I am working on a design for a tall, adjustable lamp. The design inspiration is an image of a snake rising from a basket in response to a snake charmer. I love how this translates into an open round base with the main tubing appearing to defy gravity a bit as it emerges from the base. A possible design evolution would be to have an actual basket as the base with the lamp emerging from that. I would need to investigate the possibility of having baskets woven to spec, possibly from India. I have done a little research into this and have found a company that works with the disabled to produce baskets. If I get closer to a prototyping this lamp, I may contact them.

In the mean time, current materials choices are solid walnut for the base and light housing, steel tubing, and acrylic for diffusing.

Initial sketches of this design showed a fascination with the base idea without resolving how the light shade, housing, etc would look.

Here is an early rendering when I thought perhaps the light shade would be made of blown glass:

Though the parabolic form was interesting, it did not tie in well with the other components of the lamp. I then decided that the best approach to the light housing was to make it similar to the base. During a trip to the dentist, I was admiring the design of the lamp that was suspended over me in the chair. I took some design cues from that as well.

Currently the light housing ties in much better with the other components as well as the design narrative of a snake emerging from a basket. The shape is reminiscent of a cobra’s head (right?).

I am working out some of the little details like handles in the stem and at the end of the housing. I am also investigating ways of mounting LEDs into the light housing so that the light shines bright and evenly behind the acrylic diffuser. This will require buying some samples and testing them out.
I will need to make the housing as light as possible to minimize any stress on the cantilevered stem and it’s hardware connections to the base. The base itself may need additional weight added to solidly anchor it to the ground.
I also need to make sure all of the connection points work well. This lamp might be able to be flat packed. More to come.