Hello! It's Erika from small shop, super excited about today's "Design Under the Influence" mainly because I learned something new about a product I've loved a long, long time: Tom Dixon's copper pendant.
I've seen this beaut in all its glory all around the web, forever standing out as the signature piece in a room. But I decided to look into the Brit designer a bit more, and was intrigued by the fact that his company is committed to "innovation and a mission to revive the British furniture industry," and that the brand itself is inspired "by our nation’s unique heritage." What precisely could this mean? Upon further research, as if turns out, the UK was a primary copper supplier about 200 years ago. But perhaps more importantly, in Elizabethan times, experimenter William Gilbert started to define what would grow into the electrical engineering industry of today that consumes two million tons of copper annually. Throughout the 1700 and 1800's, British experimenters continued to use copper successfully in electrical research, including a groundbreaking experiment by Sir William Watson who transmitted a current 2410 feet across Westminster Bridge, using the River Thames as a return circuit. Who knew, right??
As a fun side note, Dixon also declares that the 1970's "Disco & Motorbikes" is what started it all for him. I can definitely see the disco component in this particular piece! A copper disco ball, so to speak.
What do you think of this modern icon? Perhaps a tour of some in situ installations will convince you that this is a piece you cannot live without...
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You dig?
The Tom Dixon copper pendant retails for about $675 - $685 ; historical notes obtained from Copper.org
4 comments:
It's so interesting the things you find after doing a little research! It makes you appreciate and value the product so much more!
these are so beautiful and now i really want/need one in my home!
-- jackie @ jade and oak
-- design in your home link up
Great round-up! Love love love this fixture!
Copper is so beautiful! I'll take it polished or patinaed.
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