Designers know that fresh lighting is quickest way to spruce up the look of a room. The appearance of the fixtures is part of the change, and the light they throw is the other part.
Having served the architecture and design community for nearly 25 years, designer showroom M2L has built a reputation for bringing fresh and innovative European products to North America. The company is now the exclusive American source for the forward-thinking Italian lighting brand, Lumina Italia. Lumina's industrial-leaning aesthetic caters to modern residences and commercial settings alike.
M2L Executive Vice President Matt Manes explains, “We envision the lighting from Lumina, particularly the FLO desk lamps by Foster + Partners, acting as a perfect complement to our in-house line of executive furnishings, M2L BRAND. We are excited to bring this timeless brand, whose designs remain unrivaled in their simplicity and versatility, to the North American market.”
Founded in 1980 by Tommaso Cimini following the successful reception of his own Daphine design, Lumina has collaborated with internationally-regarded designers such as Walter Monici, Riccardo Blumer, Yaacov Kaufman, Emanuele Ricci, and Studio DDL to expand the company’s line of contemporary, industrial lighting made with the care and precision of traditional “Made In Italy” craftsmanship.
The company adheres to a strong environmental policy: sourcing materials locally, minimizing packaging waste, and installing photovoltaic panels on the factory roof to reduce CO2 emissions, harvest energy and give power back to the grid.
Some of the products now available through M2L, include:
Galileo - A unique construction for a unique lamp: designed by Emanuele Ricci, the Galileo shade is made of six sheets of extra-clear crystal that are glued together, then carefully shaped and polished to give the shade its characteristic visual lightness. Available as either a traditional halogen fixture or a dimmable LED that boasts an energy class of A/A++, the Galileo also comes in a mini version, as a sconce, as well as with a system to hang 2-3 mini versions of the lamp from a single canopy.
Daphine - Originally conceived in 1973 by Tommaso Cimini, Daphine is the perfect synthesis of minimalist elegance and functionality. Seen in some of the world’s leading design museums, such as Die Neue Sammlung and the Judd Foundation, its main components are a simple transformer and a jointed arm connected to a diffuser pivoting on 360º. In 2013, Lumina introduced the Daphine LED, an updated version of the timeless Cimini design, outfitted with a top-quality LED driver linked to a high-efficiency heat sink system.
FLO - The minimal FLO range of lights is the result of Foster + Partners first collaboration with specialist Italian lighting manufacturer, Lumina. Available as a floor or desk lamp, the light integrates the latest dimmable LED technology within a streamlined, curving form. Flo is a functional reading light that uses the latest dimmable LED technology, incorporated into a simple, flowing form. Its die-cast aluminum base is connected to an angled steel arm that pivots at the base. The head, in cold-extruded aluminum, also pivots on 360º and features a double switch button that controls the intensity of the light.
M2L, Inc. has showrooms in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Toronto. They offer an extensive portfolio of designs from leading European brands in addition to their own in-house line of furniture, including reissued furniture by Harvey Probber. For more information, visit www.M2L.com.
