Illusory Structure

Globe Lights Made of Wood

Koho has made a name for an uncanny ability to manipulate wooden laminates into alluring, enticing, and versatile shades. As with most of Secto Design’s lamps, Octo is constructed from PEFC-certified Finnish Birch joined at apex and terminus with perfect rings of aircraft plywood. Finish choices include natural, white-laminated, and black-laminated birch—each owing their origins to Koho’s home turf (which means you’re always getting a Finnish finish). The lamps can accommodate different bulb types, but Secto recommends tubular energy-saving varieties that give off a “warm, white light.”







The guidance in this regard should be well heeded—not only because there’s a potential safety concern (bulbs must leave a minimum of 15mm space between the shade, nor can mirrored or halogen styles be used), but also because the quality of light goes a long way toward establishing the desired effect. Quantifying this may be difficult, but there’s something decidedly Scandinavian about the aimed-for aesthetic. That may be a bit of a cliché in design circles, so I’ll just say that the soft glow of Octo in a white-walled, pine-floored room will make you yearn for the Finnish winter.