Milan 2018: BEEM

“A light becomes a sculpture in the air so why would you want to look at the lump of the bulb holder? Why not hide it with the bulb or make it a key element in the design’s visual balance?”

A new family of LED lamps designed by award-winning product and industrial designer Samuel Wilkinson does just that. SMILE and CURLI are the debut products of BEEM, a new lighting brand established by Wilkinson alongside Chris Stimson and Bujar Shkodra, entrepreneurs and founders of well-lit.

While SMILE comprises a modern glass bar of light in three varying shapes – a straight line, a U shape and a smile-like upward curve – CURLI is a continuous asymmetric coil that twists up and around the bulb holder. The collection will soft-launch during Milan Design Week at Ventura Future, the new design district dedicated to showcasing the products of tomorrow.

BEEM specialises in pure handcrafted forms made with a distinct attention to detail. Each and every product will make use of the latest LED technology; allowing the lights to emit bright, warm light for up to 30 years, using minimal energy.

Wilkinson has an impressive track record when it comes to innovative lighting. In 2010 he designed the world’s first designer low-energy bulb – Plumen 001 for Hulger – and in 2015 he created Shoreditch landmark The Ommatidium in collaboration with neuroscientist Beau Lotto.

“My experience designing the Plumen 001 opened my eyes to the opportunities within the world of lightbulbs that were not being tapped into,” says Wilkinson. “At the time most designs were specific to the technology which heavily restricted possible forms. Now, with the recent developments in new technologies, the opportunities are really opening up.”

In a market dominated by retro-chic and vintage industrial aesthetic, BEEM has identified a clear space for modern designs that look to the future rather than the past.