The Northern brand was born in the studios of Northern Lighting, where a team of creatives has been illuminating lives for a decade. Their collection includes furniture, lighting, and accessories. Inspired by the pale beauty and rough-cut contrasts of the North, the Oslo-based brand is Nordic in spirit, yet global in style.

We wanted to produce a small series of lamps consisting of a table lamp and a pendant. The table lamp should fit into a window frame, the pendants should be able to hang in the same window which means it should not be too big. The pendant should also be able to function in a group/cluster.

The designer should think environmentally friendly regarding production and transportation.

Materials: Metal, glass, (small glass), textile, wood, stone.

Studio Sløyd, a design studio based in Oslo, Norway works across the design landscape, from conceptual one-off pieces to more contemporary designs. Their approach to design is inspired by the educational sløyd taught in Scandinavian primary schools, focusing on exploration and respecting the material.

Studio Sløyd’s solution to Norhern’s requests is Ark, a series of lamps that explore compositions.

“We wanted to see how the simplest geometric shapes could become interesting and playful tools to create a contemporary and exciting lamp concept. The result is a minimalistic lamp series with a strong presence and memorable silhouette that ranges from table lamps, to pendant lamps in different sizes.”
Studio Sløyd.

Studio Sløyd explains that the heart of the design is the A-series - standard sizing of paper - which they used in the early stages of the design exploration. The shape is made up of an elongated cylindrical lampshade in stainless steel which reflects the light downwards. The ends of the cylinder are capped with an angled piece of steel that not only creates an interesting composition, but helps the light reflect onto a wider area. The table lamp has two bent pieces of steel that form the base as well as a visual counterpart to the lampshade. The shape of the base lets the light travel down along the two pieces and creates an interesting gradient of light toward the ground.

“DS Collab is a great initiative for us. Since we are a relatively new design studio that started during the pandemic, the opportunity to meet and collaborate with great producers and designers has been amazing.”

“Getting to know the producer and their way of working has been insightful for us and has thought us a lot about the industry and how to make great long-lasting products.”

Studio Sløyd.