Ingo Maurer Lighting Designer
Near the end of 2019, a legendary lighting designer, Ingo Maurer, passed away. He left behind a huge body of inspiring work, and today I’m sharing a few of his ideas.
![Photo of the famous lighting designer Ingo Maurer with shoulder-length hair, wearing a pair of sunglasses with lit lightbulbs coming out of the lenses. His head is turned up towards the sky.](https://kimballstarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Kimball-Starr-Interior-Design_Ingo-Maurer-Lighting-Designer-580x270.jpg)
Ingo Maurer’s passion for light began in the mid 1960s, birthed from some of his earliest memories of fishing with his father, seeing the reflection of light dance with the water. Over 50 years, Maurer developed an outstanding career, with exhibitions in museums all over the world, commissions from international clients and brands, and a firm employing nearly 80 people.
Maurer’s work displays a love for light, the films and artists that inspired him, and a commitment to not making compromises. There is no one who creates lights as unique as Ingo Maurer.
![Photo of a pendant light created by a number of wire rods emanating out from the lighting fixture. On each rod is a piece of paper, some with writing on them, so that it looks like a giant round push-pin board of notes. Underneath is a red chair sitting behind a surface so that only the top rail is visible, and on the surface is a set of white dishes, a stack of black bowls, and some red cutlery.](https://kimballstarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Kimball-Starr-Interior-Design_Ingo-Maurer-Zettelz-Suspension-Light-580x580.jpg)
Zettelz 6 Suspension Light from Ingo Maurer is meant to have the owner participate in its final look. Japanese paper sheets suspended from stainless steel rods are inserted into the central housing. The placement of the rods is up to the user, resulting in each piece being totally unique. Printed and blank paper sheets are included, for personalization.
![Lightbulbs seem to fly away from their wired centerpiece in the chandelier, each with a small pair of white wings attached at the base of the bulbs.](https://kimballstarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Kimball-Starr-Interior-Design_Ingo-Maurer-Birdie-Chandelier-580x328.jpg)
Birdie by Ingo Maurer is created by wings in real goose feather-wrapped bulbs. The line includes table lamps, pendants, wall lights; all free to fly in the imagination of design. LED technology combines with creativity, and the result is a beautiful winged collection.
![A can of Campbell's Tomato Soup is suspended by a spring above a table where a bowl of piping hot soup and a spoon await, steam rising in the light of the pendant lamp emanating from the bottom of the can. The entire background of the image has a deep blue color. The can of soup is reminiscent of a famous pop-art piece by Andy Warhol.](https://kimballstarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Kimball-Starr-Interior-Design_Ingo-Maurer-Canned-Light-580x580.jpg)
The Ingo Maurer Canned Light puts a different spin on Andy Warhol-inspired pop art; it actually appears to “pop” from the wall or ceiling from its spring-like top. This contemporary design by Christoph Matthias and Hagen Sczech for Ingo Maurer will likely be around as long as Warhol’s original.
![The bulb-inside-a-bulb design -- of a hand-blown crystal glass shade and polished chromium base -- is matched inside by a top-chromated incandescent bulb. The entire table lamp is shown against a solid black background.](https://kimballstarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Kimball-Starr-Interior-Design_Ingo-Maurer-Bulb-Table-Lamp-580x580.jpg)
Ingo Maurer’s first-ever lamp design, conceived in 1966. The Ingo Maurer Bulb Table Lamp shows just how far back Maurer’s appreciation of the form and function of the incandescent bulb goes. The bulb-inside-a-bulb design — of a hand-blown crystal glass shade and polished chromium base — is matched inside by a top-chromated incandescent bulb.
![Three handmade shades are suspended one above the other by thin metal cables, while a single red iron ring provides a pop of color above. The paper shades of this pendant light called Floatation are crinkled, casting soft light over a dark dining table appearing to float in midair, with a white chair also floating behind, and a vase with a single rose, floating above the tabletop. Light is cast into the room from an open doorway at the back left of the image, creating interesting shadows across the floating pieces and the concrete flooring.](https://kimballstarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Kimball-Starr-Interior-Design_Ingo-Maurer-Floatation-Suspension-Light-580x580.jpg)
Floatation is a suspension light made from Japanese paper shades for ambient illumination. Three handmade shades are suspended by thin metal cables, while a red iron ring provides a pop of color. The paper shades of Floatation are crinkled, an intended design attribute, casting soft light over a dining table or living space.
![Two images, one longer one above the other. The top image shows a light fixture on a single wire with the power cable snaking around it. Ten Campari red soda bottles are suspended by multiple wires attached to the central cable. In the bottom image, a top-down view of the light fixture allows you to see the bottle caps saying Campari Soda, and a clear plastic cone-shaped top piece. Red light is cast upon a white wall behind. Eight additional bottles of soda are on the table below, out of focus.](https://kimballstarr.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Kimball-Starr-Interior-Design_Ingo-Maurer-Campari-Light.jpg)
The Ingo Maurer Campari Light shows how innovative and creative luminaires can be. Ten original Campari soda bottles, still filled with the classic soda, are combined into one extraordinary ensemble, wrapping the room in a fascinating red. Down the center of the bottles, a transparent plastic body holds the light fixture, under a transparent canopy. All the bottles are removable, and the luminaire is height-adjustable with a Campari crown cap at the top. What a marvelous way to look at light!
Do you want to feature stunning lighting design in YOUR home? Contact Kimball Starr today for a consultation. She designs beautiful homes in the San Francisco Bay Area and Nevada.