Lana Launay’s sculptural lamps look as though they’ve drifted in from another world—yet each one is painstakingly handcrafted from humble, natural materials. A Sydney‑and‑Los Angeles native with a background in jewelry making, textile design and visual arts, Launay never intended to become a lighting designer. But when the pandemic began and she discovered there simply weren’t lampshades that fit her vision, she decided to make her own—and in doing so carved out an entirely new creative path.
From Jewelry to Light
Launay’s training in delicate metals and fabrics equipped her with an eye for fine detail—and for seeing possibilities where others might only notice constraints. “I explore the interplay of materiality, form and illumination,” she explains. That philosophy animates every piece she makes, whether it’s a limited‑edition commission or a modular lamp built for frequent reinvention.
A Homespun Take on Art Deco and Beyond
It’s easy to imagine Launay’s lamps as lunar landers or retro‑futuristic beacons, but look closer and you’ll see the thread‑and‑wax structures, the coffee‑stained raffia and paper skins that echo centuries of craft traditions. She sources washi paper, mulberry‑bark pulp, beeswax and hand‑dyed raffia, assembling them around LED cores tucked inside Plexiglas tubes or neatly carved wooden supports. Many bases are sculpted by Australian woodworker Sam Creasy, yielding organically curved stands in oiled beechwood or rich hardwoods.
Modular Magic: The Launay Floor Lamp
One of Launay’s most celebrated creations is the Modular Launay floor lamp. Its clever design centers on a 24‑volt LED chip-on-board array housed in a slim aluminum bar within a clear tube. Around this core, four interchangeable washi‑and‑raffia shades can be clipped into place in countless configurations—stack them vertically, fan them out like petals, or remove one altogether. The result is a lamp that feels never‑finished, inviting owners to rearrange and remix rather than consign beloved objects to obsolescence.
Nature’s Geometry: The Cells Lamp
Drawing inspiration from the hexagonal chambers of a honeycomb, Launay’s Cells floor lamp marries biomimicry and artistry. Each shade is fashioned from paper cast in mulberry bark, then bathed in beeswax to achieve a drum‑skin texture that glows softly even when unlit. The six-sided forms nestle together like a beehive, each node offering a different pattern of light and shadow. It’s a design that honors nature’s efficiency while celebrating its gentle imperfections.
Feels Like Home
Raised between Sydney and Los Angeles, Launay has long been fascinated by the blending of architectural traditions. Her Feels Like Home lamp channels Spanish colonial homes perched on stilts—a nod to her cross‑continental upbringing. The shade is composed of waxed parchment paper, diffusing the LED’s glow into a warm, enveloping light. A chain of oiled beechwood beads forms the lamp’s support, each bead echoing the rustic elegance of mission‑style porches.
One‑Off Wonders: From Sun Ranch to Joshua Tree
Commissioned installations are another cornerstone of Launay’s practice. At Sun Ranch, a “California‑style” resort in Byron Bay, she created a suite of bespoke lighting pieces that hang like ethereal sculptures in guest lounges. Meanwhile, at The Wren, a sleek new hotel on the edge of Joshua Tree National Park, oversized drop lights sway from high ceilings, their pale paper shades drifting against exposed beams.
Each commission is a dialogue between place and material: Launay studies the architecture, the light quality, even the prevailing air currents to ensure her pieces integrate seamlessly. The result is more than decoration—it’s a sculptural intervention that animates space.
Kinships: Light as Family
In her latest series, Kinships, Launay transforms vintage lace doilies into delicate light sculptures. “These pieces capture the interconnectedness of family,” she says. “The way light—like love—threads through generations.” Each Kinship is unique, the lace’s tiny patterns magnified by the bulbs’ glow, evoking memories of kitchens and parlors warmed by shared stories.
A Cult Following and Global Reach
What began as a personal solution has blossomed into an international vocation. Launay sells her modular lamps and one‑off designs through Love House in New York, and private clients from Melbourne to Milan request custom orders. Despite this growing audience, she maintains a slow‑fashion ethos: every piece is made to order, every shade hand‑stitched, and waste minimized.
In a world of mass‑produced fixtures, Lana Launay’s lamps remind us that light can be as tactile and expressive as any sculpture. Whether suspended above a breakfast nook or standing guard in a hotel lobby, her creations invite us to slow down, rearrange our surroundings and appreciate the artistry woven between form and function.
