Sol Luminaire Review 2024: SkLO, Forma Rosa, Buster + Punch

Space comes at a premium in a small country like Singapore, so it is important to optimise the use of every square inch of space available in the home.

Aside from maximising the use of the floor layout, another way to make a room feel more spacious and inviting is through the use of right lighting solutions.

If you are going for the more understated and refined look of a modern minimalist interior, consider the use of built-in or recessed LED lights.

Neatly worked into the walls and ceilings, these lighting units help to maintain the straight lines and clean look of your home’s design, ensuring that the room looks visually wider and expansive.

Content

• Sol Luminaire 2023: SkLO, Forma Rosa
• What is Sol Luminaire?
• Sol Luminaire Lights: Halo, Line, Carra
• Buster + Punch lights
• Sol Luminaire Galerie 5 (Craig Road)
• Sol Luminaire the LAB2.1 (399 Guillemard Road)
• Sol Luminaire showroom (395 Guillemard Road)

Sol Luminaire 2024: SkLO, Forma Rosa

Best known for their designer lights popular in both commercial and residential spaces, Sol Luminaire introduced two new lighting brands to Singapore in the past year, namely SkLO Studio and Forma Rosa Studio, and a ceramics brand called Natura Ceramica.

SkLO Studio - Handblown glass from Czech Republic

SkLO Studio was founded by a trio: husband and wife designers Karen Gilbert and Paul Pavlak, and Pavel Hanousek. The brand has two studios globally, one in Healdsburg, Northern California and another in Czech Republic.

SkLO's ethos is a simple one - to respect the materiality, shape, and natural design outcomes in the collaboration of man and glassblowing.

Five of SkLO Studio's designs will be available in Sol Luminaire Singapore:

• Drape, $1,199 to $1,499
• Lasso, $7,299
• Twin, $2,699 to $3,999
• Wrap, $2,199
• Wrap Pin Pendant, $3,699 to $3,999

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Forma Rosa Studio

Founded by Maria Teresa Castillo and Santiago Braby Brown in Brooklyn, New York, Forma Rosa Studio is most recognised for their organic, wavy, or bulbous-shaped lamps that are digitally designed by handmade and handblown.

Five of Forma Rosa Studio's signature lamp designs will be made available in Sol Luminaire Singapore:

• Botryoidal Table Lamp, $6,599
• Botryoidal Planter, $799
• Wave Form Table Lamp Slumped, $5,999
• Wave Form Table Lamp Piza, $5,999
• Wave Form Table Lamp Mini, $2,999

*Prices listed do not include GST

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What is Sol Luminaire?

Sol Luminaire is a local lighting studio founded in 2008 that designs, manufactures and offers creative LED indoor and outdoor lighting solutions.

In 2010, just two years after its opening, Sol Luminaire took its passion for tailored lighting to new heights by launching AEON, its own in-house lighting fixture brand.

Sol Luminaire's In-House Brand, AEON

AEON offers architectural lighting products that discreetly illuminate the space, bring about its full potential without competing for attention. Constant innovation is at the heart of the brand, and it strives to improve its products, updating and adapting them with new technology as soon as it is available in the market.

Its products are designed with the contemporary homeowner in mind, and suitable for stylish, minimalist interiors.

If you’re not sure how to go about narrowing down your choices, feel free to approach any of the lighting specialists in the store, who will readily offer in-depth knowledge about everything you need to know, and the types of lights that suit your needs and preferences.

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Sol Luminaire's Most Popular Lights

If you've been seeing these quirky little round down lights in your friend's HDB BTO, condo, or even their new shop, it's likely a Sol Luminaire Halo or Halo V2.

Sol Luminaire Halo Ceiling Lights

The original Sol Luminaire Halo, along with the newer Halo V2, offers rotational and tilting functionality and has a recessed height of just 40mm (less than half of its predecessor, which required 90mm height), allowing lower false ceiling clearance, therefore ensuring homeowners can enjoy higher ceilings if they prefer.

Sol Luminaire Terra Recessed Floor Light

Outdoor lights series Terra and Carra, with recessed and surface mounted options. The first of a three-part release, these ranges are set to create beautifully illuminated outdoor landscapes.

Terra, a recessed floor light made with stainless steel and fitted with aluminium screws for increased durability, is available in one- and four-watt options. Terra’s glass cover is also designed for use in driveways and car porches, as it can withstand a weight of up to 3,500kg.

Sol Luminaire Carra Wall-Mounted Light

If you’re looking for a wall-mounted outdoor lighting option, go for Carra, which can be connected to an extender or spike attachment and is adaptable to fit your design preference.

Sol Luminaire AEON Line Mini

AEON launched the Line in 2017, and this year, the brand has expanded the Line family with Line Mini, the 2020 version that is even smaller, slimmer and better-performing.

