre Arquitectos, ModulNova