Designing From Nature

We have a challenge for those of you who will be attending Dallas Winter Market, which kicks off tomorrow and runs through the 10th. The assignment is to see just how many designs you will see that were inspired by elemental motifs. Our team at Currey & Company has grown very adept at designing from nature in several different ways: either each piece is inspired by shapes contained in the outdoors or it is made from a natural material. Many of these pieces fit within a new trend in hospitality venues: balancing novelty and luxury. One of our new introductions that tap both the novelty and luxury categories is the Paradiso Chandelier, shown above, which was inspired by the Bird of Paradise Plant.

Designing from Nature for Biophilic Richness

With life-like metal leaves that are laser cut and finished in coco cream, the Bowthorpe Chandelier was designed by Clarence Mallari. The leaves look so real because the veins were pressed into them with machined precision. An artisanal touch is how patina was introduced with subtle brushstrokes in a slightly darker hue, making them appear to be the freshest of the fallen specimens of autumn. The bobeches, which are shaped like upturned crowns, have mild antiquing applied as well. Notice how the leaves slide onto the forged rings of this tan chandelier through sophisticated knots.

Rose-colored natural Capiz shells have become blossoms to ornament our Catrice 36-Light Multi-Drop Pendant. The silver pendant is luminous in a mix of painted silver and contemporary silver leaf finishes. This fixture is among Currey & Company’s introduction of cluster lights, which includes 1-light to 36-light configurations.

With its Italianate influences, the Taormina Chandelier is a handmade wonder. The metal wire from which it is made is hand-formed. Creating delicate leaf shapes from wire made of wrought iron is no small feat. The new brass finish on the gold chandelier brings it a warmth though the composition remains light and airy. This is one of our strongest entries into the biophilic category given the fact our team was designing from nature.

When Clarence Mallari designed the Calliope Chandelier, he was inspired by leaves on the bamboo plant. Though the stem and fronds of this tan chandelier read as if they are made of natural material, they are fashioned from wrought iron in a mix of coco cream and ivory finishes that are hand-applied by artisans. The flowing arrangement of the fronds is a design detail of note.

One of our bestsellers, the Gingko Silver Wall Sconce is a botanical-inspired fixture with a distressed silver leaf finish on its wrought iron frame. The leaves that fan out from a central stem are in perfect scale to the off-white shantung shade. The fixture meets ADA requirements. This sconce definitely ticks the biophilic box.

Sprays of wrought iron in a gold gilt finish flutter up around the light source on the Sea Fan Wall Sconce, designed by Aviva Stanoff. She says of the inspiration for the design of this gold sconce, “When I had my DNA test done, it turned out I am 12% mermaid! As a native Californian, the sea has always been by my side and has kept my secrets. I have a deep reverence for nature and particularly the ocean, and sea fans that live underwater remind us that we live among tides, that life is cyclical, and that there is beauty in believing in magic.” We also offer the Sea Fan in several chandelier designs.

Clarence Mallari designed the Bird of Paradise Chandelier, which he notes is another of his nature-inspired fixtures. The design is based on the abaca leaf, which is cast in aluminum in an antique brass finish. The gold chandelier has six candelabra sockets and it is suspended with a chain that connects to a thin central stem through a tear-drop-shaped element. The way the leaves and stems curve around the fixture where they are mounted makes this one of our most graceful contemporary chandeliers.

In the Aviva Stanoff Collection, the Queenbee Palm Ring Chandelier pays homage to the graceful movement of palm leaves blowing in the wind. The fronds, finished in a mix of contemporary gold leaf and painted contemporary gold finishes, curl gracefully around the circular frame of the fixture. Stanoff says the design was inspired by the places she associates with calm, with resetting, and with recharging: beachy, ocean, tropical places. “When I see these gorgeous palms and their fronds rustling gently in the wind, it reminds me there is grace in resting, in going with the flow, and in letting the wind blow you around until you, most importantly, settle.”

Made of wrought iron in a mix of contemporary gold leaf and contemporary silver leaf finishes, the Elder Wall Sconce was inspired by oversized monstera leaves, a plant in the philodendron family. Made of laser-cut metal that was wrapped over a wooden mold to form the leaves, the artful gold and silver sconce is as much a wall sculpture as it is a light fixture. We also offer this design as an orb chandelier.

The Irvin Table Lamp is made of wrought iron in a golden vintage finish for a seriously luxurious glow. The gold table lamp was inspired by oversized monstera leaves, a plant in the philodendron family. The leaves are made of laser-cut metal that was wrapped over a wooden mold to form them. The artful lamp is as much a sculpture as it is a light fixture. We also offer this design as a floor lamp and a pendant.

The Tropical Grande Floor Lamp is made of brass in a vintage brass finish with life-like leaves rising from the black granite base to imply movement. This detail gives this gold floor lamp extra sophistication. We also offer a smaller floor lamp, single-leaf and four-leaf sconces, and a semi-flush in the tropical family of fixtures.

With a lyrical profile of fluttering discs that favor the leaves of its namesake plant, the Lunaria Oval Chandelier is made of wrought iron in a contemporary silver leaf finish. The bulbs that are sprinkled amongst the flowing petals of metal reflect off the finish on this silver chandelier to increase the glow. We offer the Lunaria in three chandelier shapes—the other two a large round, and a small round—and as a wall sconce. All four of these designs are bestsellers.

One of our newest products, the Coral Accent Table is an artistically rendered version of the flowing and billowing animals that make up the world’s great reefs. The fact that the nubby creation is rendered in a brute material like cast aluminum makes the gold occasional table more of a feat. As is the case with all metals that are poured into molds, the surfaces in an antique brass finish have drifts of pitting and stippling that enhances the table's patina. The floating clear glass top fits seamlessly into place and is easy to remove for cleaning.

Our Biophilic Instincts Are Showing!

Our fall introductions include these pieces in the Paradiso family of light fixtures.

As we launch into this New Year, bringing nature indoors is one of the moves that can help us create more satisfying environments for ourselves. Along with the Paradiso Chandelier, with which we began this post, new last fall are the floor lamp, table lamp, and accent table in this whimsical family of offerings. We will keep drawing our inspiration from nature as we move forward, our way of wishing you all months of naturalness as the 2023 unfolds! If you’re attending Dallas Market—we’re in the Interior Home + Design Center in Suite 1D228—call us out of Instagram with the hashtag #curreyco if you spot any of our biophilic designs.