A recent house tour in Remodelista showed a cool, minimalist renovation of a 1940’s summer cottage in Denmark. The hard angles and rectangles so common (and problematic) with a modern aesthetic were softened by huge, translucent paper spheres hung from the ceiling, pioneered by Isamu Noguchi in the 1950’s. They’ve long been a favorite of ours because the are a simple way to add ethereal, sculptural rounds to an angular interior, and because there fine inexpensive knock-offs that will achieve the same look.
Designers Paolo Soleri, Sam Maloof, Wharton Esherick, Ruth and Robert Hatch and George Nakashima all used the big globes to great effect; they are in many interiors of the lovely book Artists’ Handmade Houses.
You can read all about them, and where to buy real Noguchi shades AND the knockoffs here.
Photos: Mikkel Mortensen
I am unable to hang a lantern but would like to achieve that floating effect with standing, round paper lanterns. Any suggestions on a base to buy/make that is “invisible”?
I would just buy an inexpensive lamp the right height and configuration to hold a shade and ditch the shade it comes with…Use a paper shade. This Ikea table lamp or this one are good examples: utterly simple, with an adjustable height that would accomodate many shade types. Also google “Noguchi table lamps” for inspiration.
Perfect.