Mattias Ståhlbom’s Up Lamp

In simple terms, nordic design, much like the cuisine, places its emphasis on a Scandinavian heritage and clean simplicity; it’s a combination that continues to impress the design world. And, at this year’s Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, design firm Muuto once again led the Scandinavian pack. The brightest of the bunch was Mattias Ståhlbom’s Up lamp, which funnels its flicker-free LED light upwards with a lamp shade that rotates 360 degrees. Ståhlbom was inspired by a specific set of lines when designing the piece—the outline of industrial rooftops—but the result is more mutable than fixed, as owners are encouraged to move the lamp shade to create variations of lighting and mood. This piece is a most fitting form for Muuto to produce; the company name takes its root from the Finnish word muutos, meaning new perspective.