WowHaus

A much-loved midcentury modern design, the Gubi Semi Pendant light has gone back to basics with a 1968 reissue.

I often talk about original details and how it’s hard to put something back once it has been ripped out. Yes, new is wonderful, but there’s something about an original fixture and/or fitting that adds another level to a house of a bygone era.

You can buy reproductions, but often they look just a little too new and all too often, the colours are more of the ‘now’ than ‘then’. This reissue meets us halfway. It isn’t something rediscovered in a high-end vintage showroom. But it would pass for an original.

An icon of mid-20th century Scandinavian design, the Semi Pendant was the work of Torsten Thorup and Claus Bonderup and was created as part of a competition organised by the Danish Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen in 1968. A winner then and a winner decades later.

Essentially this is a glazed metal pendant light crafted by hand and finished with a high-shine colour, white interior, and a fabric cable.

The new version is pretty much as it was back then (hence the name), but with the colours catching the eye almost as much as the design. Just look at them. Perfect for a 1960s setting and especially for a midcentury modern or Scandi home. You can see the full range at the retailer’s site, but for me, the fennel is the one to have. You never see a shade in this colour,

But it doesn’t come cheap. £412 sounds like a lot for a light fitting, and it is. But this will be both a focal point and a talking point of a retro room or over a dining table. And with that in mind, it might well be worth the outlay.

Find out more at the Made In Design website

Via Retro To Go

(Note that I independently select any products I write about – but if you buy from one of the links, I may earn a small commission).