A Goddard Littlefair designed penthouse in a luxury London development required a beautifully crafted chandelier to hang above the dining table. We were appointed to design and make the piece, taking inspiration from the London plane – the capital’s most iconic and prevalent tree species.

The tapered chandelier playfully interprets the London plane’s simple leaves, elongated stems and spherical catkins in a deconstructed form that references the contours and movement of the tree.

The bespoke piece is made up of 111 delicately tinted glass leaves and nine brass stems concealing an LED light source inside their circular casings. Each glass leaf was individually handblown then dipped in water to produce a crackled surface that forms projections of light and shadow. A number of the glass components are enhanced further by white frit and gold fleck.

The glass leaves are thoughtfully interspersed between brass stems, both of which are suspended from a ceiling plate that mirrors the tone of the ceiling and the shape of the table below. At the end of each stem is a precision machined cup that is surrounded by a hand-hammered casing, which was produced by a highly skilled jeweller to achieve a decorative dappled finish.

The diffuse light source inside each catkin-inspired ball is housed in a baffle component and topped with a honeycomb louvre to prevent glare. The subtle projections of light illuminate the crackled glass leaves and create beautiful patterns of light across the ceiling.

Images © James French