Taking on the challenge on further micro-sizing the existing longitudinal fixtures dimension, the Line Mini series ranges from a tiny 33x33mm square to 33x105mm with a slim depth of 50mm.

It also features a significantly reduced UGR (Unified Glare Rating), which translates to more visual comfort – your eyes won't realise that you're staring at the light source. This is done without compromising its light quality, which, at 3000K warm white with 90 CRI (Colour Rendering Index), is pretty close to natural light.

Line Mini (2020) is available in six variations, two of which feature 45-degree angle flexibility. The series' die-cast aluminium body is available in black or white so you'll have the option to use it as a subtle graphic element in the space or be completely camouflaged.

Prices start from $45.

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Buster + Punch Lights

One of the most exciting brands stocked in the Sol Luminaire showroom is Buster + Punch, a London-based hardware and lighting fixture label that was born in the garage of a custom-motorbike shop.

Buster + Punch’s products take inspiration from London’s fashion, music and subculture scenes, some of which are co-created with creatives outside of the industry like street artists, bike builders and fashion designers.

Think of small fixtures like light switches and power sockets that you don’t usually  think of so much because you’ve used to seeing them done in a certain nondescript way.

Buster + Punch flips this notion with exquisitely designed switches and sockets, offering them in brushed metal options like silver, gold, gunmetal and various combinations of the three, that add an extra oomph to your spaces.

Buster + Punch's best-known pendant light is the Buster Bulb / Tube. Touted to be the world's first designer bulb, the Buster Bulb / Tube features crystal resin finish and E27 fitting.

The design allows the bulb to create a subtle ambient glow while still serving as functional spotlight onto tables and surfaces below it. It looks great hung over tables, bars and bedsides.

The bulb is powered by a patented, next-gen LED technology that uses just 1/50th (that's two per cent) of the energy of conventional light bulbs.

Want matching hardware for your doors and cabinets? Fret not, Buster + Punch also offers door handles, pull bars and furniture knobs to match the switches and sockets, so you can have a cohesively designed space. Most of these are stocked at The LAB 2.1, handy for projects with last-minute handover.

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Sol Luminaire Galerie 5 (Craig Road)

Last year, Sol Luminaire celebrated its fifth anniversary by opening Galerie 5 in April 2022.

The breathtaking neutral natural space occupies a three-storey shophouse along Craig Road. Named Galerie 5, the showroom is a multisensory art gallery-like experience dedicated to artisanal one-of-a-kind furniture and home accessories pieces.

There, you'll find lighting brands such as llll, Makno Studio, Frederic Saulou, The Soucy Soup, and Sticky Glass.

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Read More: Galerie 5 - Artisanal Furniture Gallery Along Craig Road

Sol Luminaire The LAB2.1 (399 Guillemard Road)

Lighting specialist Sol Luminaire launched the LAB2.1 Gallery in 2020, and it is a must-visit destination for homeowners in search of tasteful, creative lighting.

When selecting the appropriate type of lights for your home, begin with designs that fit in with the look of your interiors. However it can be a challenge searching for unique lighting solutions when the market is filled with plenty of run-of-the-mill options, which is why lighting specialist Sol Luminaire recently launched a special project catering to discerning homeowners with uncompromising taste.

The LAB2.1 Gallery is the first experimental platform in Singapore offering a range of ultra-modern lighting and lifestyle products from Asia and around the world.

Homeowners and designers can expect a focused, tailored and personal design experience, along with a diverse collection of lighting solutions, ranging from pendant and wall lights as well as table and floor lamps.

You can also scent up your home with the LAB2.1’s range of candles, diffusers, room sprays, scent bars, which were created in collaboration with Artisan of Sense, and dress these up with accessories such as a dome cover.

Pieces in the lighting collection range from $209 to $799, and come with three-year on-site warranty.

Visit the LAB2.1 at 399 Guillemard Road

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Sol Luminaire Showroom (395 Guillemard Road)

Unlike conventional lighting stores where shoppers are overwhelmed by pendant lamps and standing lights lined from wall to wall, Sol Luminaire’s showroom is monochromatic and minimalist.

What catches the eye when you step into the store is the uniquely designed Nula 8 lighting collection. Its lighting options take centre stage, protruding from the ceiling as tubular designs positioned at various angles. Sol Luminaire’s Aeon series includes over five variations of fixtures, such as suspended, recessed, surface-mounted and track lights, to name a few.

These designed- and made-in-Singapore lamps are categorised and showcased according to their uses in the home and housed within “cabins” in the shop, to create a conducive shopping experience.

“This way, clients tend to feel less overwhelmed when shopping, as there are less visual distractions,” shares Joseph Ho, owner of Sol Luminaire.

“Lighting is an extremely important aspect of the home environment because it can make or break the ambience,” he adds.

Visit Sol Luminaire at 395 Guillemard Road, www.solluminaire.com.sg. Photos courtesy of Human + Space.

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