As one might expect given the particular lineage of Finnish A&D, Secto Design specializes in wood. Though Alvar Aalto and his legions of descendant artisans might infer this to mean that they focus on bent wood furniture, in fact, Secto is concerned with an entirely different sphere. Through Architect Seppo Koho’s vision, the word has a double meaning, since the series of Octo 4240 Pendant Lamps resemble ineffable globes of air borne soap bubbles, or a trio of dandelion heads taken by the wind. We’ve certainly seen globe-shaped pendant lamps before, and we’ve often encountered pieces that play with the illusion of transparent diffusers (see Hemisphere and Miconos for a couple of favorites), but I’ve never encountered the implication of transparency via thin slats of Finnish Birch ply.

Octo Pendant Lamp. Designed by Seppo Koho for Secto Design.

Globe Lights Made of Wood

Koho has made a name for an uncanny ability to manipulate wooden laminates into alluring, enticing, and versatile shades. As with most of Secto Design’s lamps, Octo is constructed from PEFC-certified Finnish Birch joined at apex and terminus with perfect rings of aircraft plywood. Finish choices include natural, white-laminated, and black-laminated birch—each owing their origins to Koho’s home turf (which means you’re always getting a Finnish finish). The lamps can accommodate different bulb types, but Secto recommends tubular energy-saving varieties that give off a “warm, white light.”

The guidance in this regard should be well heeded—not only because there’s a potential safety concern (bulbs must leave a minimum of 15mm space between the shade, nor can mirrored or halogen styles be used), but also because the quality of light goes a long way toward establishing the desired effect. Quantifying this may be difficult, but there’s something decidedly Scandinavian about the aimed-for aesthetic. That may be a bit of a cliché in design circles, so I’ll just say that the soft glow of Octo in a white-walled, pine-floored room will make you yearn for the Finnish winter.

Via Trendir.