Behar's "Leaf": is it a lamp or a sculpture?

Swiss designer Yves Béhar is on the cover of this month's Metropolis magazine, with the new lamp he designed for Herman Miller, called Leaf: a striking red sculpture that toggles widely between focused task lighting and warm atmospheric glow - and the whole spectrum of light in between - thanks to its unique lightbulb, an elegant grid of LEDs which he also designed (after failing to find one on the market that met the product's needs).

The cover story (completed with lots of pictures of his designs) couldn't be better timed for Yves: The magazines are blanketing New York during design week, with stacks on display at last weekend's BklnDesigns show, which played opening act for next weekend's ICFF (International Contemporary Furniture Fair). The article explores his story-based approach to design, and the arc of his design shop, FuseProject, which he launched in San Francisco in 1998 at a time when everything was about the dot-com world, and the idea of designing physical things seemed retro.

Yves often describes himself as "an economic refugee from Switzerland". Wondering whether we can persuade him to return...

[tags: Yves Béhar design]

Comments

[jt]

What's that you say? Am I misreading you, or are you seriously hoping that Yves would return to Switzerland?

[jt]

Ha! Yes you are hoping he would RETURN to Switzerland.....silly me. I should have read a bit more about you and where you were from ;)

[Kelli Gierz]

To learn more about Leaf - please visit www.hmleaf.com Herman Miller's sitelet about Leaf with interactive controls that simulate the color and intensity adjustment of Leaf and gives more information on the technology, design and environment stories.

[Herman Miller]

For the most current information about the Leaf personal light, please visit the manufacturer's website at:
http://www.hermanmiller.com/CDA/SSA/Product/1,1592,a10-c440-p229,00.html