Sophie Lou Jacobsen Looks to Italian Design Icons for "Flora" Lighting Collection

Brooklyn-based lighting studio In Common With has collaboration at its core. Since its beginnings back in 2017, the team has become known for working alongside a range of craftspeople to produce collections that reflect both their own and the individual maker’s aesthetic. Now, the brand has tapped French-American designer Sophie Lou Jacobsen for a new collection titled “Flora”.

Made up of 20 pieces, the new collection combines a number of glassblowing techniques and references great Italian designers through its forms – think Carolo Scarpa, Paolo Venini, and Ettore Sottsass. The expertise of Jacobsen – who was spotted by the studio thanks to her eponymous line of objects in multicolored borosilicate glass – is evident throughout. It marks the designer’s first lighting project and has seen her employ a number of classic techniques to create shapes inspired by the shapes of nature.

Across all of the collection, which includes pendants, sconces, table and floor lamps, and a chandelier, the vibe was intended to be retro yet modern. For the glass, a color palette of earthy tones has been paired with floral hues, and hardware has been crafted from hand-patinated brass.

Of their collaboration, In Common With co-founder Nick Ozemba said:

“We have admired Sophie’s work for several years, and her unique approach to glass, from her playful forms to her joyful use of color, brought a totally new perspective to our work.

It’s been so rewarding to realize this collection, marrying her aesthetic with our more classic and minimal approach to create an entirely new design language.”

The Flora collection will be launched at In Common With’s brand new showroom, as well as online at both the brand’s and Jacobsen’s websites.

In other design news, Swedish design brand JOY Objects has revealed its first collection at this year’s Stockholm Design Week.