By Andrew Liszewski
It seems the lamp is always a popular target for the design crowd. I’m sure it has something to do with the fact that most of them are pretty boring and uninspired to begin with and really seem like a blank canvas. The Illuminair from Elseware Design shows that there’s still room left for a little imagination and innovation when it comes to lamps.
Instead of a standard power switch the Illuminair has a small bulb pump that’s used to turn it on. As you squeeze the bulb air is pumped into the lamp causing a fluorescent tube inside to slowly rise and be revealed. The more air you pump in, the higher the bulb rises and the more light enters the room.
Releasing a valve near the bottom of the lamp then allows the air to escape which lowers the bulb (presumable in a slow and safe manner) back into the tube.
The Illuminair is about 1 inch in diameter and stands about 69 to 80 inches tall depending on how high the fluorescent tube is raised. And while the Elseware Design’s website is a bit vague on the specifics including price I’m pretty sure the Illuminair is available for purchase on a made-to-order basis.
