Inside the Design of Our Beloved Fran Light Fixtures
The best part about designing most of our products in-house is the unique opportunity we get to witness each of our modern American heirlooms come to be—from initial concept all the way through to completion.
An homage to San Francisco’s Victorian architecture, our beloved new collection of light fixtures, Fran, features a subtle scalloped edge much like the homes it was initially inspired by. Gracefully elegant, Fran was designed to bring a touch of charm to any room, and fits beautifully in traditional and modern spaces alike.
Below, we ask our product team to share the inspiration and story behind Fran and how it came to be.
Can you give us some insight into the initial design? How did the original concept for this fixture come about?
Fran is named after the San Francisco architecture that inspired its sweet, scalloped details. We were originally inspired by historic buildings and their decorative siding, as well as some fixtures from our vintage library.
I'd love to hear more about the process of designing a piece like this! How many iterations did it go through? What does the process look like from initial concept to final product?
First, we finalized the concept and narrowed down our architectural references. From there, the next few weeks were a mix of sketching, 3D modeling, and printing full-scale images to confirm overall scale and the size of the scallops. In this stage we probably went through 30+ versions before we settled on the general silhouette.
Once confirmed, our engineering team began finalizing shade fit, internal components, and installation. For this project we went through a few rounds of 3D prints to make sure all parts fit properly without sacrificing the integrity of the design. We wanted to eliminate exposed fasteners and screws for this fixture, so this stage was where the entire Fran framework came to be.
Luckily, 3D printing saves us a lot of time once we start manufacturing because we can print and build our new parts so quickly. This step took about two months as we worked with our manufacturer to make sure this fixture was up to Schoolhouse quality. All in all, the Fran took us about a year to fully develop!
Can you talk about the inspiration behind the color offerings that were chosen for Fran?
Fran’s colors were ultimately chosen based on the rooms we designed it for. Laurel is soft and works great in bedrooms and bathrooms, while Paprika's warmth is perfect for cozy dining rooms or living rooms. White and Black are great options for kitchens and walk-in closets, although we feel that any color has the potential to fit seamlessly into whatever space you envision it in!
What do you think makes Fran such a special piece?
Fran toes the line between playful and traditional, making it versatile in so many spaces. Surface mount lighting is typically form over function and often looks like an afterthought, but this fixture was carefully crafted to bring a touch of subtle charm and personality to any space it resides in.
Fran also pairs well with so many of our existing shades, so it can lean more modern or traditional depending on the look you're after.
