Nordic Cement Single Head Pendant

Cement as a lampshade is a deliberately blunt choice, and that bluntness is the appeal. It is heavy, matte, grey and completely opaque, so the fixture reads as a solid object rather than as something light hanging from a wire, and the surface carries the small pits and variations that come from casting rather than from moulding, so no two are quite alike.

Because it is opaque, all of the light goes downward through the open base. That makes it a directional fixture rather than an ambient one, and it explains the two positions the maker suggests: over a bedside table, where a contained pool of light is exactly right, or in a hallway, where you want the floor lit and the ceiling left alone.

Single-head means one fixture, one cord, one shade, and the design is built around being repeated. Hung alone it is quiet; hung in a group of three or five at staggered heights it becomes an installation, and because each unit is inexpensive that is a realistic thing to do. Bulb not included; a warm white LED softens the grey. Indoor use. Wipe the cement with a dry cloth, since it marks permanently if it gets wet.

• Material: cast cement
• Configuration: single head
• Light: fully directional, downward only
• Style: Nordic, simple, industrial
• Best used: over a bedside table or in a hallway, singly or grouped
• Bulb: not included, warm white LED recommended
• Voltage: 110V-240V
• Use: indoor
• Care: dry cloth only, cement marks permanently when wet