Pendleton Luminaire

A few months back, Fig Studio was asked to join over thirty artists and architects in designing a luminaire for the first annual Illumination Auction benefiting the Lions Club International Foundation.  A dozen napkin sketches and a Sketchup model later, the Luminaire was born from a bin of vintage Pendleton Woolen Mills bobbins. 

I've seen these bobbins on a number of occasions (frequent trips to the Pendleton Woolen Mills Store is really part of a Portlander's job description, right?) and purchased a few for home use... candlesticks, basket fillers, and general Northwest modern accessorizing.  A lightbulb went off while working on the cafe project, but I didn't have the time to prototype or get these to a place where they'd be suitable in a commercial environment.  When the Illumination opportunity arose, somehow I managed to veer away from this idea I'd been hanging on to for months.  I conceptualized all of these complicated options, none of which could be handbuilt in a reasonable amount of time. 

Maybe I didn't want to share.  Maybe I wanted to be cutting edge and super clean lined.  Whatever the reason, it took my husband's encouragement to get me in to Hippo Hardware and get cracking.  Eight hours and ten sore fingers later, the Pendleton Luminaire was finished.  I was a little sad to part with it, but I knew it was going to a good cause and would hopefully help give the Lions extra resources in their charitable efforts.  I have a feeling number two in the series will be my next rainy day project.