Probably the most rewarding features of working at Schoolhouse, our sister model in Portland, is the prospect to design and produce to life our personal unique lighting. It’s a collaborative course of that requires laborious work, dedication, and an unwavering dedication to high quality, however we’re so proud that we get to supply lighting the old style approach in our Portland manufacturing facility. Right now, we’re taking a second to have a good time a set that has actually captured our hearts (and areas).

Meet Teig, a dimmable desk lamp that’s as practical as it’s charming. Lovingly named after the German phrase for “dough,” Teig was impressed when our design workforce, who, when taken with Ray’s quick bulbous shade, determined to show it the wrong way up. Tana, the designer of Teig and a former Schoolhouse worker, shares, “Iconic mushroom-shaped lamps from previous eras supplied so many distinctive silhouettes, and we needed Teig to replicate that very same sense of playfulness and character by its form and coloration.”

As with each new design, we began by contemplating how Teig would perform and the place it will dwell. We took a step again, checked out our present assortment, and noticed a possibility to create one thing a bit of totally different. Whereas a lot of our lamps present extra directional lighting, Teig was designed to supply comfortable, ambient mild. Its small scale makes it a straightforward addition to a counter, desk, facet desk, or bookshelf.

All through the design course of, fixtures typically tackle working names for his or her parts. However when it got here to Teig, the frosted glass shade was affectionately referred to as “dough” by our product engineer, Brandt. Because the workforce labored to refine its kind, Tana jokes, “We wish it to appear to be dough… rising.” Becoming, contemplating 2020 was the 12 months of sourdough starters, proper? That playful second led to the lamp’s last identify: “Teig” (pronounced “tiger,” minus the “r”).

Designing and launching a brand new product at all times seems like a dash, however the actuality is that it’s a marathon—one which spans many months and includes nearly each division in our constructing. From inspiration to completion, Teig took about 16 months to come back to life.

Dreaming up our designs subsequent door to the place our merchandise are manufactured means we will prototype utilizing actual parts and tweak the main points—similar to coloration and dimmer perform—with the individuals who will likely be assembling the ultimate product. Take the knob—it’s a key characteristic of Teig, and we deliberately made it the centerpiece. Its contrasting coloration and outstanding placement enable it to face out, whereas the slight taper makes it simple to understand. And, in fact, the satisfying on/off click on offers it a sure allure.

What makes Teig so particular and totally different is the considerate steadiness of shapes and scale. The dough-like type of the ellipsoid glass shade is each acquainted and comforting, whereas the playful coloration choices vary from vibrant hues to extra subdued tones. Collectively, these parts make Teig a lamp that feels each unique and timeless.

When it got here to selecting the colour palette, that was a follow of exploring enjoyable new mixtures whereas staying true to the present assortment. Impressed by classic electronics, the colour palette drew from the ’50s and ’80s eras of workplace provides. The nice and cozy impartial colours pay homage to classic calculators and typewriters, whereas the vivid reds and yellows are harking back to Dieter Rams’s designed home equipment.

Now, Teig is out there in a recent vary of hues that really feel each playful and acquainted. Whether or not you’re drawn to the refined allure of heat neutrals or the daring vitality of vibrant primaries, every coloration was chosen to have a good time Teig’s distinctive form and character. The tip end result? A small-but-mighty lamp that’s as pleasant to have a look at as it’s to make use of—able to deliver a bit of further allure and character to your house.