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As interiors have loosened up from the ultra-serious minimalism of years past, surrealism has been sneaking into our homes in increasingly playful ways: food-shaped objects, wonky proportions, and familiar forms rendered just strange enough to make you look twice. Designer and ceramicist Eny Lee Parker is leaning into that slightly off-kilter mood with her latest lighting collection for Lulu and Georgia, launching today.
Parker looked at everything from Renaissance still lifes and vintage jewelry to ripe fruit and floppy-brimmed hats for inspiration, translating those references into sculptural fixtures. The Rumi Cherry Lamp, for instance, began with a vintage brooch; the billowing Ara Pendant was conceived as something between a falling petal and fabric frozen in motion. “I think there’s something really appealing about objects that make you pause and look twice,” Parker says. “Sometimes a small shift in scale or shape is enough to make something feel new.”
We caught up with Parker for her take on why lighting might be the easiest place to get a little weird right now.
Why is surrealism on so many designers’ minds right now?
There’s something really appealing about objects that make you pause. We’re surrounded by so much visual information, so I think there’s value in bringing things into a home that have a little humor or unexpected quality. I love when you see something refined next to something odd or playful and you’re not quite sure where everything came from. I want something to catch your attention, but I also want you to be able to imagine living with it.
Were there any particular artworks that served as references for the collection?
I tend to look at fine art, old jewelry, and small metal objects rather than other lighting or furniture. A lot of the inspiration for this collection came from old jewelry in the Met archives, specifically link chains and silver tones. I was also drawn to hand-painted gestures and abstract forms, including a lily painting that became a reference for some of the shapes.
What do you like about lighting versus other mediums?
Lighting is probably my favorite category to design. I love that it can completely change the character of a room without taking it over. It can be a strong sculptural element, but it can also be subtle and work with lots of different furniture styles and decor.
Do you think about these pieces differently when they’re switched on versus off?
I definitely think about lighting as an object even when it’s not illuminated. Lighting is the jewelry of a space, so the materiality and silhouette are important on their own. Then, when you turn it on, it takes on another form. With the Ara Pendant, for example, I love how the fabric creates volume and presence in a room, then transforms when it’s switched on.
What are the current trends in residential lighting that you’re excited about?
I love that lighting is having such a moment and becoming more of a focal point in interiors rather than acting as a background character. People are starting to design around and give it the same consideration they would a piece of furniture or art, rather than treating it as the last thing they add to a space.
I also think there’s a growing desire for spaces to have more personality. There’s a bit of humor and romance in this collection, and I love mixing something refined with something playful.
How would you recommend incorporating a statement fixture in the home?
A statement fixture can be the focal point of a room, but it can also hold its own alongside other interesting pieces. If the fixture has a strong shape or personality, I might balance it with simpler elements elsewhere, but I don’t think everything needs to be quiet. I love when a room has a little tension between pieces.
What about mixing different light sources?
I don’t really follow strict rules, but I do think about contrast. I like mixing different types of lighting so the room can shift depending on the time of day and what you’re doing in it.
Which piece in the collection transformed the most when it jumped from a sketch to an actual object?
I originally rendered the Ara Pendant like a petal falling or a piece of fabric frozen in motion, but once it was manufactured, it became much more sculptural and three-dimensional than I expected. I love when a design takes on its own personality once it’s actually made.
Where would you personally put that piece in a home?
As far as styling, I’m planning to put the 42-inch pendant above my dining table in my Connecticut farmhouse. It’s such a large fixture, but I think the linen and frosted glass make it feel really beautiful and quiet in the space. I’m also planning to use the Ara Linear Chandelier in my New York City apartment, which shows how differently these pieces can live depending on the space.
