One To Watch: A Colourful, Affordable Designer Lighting Collaboration

The imminent launch of the new lighting collection designed by interior genius Emma Gurner - produced by contemporary lighting brand houseof - is definitely one of the most exciting collaborations of the year so far. Regular readers of this blog will know that I feature Emma Gurner’s work a lot on this website; as the founder of the Folds Inside Interior Design Studio, Em’s use of colour and her ability to create trend-led (but ultimately timeless and affordable interiors) has always made her one of my favourites to reference when discussing decorating within the home.

Alongside Emma, the independent lighting brand houseof is also always firmly on my radar. The climate-friendly company - founded by Helen White and Michael Jones - launched in 2019 after a long stint designing some of the best lighting available to purchase on the UK high street. houseof is now my go-to lighting brand when trying to source modern, stylish lighting at an accessible price point, so I was delighted to hear that Emma had teamed up with them for her first foray into product design.

Aptly titled The Contrasting Colour Collection, Emma has paired four shades (moss green with pale blue and burnt orange with pale pink) over two ranges to create six different pieces within the collection. Emma started by selecting the colours that she wanted to combine using paint samples, then looked towards vintage lighting to obtain inspiration for the range (which includes a floor lamp, table lamp, ceiling pendants and wall lights). A bonus of Emma being an esteemed interior designer is that she was aware of a large gap in the market for stylish bathroom lighting, so she designed her flush fitting with an IP rating of over 44 so it could be used in such spaces.

“This collection explores how different colour combinations work harmoniously together. The range was inspired by vintage designs, with a contemporary twist. My aim was to produce a lighting range that complimented the edgy style of houseof whilst introducing an element of my own bold and colourful style.” - Emma Gurner

The Pleat Range is a nod to the folded fabric lampshades that we have seen come back into fashion. Rather than a separate base and a crimped fabric shade, Emma designed the Pleat floor and table lamps to be one piece made completely from painted steel - allowing a continuation of colour up the base and onto the ‘shade’ (with the paler colour contrast on the interior.) Even though I am aware that this next sentence makes me sound old, from a practical point of view, a real bonus for me with the Pleat is that cleaning a folded steel shade is a lot easier than trying to get dust out of a fabric one! As well as the lamps, the Pleat design is available as a large burnt orange/pale pink pendant and a smaller-sized flush fitting.

The Ribbed Range features delicate irregular glass and a stacked ball design, available as a hanging pendant or as a wall light. While I personally favour the Pleat, I anticipate the Ribbed pendants being the biggest seller from the collection due to the popular colourway and the ‘modern-yet-feminine’ design. Group them over a kitchen island or use the larger Pleat pendant above a dining table to zone the space.

The Colour Contrasts Collection will be available exclusively on the houseof.com website from the end of May 2023, with prices ranging from £199 for a wall light to £399 for a floor lamp.

All imagery used in this post is used courtesy of houseof. Photo Credits: Megan Taylor.