In recent years, the rice paper lamp has become one of the trendiest objects in interior design. We see them all over furniture stores and social media – circular and oval lamps in all sorts of sizes and colours. The huge version lights up the living room at different heights, while the lamp in large bunches creates an almost galactic expression.
The Danish designer brand
New Works has focused on shapes, colours, and complementary materials. Their interpretation of the rice paper lamp,
Lantern, is a good example of what happens when you mix retro design with new materials. At a distance, the lamp looks like a rice paper lamp, but it’s made of matted glass that creates a calm and diffuse light in much the same way as the traditional rice paper lamp.
Aside from a gorgeous pendant, Lantern is also available as a floor, wall, ceiling, and table lamp, all of which work particularly well for the cosy corners of your home. You can use them as night lights or floor lamps in your living room to ramp up the cosy atmosphere.
The popular matted glass can also be found in
Foscarini’s take on the modern rice paper lamp –
Rituals. This lamp expresses its magic with an incredibly exciting slit in the surface, which creates a graphic effect and is reminiscent of the original design – rice paper pulled over a slender bamboo frame.
On the other side of the spectrum, there is
Ingo Maurer who have used the traditional material and combined it with the shape of a classic lampshade to create the
Maur Pendant and wider collection. The thin paper is stretched over a metal frame, giving rise to a unique and decorative lamp with similar qualities to the rice paper lamp and casting a soft and comfortable glow.
The rice paper lamp is often seen in its round shape, but this is not the only type out there. The stylish
Formakami from
&tradition was inspired by the Asian rice paper lanterns, and this is clearly reflected in the design. With a black-stained oak material, the lamp achieves a stylish and modern expression. The designer, Jamie Hayon, states that the lamp represents a point at which the past becomes the present. The lamps fit seamlessly with the core values of &tradition who strive to combine tradition with modern design.