A book as if from a fairytale
BY ANJA FAHS
(Published in The Produktkulturmagazin issue 4 2015)
Some products are just design icons. They are unbelievably beautifully and elegantly shaped, and just as simple as practical in their functionality. They have the stuff of classics - just like Lumio. Is it a book? A fan? Or an accordion? Neither nor, it is an LED lamp. The Lumio Book Lamp looks like an elegant hardback book when closed. When opened, the ‘pages’ of the book unfurl as if by magic into a fan sculpture with bright, warm light.
Lumio was created by Max Gunawan who originally comes from Jakarta and lives in San Francisco today. Max was always fascinated by the art of origami and its shape and design possibilities. He wanted to create a source of light which adjusted itself flexibly to the different lighting needs of the user.
With its wonderful minimalistic form, Lumio can be used everywhere. It can be comfortably carried when closed. Whether at home as a bedside lamp, in the garden for a barbecue or at a picnic when it starts to get dark. The wider it is opened, the brighter the light shines. It projects full light when unfolded 180 degrees, but can also be completely opened at 360 degrees like a lantern. Thanks to the magnets in the cover, it can be perfectly fixed. With the help of the supplied leather band, the lightweight lamp can be hung on a tree or on the patio and conjures up a wonderful romantic Asian atmosphere. If multiple lights are placed or hung in a room, the room transforms into an illuminated fairytale landscape. The possibilities are endless and can always be recreated.
The rechargeable lithium ion battery offers up to eight hours of LED lighting and can be very simply recharged with the help of a USB cable plugged into the computer. The battery is, however, non-replaceable. But that is no problem, as a rule batteries like this last at least five years. The LED light source shines at a brightness of 500 lumens, which is the equivalent of a conventional 40 watt bulb. It has a life span of at least six years - and even longer, if you prefer dimmed lighting. The inner part is made of waterproof and 100 percent recyclable Tyvek, which makes the decorative item extremely durable and robust. Tyvek may look similar to paper but it is so tear-proof that it is even used in the construction of hangliders. The cover with the flexible spine is made of sustainable, FSC certified sycamore, cherry or walnut wood.
Lumio was brought to life with a very helpful Kickstarter campagne and was able to enter mass-production. The project found 5,276 supporters and collected a proud sum of $578,387.
Picture credit © Lumio
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