March 29, 2004

By: Art Bogoch
Website: http://www.1st-in-home-decor.com

NEW SPACE COMBINES HOME OFFICE WITH LIGHTING SHOWROOM TO CREATE IN SITU DISPLAY

For his new location, architect and lighting designer David Bergman has created an environment to house his office, his home and his Fire & Water line of lighting. Rather than design a typical showroom, Bergman broke down the separation between the three functions so that the lights are displayed in situ throughout the space: pendants in the foyer, dining area and kitchen, sconces in the bedroom, reading lamps in the living room. Central to the design is a raw steel ceiling track which snakes across the ceiling of the space.

The track provides a flexible system for display of Fire & Water's pendant lights. Fixtures can be rmeounted to test new designs or removed whne needed ofr other displays. A demountable series of screens separating the bedroom from the living room doubles as display panels and is shipped out for trade shows. The panels allow mounting of multiple sconces so that clients in showroom can see how FIre & Water's different series will look in a home environment.

Bergman's design also explores the separation between the home and office. Contrary to conventional advice, the office is not physically or visually separated from the living spaces. The advantage of a home office is not having to break your life in two. So why break the space in two? Client meetings in the dining room or living room are not seen as an invasion. Nor does the office need to be hidden away when it can be made to look like a library.

In a larger space like a house, he explained, separate rooms would be more feasible and might then make more sense. But the tightness of New York City spaces led me to question not only the necessity, but the advantage of separation.

His one concession was to build a separate workroom. In my last space, we fabricated fixtures in the main room, but it was strange having a drill press in the kitchen and we grew tired of metal shavings underfoot.

About The Author:

Art Bogoch is a successful author and regular contributor to http://www.1st-in-home-decor.com.  Home decorating tips and ideas to showcase any room with style.