Strata
Product
Dining Lamp
Industry
Lighting
Year
2026
Strata is a dining lamp designed to make lighting the table an intentional act. Inspired by water-worn basalt, its textured aluminum base rotates 270° to power and dim the light. A small interaction that asks for your attention before a shared meal.
The Ritual of Gathering
As an intentional centerpiece, Strata transitions the dining table from a backdrop in your daily routine into a place of intentional gathering. Designed not just for pure utility, but as a vessel for presence, it shifts the atmosphere to slow the busy pace of life, if only for just a shared meal.
Necessity of Touch
Grounded, deliberate, & tactile. Inspired by water-worn basalt, Strata’s base necessitates physical touch — controlling the light through rotation. This necessary interaction acts as an anchor, using texture and motion to re-center and transform a routine meal into a more delightful moment of presence.
Designing for Atmosphere
Before designing the object, I asked what makes a space feel welcoming. Research into neuro-architecture and experiential design pointed toward three recurring themes: warm light, tactile materials, and intentional interaction. Those principles became the foundation for every design decision that followed.
Finding the Form
Early concepts explored a broad range of directions before converging on a quieter, monolithic form inspired by water-worn basalt and incense. Rather than resembling a piece of consumer electronics, the final design was intended to feel like a natural object that is grounding & belongs at the center of the table.
Refining the Form
Refinement focused on proportion, interaction, and presence. Full-scale mockups helped establish the relationship between the rotating base and upper body, leading to a two-thirds base that improved leverage while maintaining a grounded silhouette. The central concavity and height of the LED’s were refined to balance visual character with a comfortable dining experience.
Engineering the Mechanism
The interaction drove the engineering. A custom PCB, low friction PTFE surface bearing, and rotating aluminum base utilizing the potentiometer were developed together, while the internal architecture was refined for assembly, serviceability, and future production.
PCB Design
A custom PCB packages the lamp's electronics into the compact aluminum body while serving as the structural foundation for the rotating mechanism. It manages USB-C charging, battery regulation, and precise LED control for smooth, continuous dimming.
Surface Finish Explorations
A series of surface studies combined needle scaling, sandblasting, sanding, and aluminum blackening to develop a finish inspired by water-worn basalt. Each iteration balanced texture and reflectivity to create a surface that invites interaction. *ADD ADDITIONAL IMAGES*
Fabrication
Final Design
Designed to become part of the ritual rather than simply the setting.
