This archive report was first published on 2 November 2019.
As I sit in a cozy coffee house, surrounded by the hum of urban chatter and the whiff of coffee, I find myself drawn to the trendy craft of sexy lighting. The interior designer's use of a dizzying mix of rustic and contemporary styles, industrial and vintage, geometric lines and curved meshwork in matt brass and black, and playful primary colours is a feast for the eyes.
The lighting fixtures, suspended across the eatery's entire ceiling, tip on the fine boundary between tacky and tasteful. I recently asked a waiter about the designer, and he looked up at the lighting fixtures as though noticing them for the first time, shrugging his shoulders in defeat.
It's 2019, and lights are no longer just lights. With the rise of interior design, lighting has become a crucial aspect of creating a cohesive and stylish space. As I delve into the world of lighting, I discover a vast array of options, from general lighting to task lighting, indoor lighting to outdoor lighting, and pendants to chandeliers.
But what really catches my attention is the variety of pendant lights available. From rustic to contemporary, industrial to vintage, the options are endless. And then there's the Edison bulb, a beautiful and energy-efficient option that's too pretty to worry about saving energy.
After some research, I find a local craftsman who handmakes bespoke furniture and accessories for the home. I commission her to make a custom pendant light, and she sends me images of her previous work, an appealing intertwine of art and craft. The starting price is Sh6,000, a fraction of what I'd find in a showroom.
As I browse through lighting showrooms in the Nairobi CBD and Westlands, I'm struck by the Subaru Analogy: only when you pay attention to something do you see it everywhere. And because everyone has a Subaru, now you want one. The same applies to lighting – once you start paying attention, you realize how much variety and style are available.
However, the prices are a different story. The pendants I want for my home are pricier than what I'd pay for a custom piece, and chandeliers cost four times as much. Add to that the cost of hiring an electrician to install the lighting, and the bigger question is, do I really want a stylish lighting fixture, or do I want one because everyone has one?
