Graypants may moor their efforts across two studios based in Seattle and Amsterdam, but they’ve been adept at bridging distances and articulating a warmly cohesive crafted expression of forms across their portfolio. Their designs feel comfortable and immediately recognizable, yet delivered with modernized detailing that steer the designs toward refreshment rather than retro. It’s an effort previously best expressed by their evocative USB-C battery powered Wick candlelight, and now again conveyed by the Booi, a pendant light designed by Norwegian designer Cathrine Bækken.
Booi wears its nautical-inspired details openly, with boat rounded fenders and traditional glass fishing floats originally designed by Norwegian merchant Christopher Faye inspiring Bækken’s contemporary LED-illuminating interpretation. These glass balls are still occasionally found washed ashore, a beachcomber’s prized discovery. With Booi, Bækken offers the same pleasure sans the shoreline hunt, delivering on the studio’s mantra of “Dream big. Scribble often. Make thoughtfully.”
With a CNC cut and hand-finished ash or walnut wooden top capping a translucent Opal glass sphere (handmade in a manufacturing partnership with Fin Design Studio), the Booi furthers its maritime mood with the inclusion of a linen covered cord. At first glance the rope seems primarily included to secure the pendant light for hanging, like a rope to dock a boat.
But upon closer inspection one notices the organically hued cord not only ties around the light cap to hang, but is also there to deliver power to a standard E26 socket preferably powered by an efficient 15 watt LED hidden inside the top, a subtle and smartly executed twist.
More from studio Graypants over at their site or via their Instagram.
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Source: design-milk