New Classics: Seppo Koho's Lighting Designs
These hand-crafted Finnish pendant lights are modern, contemporary and elegant, hinting at their roots in architecture
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Studying the light close up reveals that while the outside is finished in black, the inside is natural.
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.
The Octo's curves make it a beautiful choice for a sophisticated and glamorous living room.
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.
See the rest of this home
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Modern Icons: PH Lights
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Houzz Tour: Scandinavian Style With a Twist
See the rest of this home
More:
Modern Icons: PH Lights
Guest Picks: 20 Scandinavian Finds
Houzz Tour: Scandinavian Style With a Twist
