Behind the Design: Semper Pendant
We caught up with our talented design team to find out more about our Semper Pendant and the inspiration behind its design...
Paying homage to adaptable, modern design, our Semper Pendant is a welcome addition to our handcrafted, artisan lighting range. We sat down with Tom and our design team to find out more about the inspiration behind the Semper's lighting aesthetic and its design journey...
What makes the Semper Lighting design unique?
DT: “The Semper Pendant has tilting wooden layers that enable you to curate a lighting effect to suit your task - albeit eating, working or relaxing. By pivoting the timber layers, you can output a bright, direct light to sustain productivity, or partially conceal the bulb for a more relaxed, ambient effect. Semper is adaptable and designed for modern life, it's almost a one-light-suits-all solution."
Which rooms can you see Semper suiting?
DT: “The beauty of the Semper is that it can suit almost any room. When designing the light we envisioned the three layers being aligned in ‘drum’ formation, creating dramatic downlighting through hallways and dining spaces. Angled layers tilting around the bulb create a bright display of light with beautiful, varying shadows that would suit living spaces and bedrooms. What makes the Semper's design so versatile is that you can direct lighting wherever you need it, in any room, corner or space”.
Did you have any set spaces in mind when designing the Semper?
DT: “We want the Semper Pendants to populate busy interiors – heavy footfall spaces that’s needs and expectations are ever changing and shifting throughout your day. Suspending a Semper Pendant in a space you will see many times a day (such as above a dining table) allows you to completely change the feel of the area, surprising you with every visit. The Semper makes the daily path you take through your home exciting”.
Why is Semper such an adaptable design?
DT: “Our homes have been a consistent source of comfort for us over the past few years, and we wanted to showcase just how adaptable homeware pieces can be in your space. We knew we wanted a piece to reflect this versatility, and once the inspiration came across us, all the pieces fit together perfectly. The adjustable lighting design route is undiscovered to us, but the idea of creating an adaptable design that can be utilised for generations to come is very exciting”.
How did you start the design journey of Semper?
DT: “We love seeing how the shadows of the trees outside our Cornish workshop change throughout the day and how the light levels of the sun can completely shift the personality of each hour. We considered how this could be reflected in a lighting design and started with putting pen on paper. Plenty of sketches and ideas were pitched, but the revolution of Semper came when the idea of inserting a solid brass axis in the centre was pitched. After a lot of prototyping and experimenting, the Semper was born…”
How did you name the Semper?
DT: “Semper, meaning ‘always’ in Latin, felt like a perfect fit for a design that is always adapting to your lighting needs, yet always changing. As every design is crafted to last a lifetime, we wanted the name to reflect how the Semper design will always be in your home to illuminate with a warm, comforting glow”.
Posted: 04.03.22
Updated: 20.05.25