Style Watch: Global Appeal

The globe is one of the simplest shapes in lighting design, but we show how versatile and spectacular an unassuming orb can be.

By Julie A. Palm

The humble globe is one of the simplest shapes in lighting design, spherical and perfect.

But the globe, or orb, doesn’t have to be boring.

By nature, it leans minimalist. But it also evokes Midcentury Modern and contemporary aesthetics. Add beautifully colored glass and it transforms into romantic vintage and magic. This snapshot of new and notable fixtures and lamps shows how versatile the simple globe can be — and how there’s an option there for virtually every customer’s taste, at a variety of price points.

Regina Andrew Detroit says its new Rhodes collection “draws inspiration from the sculptural geometry of a guitar pick, distilling modern design into structure, balance and expressive restraint. In the chandelier, alabaster-like globes dance around a brass canopy, creating a rhythmic sense of movement. The collection includes eight chandelier, pendant and sconce configurations in natural brass and oil rubbed bronze finishes.

Hubbardton Forge offers a literal but intriguing interpretation of the globe motif in its Pangea tall table lamp. A trio of stacked spheres depict the drifting of the Earth’s continents, creating interest and fostering conversation. Hubbardton Forge also has interpreted the Pangea into pendants, a sconce, a torchier and other table lamps, each with its own personality and silhouette.  

Calling to mind Saturn’s rings, brass bands orbit the large opaque glass globe at the center of the Astral pendant from Currey & Company. The company notes that the bands are adjustable, allowing easy access for changing the single bulb inside.

There is nothing frightening about the Spider chandelier from Schwung as 13 globes drape from a dramatic web of cables. Shown with Marble orbs, it’s also available in Opal Mat and clear Dries globes. Metal details come in five finishes.

In Savoy House’s three-light Turin table lamp, designer Dann Foley floats smooth opal glass globes above a warm brass body and marble base. As the company says, the lamp has a “sculptural silhouette that feels both iconic and current.”

Wildwood celebrates Italian glass artistry in its simple yet stunning Amo pendant. The globe is made of mouth-blown glass and suspended from an antique brass chain. The colors in the glass cast a warm glow when lit. Shown here in Smoke, it’s also available in Amber and Blue Avio.

In this bubbly and whimsical yet sophisticated Talia chandelier, designer Julie Neill bundles an abundance of swirled glass orbs, which are attached to a bright metal basket. The large chandelier is shown here, but Visual Comfort’s Talia series is available in several sizes and configurations, adding dynamism and playfulness to any space.

A sphere is at the center of the Ralston lamp from Troy Lighting, which pairs cylindrical and spherical shapes with a drum shade in this ode to the beauty of geometry. The effect is one of modern simplicity. The stacked solid wood mango base is finished in a tobacco stain; the accent at the neck is brass.

In the Zayna wall light, Avenue Lighting stacks iridescent colored glass globes for a sconce that radiates warmth before it’s ever flipped on. Aged brass details act as jewelry for the orbs. Shown here in alternating, brown and purple glass, the wall light is available in several colorways.

The Metro six-light chandelier from Jamie Young Co. is equally at home in midcentury modern and urban designs. Faux alabaster globes diffuse the light and are paired with oil rubbed bronze arms and base caps. The Metro design is also available in pendant styles.

The smokey crackled-glass globe of Mavisten Edition’s petite Waverider accent lamp creates a kaleidoscope of shadow and movement. The mouth-blown orb surrounds one of the company’s Emberline bulbs and sits atop a brass base.