Now you see it, now you don’t. No, we’re not in Blackpool courting Paul Daniels and his magician kin, but rather at Milan’s Salone del Mobile to witness the latest collections from cutting-edge designers Studio WM. The Rotterdam-based pair (made up of Design Academy Eindhoven graduates Wendy Legro and Maarten Collignon) were at the design festival to showcase their new innovative products, including a series of circular mirrors with such fine-tuned technical wizardry that can make things behind them appear and disappear.
The concept for the Lucent Mirror came about after Legro and Collignon became fascinated with dichroic glass, a material laced with micro-layers of metals or oxides meaning that it changes colour depending on the lighting conditions and angle of view. When situated on the left of its wooden shelf, Lucent Mirror’s circular glass panel is transparent, framing any objects placed behind it and and emitting a warm coloured glow. Rotate it to the right and the glass loses its transparency, and becomes a fully functioning mirror.
The slightly smaller Lucent Mirror Medium is a static design that transforms from lamp to mirror using a dimmable LED; it reflects or transmits light depending on the intensity of the source behind it. It’s a beautiful sculpture in its own right, and catching yourself mid-transition is a pretty trippy experience, your reflection relayed back to you in two contrasting colours, depending on where you stand.
Mirrors aside, Studio VM’s other light products are similarly rich with pastel tones, subtle elegance and thoughtful use of materials. We love the circular shape of The Reflector Table Lamp and the ombre colouring of Gradient light. Definitely a duo to keep your eye on.
Photography, Paul Schipper
