New Classics: Seppo Koho's Lighting Designs

These hand-crafted Finnish pendant lights are modern, contemporary and elegant, hinting at their roots in architecture

Becky Harris

Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta that I'll describe as "collected." I got into design via Landscape Architecture, which I studied at the University of Virginia. I've been writing about design online for quite a few years over at Hatch: The Design Public Blog.

Houzz Contributor. Hi There! I currently live in a 1920s cottage in Atlanta... More »

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Whenever I hear that a terrific light fixture was designed by a person with a background in architecture, I think, "Ah, that's why it's so great!" When I hear the designer is Scandinavian, even more lightbulbs go off (sorry for the bad pun). Seppo Koho is just such a designer; he is a Finnish architect who studied at the University of Industrial Arts in Helsinki and at the Tampere University of Technology. His company is called Secto Designs, and his lighting designs have a beautiful simplicity that makes it easy to mistake them for midcentury Scandinavian modern pieces. Their elegant silhouettes fit into many styles of rooms; see if any of them will work with your decor.

by Kristen Rivoli Interior Design »

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Each fixture is expertly hand-crafted from birch and is available in natural, black or white finishes. Interior designer Kristen Rivoli has added the Vecto Light in natural birch to the mix of woods in this breakfast nook. She also brought in some Danish design via the Hans Wegner Wishbone chairs.

by Finnish Design Shop »

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Puncto 4203 Pendant by Secto - EUR 440.00 »

Koho has designed Secto pendants in several shapes and sizes. Each is so well proportioned and has pleasing lines; this is where the "Ah, that's why it's so great" architecture training comes in.

by Imke Laux »

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The Octo pendant is somewhat spherical; a pair is nicely scaled to this long dining table. And hey, it's Wegner Wishbone chairs again. Secto lights and Wegner chairs seem to be enjoying a real May-December romance, showing how well these contemporary lights work with iconic midcentury pieces.

by Imke Laux »

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Look at the top of the fixture: The bulb is hidden up there rather than dangling down in the middle of the pendant. The tight spacing of the birch at the top diffuses the light and prevents the awful bare-bulb glare that afflicts so many almost-perfect pendants.

Studying the light close up reveals that while the outside is finished in black, the inside is natural.

by Ike Kligerman Barkley »

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This porch is traditional, but careful editing and simple lines give it a clean, modern feel. The versatile and popular Octo is like that guy in high school who could hang with the jocks and the chess club team; it can mingle with Bertoia wire chairs and Adirondack chairs in the same room.

by Tim Cuppett Architects »

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The Octo's curves make it a beautiful choice for a sophisticated and glamorous living room.

by Holly Marder »

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This minimalist house in the Netherlands was begging for the scale and shape of this fixture at the top of the stairs. This is the Magnum 4202, and it has a more conical shape. Because the bulb is nestled in the top of the fixture, it won't hurt your eyes when you're looking at it from the bottom of the stairs.

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