Ohm

Designed by Swedish studio Kauppi & Kauppi, Ohm is a new luminaire collection that celebrates the material, production, and the century-long heritage of the renowned lighting company Ifö Electric. The collection is inspired by the old porcelain insulators and restrained silhouettes that reference the company’s legacy as Scandinavia’s only factory producing pressed porcelain. Cofounder and Designer Nina Kauppi explains:

We were seduced by the fascinating soft shapes of insulators and connection boxes—some of the first products manufactured by the company. We wanted to bring these silhouettes back into the assortment by creating something new, carrying some of its identity. The fascination was not only a matter of aesthetic; the soft shape proved to be highly functional for both bases and glass with great ability to diffuse light.

The Ohm lamp collection is not only beautiful in form, it is also incredibly durable and versatile. Ohm has been made for both indoor and outdoor use, and includes different light fixtures for walls, façades, ceilings, and tables. The collection also contains two sizes of porcelain bases, in high gloss white or black glaze. Various glass shades create harmonic silhouettes with a short or high profile, in matt opal or clear glass. Additionally, there is a choice of different types of light sources such as LED modules, G9, or traditional E27 sockets, depending on the demand.

Learning from and understanding a company’s legacy will always be one of the best ways to create a new product, and Kauppi & Kauppi exemplify such a carefully considered approach. The result is a fantastic porcelain quality with a warm minimalist design. Johan Kauppi tells us:

We like to see our design process with Ohm as ‘Slow Design’ Construction—tooling and preparations for pressing porcelain takes time, but is also allowed to take time. The extensive efforts are made with a long term holistic perspective in mind. Once the products are done, they will exist and function over a great period of time.