Customisable lamp company, Phoebe Lamps, made its trade fair debut at Life Instyle Sydney this February.
Phoebe started life as a single product in 2009, created by two recent design graduates, Peter Harding and wife Åsa Jonasson. “The design was simple and people liked it, so we started to make more,” says Harding. The lamp, which was named after a friend, is made up of two layers of plastic with a decorative insert, usually paper.
“The design allows the decorative leaf to be swapped for another print or pattern, providing the possibility to change the look of the lamp easily and inviting the user to be part of the creative process,” explains Harding. Its customisable nature makes Phoebe the only lamp of its kind, and is perfect for modern consumers who want to easily update their interiors look.
As the paper insert is such a large part of Phoebe’s design, Harding and Jonasson recently curated the Design-Art collection, collaborating with local artists, designers and illustrators to produce inserts.
“The Design-Art collection was born out of a desire for us to create some really unique and interesting lamps… As Phoebe can be anything you want it to be, we wanted to create a collection that would emphasise the versatility of our lamps.
“Curating the collection was the hardest part, because we had many interesting and varied designs to select from. Needless to say, we were very happy with the outcome and we now look forward to it being an annual event.”
Harding says that Life Instyle was a great first outing for the Phoebe lamp, which caught the attention of design-savvy retailers. “The reaction we received from retailers was really exciting. The buyers loved the concept and our collections so we were really happy with the outcome.
“We also had some great feedback from the likes of Babyology and Mum’s Grapevine which was fantastic as our lamps have so much potential for kids and you can continually change the shade designs as the kids grow and change.”
While exhibiting at a trade fair for the first time was exciting, Harding says the highlight of running Phoebe so far has been generating excitement in other people. “The highlight by far is seeing people’s eyes light up when they see how easily the lamp can transform from one design to another. It’s also the satisfaction we get when we meet our customers or receive emails from them telling us how much they love their lamp.”
