Univers :  Lighting : Outdoor

... less than 1m50 tall in black or white lacquer, is so trendy that you could put it in your living room. It looks as though it's spiraling up into the air. A unique engraving process lets the light filter through.

The designers have come up with illuminated furniture that creates a soft poetic ambience at night. Paola Navone's Ivy doubles as a table and stool and lights up at dusk thanks to photovoltaic cells hidden under the tabletop. Arik Levy's Meteor Light looks like a glowing rock that dropped out of the sky. Whether used as a seat, a table or a decorative sculpture, it will bring magic to your garden. Illuminated flower pots don't even need to have plants in them, they look good on their own. For arty decorative lights, you can play with the heights and colours of Rob Slewe's Bloom and Luisa Bocchietto's Vas-Three Light.

The solar energy system used for these lights makes installation easier. When you don't have to worry about connecting your outdoor lighting to a power supply, you can have bollard lights anywhere you want in the garden or put ambience lights on the water or in the trees. Rebecca Porter's Daylight solar bollard is ideal for a romantic dinner under the stars. To recharge the solar panel underneath the base, you simply turn it upside down during the day. Ten hours of exposure in summer will provide 40 hours of light because its TSA technology reduces the recharging time by two-thirds. Solar technology is constantly evolving. Environment-friendly Japanese lanterns and outdoor hanging lights are very moderately priced. Reflective lamps with twinkling led lights look like candle flames. And, in addition to that, outdoor lighting is watertight. Hector Serrano's Waterproof lamps look like fairy lights in a swimming pool or ornamental pond because their reflection in the water makes it look as though there are twice as many.

Solar bulbs have not eclipsed traditional bulbs which, for safety reasons, must comply with European standards and have an IP code of more than 23 to guarantee watertightness.

All these innovative features have given a new look to outdoor lighting. All we need now is some warmer weather to try them out!