Mood Light

A quick Google search on Himalayan salt lamps dredges up link after link touting the health benefits of the pink mineral. While some claims are outlandish, like neutralizing electromagnetic radiation from cell phones, others, like mood enhancement, seem a bit more plausible—especially when the light looks as good as Brave Matter’s Archaic Modern pendant. “As a designer, I believe that objects we surround ourselves with have the power to influence the way we feel,” says Christina Zamora, cofounder of the Oakland, California–based design studio. The terraced clay luminaire, topped by a hefty brass disk and rounded salt bead, adds warmth to any space. “I could definitely see them in residential, retail, and hospitality environments,” says the industrial designer, who has also had interest from people designing for the wellness field because of the mineral’s purported effect on well-being. The Archaic Modern light is handcrafted and available in six shades ranging from a deep black Mica Ore to a muted Terra Pink.

- Tamy Cozier-Charles

01 “I’ve always designed tableware throughout my career and I decided that to have a bigger emotional impact on the way people feel, I wanted to go into lighting. The inspiration that I started with was ancient architecture and the visual archetypes that work with worn surfaces. I use a wood lathe to make a lot of my prototypes, so I started turning salt, and I discovered that I could find a way to use a typical down light, design the shade in a way that I can bounce the flashlight back up into the salt, and create that sort of ambient emotional feeling with a traditional down light.”