Catellani & Smith is an Italian brand specializing in the creation of standard and custom lighting solutions. Enzo Catellani, manager of a lamp store, founded Catellani & Smith in 1989, in Villa di Serio, in the province of Bergamo. The business began almost for fun, with the presentation at the Frankfurt Environmental Fair of a prototype signed Logan Smith, a pseudonym inspired by the name of the entrepreneur's horse. Thanks to the extraordinary success right from the start, Catellani devoted himself completely to creating lamps, mostly custom-made, for his clients. Indoor and outdoor domestic spaces, museums, churches, and events become the places where he measures himself to showcase his creativity, which is also recognized through the installation of works such as the Macchina Della Luce in Antonio Gaudi's Casa Battlò in Barcelona in 2008 or awarded the prestigious Wallpaper Award in 2012. In 2010, however, the iconic Fil de Fer, now available as a table or ceiling lamp, was chosen to represent Made in Italy in the Italian pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo. Since the 1990s, it's all a succession of collections that make inroads into the tastes of clients, including famous ones, who love original and impactful lighting. In 2003, for example, Claudio Baglioni asked Enzo Catellani to set up the scenery for the show O'Scià in Lampedusa, followed later by the one designed for the Petruzzelli theater in Bari, again to light one of the well-known singer's shows. To date, there are dozens of iconic creations, requested by VIPs, design magazine editors and architects, to illuminate spaces where light plays an equal role with installations and other works of art.
In more than 30 years of activity, Catellani & Smith has created lamps that have met with great public acclaim and have distinguished themselves at international industry exhibitions. In addition to the aforementioned Macchina della Luce and Fil de Fer, one cannot miss a mention of the historic Stchu-Moon collection, recognizable by the detail of the gold, copper or silver leaf finish of the diffuser's interior, with its irregular surface contrasting with the black exterior. And then there are the latest creations, which have already entered the Olympus of icons thanks to design awards, such as the Good Design Award, which Catellani & Smith has won two years in a row. The first was in 2021, for the U. floor lamp, extraordinary in its simplicity, while 2022 marks the triumph of no less than two products: the Ettorino BIG table lamp, also awarded the Archiproducts design Awards 2022, which sports a shape played on delicate static and geometric balances, and which allows itself the luxury of focusing on irony, with its bright colors and the silhouette of a tightrope walker twirling on the cable. Spotlight also on the Sfera wall lamp, from the SimilDesign collection, which with its unique design, inspired by Maurits Cornelis Escher's surreal self-portrait, was also included in the selection of the ADI Design Index 2023 volume. Awards also went to two other products from the SimilDesign collection: the Cono wall lamp, which was awarded the LIT Lighting Design Awards 2023, characterized by its elegant tube shape that spans two meters, widening slightly at one end, and has a light point on both sides. The exterior finish, hand-painted in a distinctive shade of blue, plays in contrast to the gold-colored interior. The same point of blue and hand-painting characterize the Ensō lamp-sculpture, inspired by Japanese aesthetics.
What's new in the Catellani & Smith catalog
Amid novelties and updates of some models, the Catellani & Smith catalog is enriched with new collections, which fit into the groove traced by the company over the years. The Latest Creations collection announces itself with the sumptuous PAR 18 Chandelier, featuring a cascade of blown glass spheres made exclusively by master glassmakers from Bohemia. PAR 18 is customizable in size and finish, as well as in the number and heights of the spheres, adapting to any setting, from residential to public. Also part of the collection is the PAR 18 wall lamp, in which the glass diffuser is mounted on a simple yet elegant stand, declined in white or black versions. The For You table lamp stands out for its delicate elegance, dictated by the slender, moldable foot, covered in blue fabric, which like a stem supports a flower-shaped rice paper diffuser. The discreet brass base, equipped with a built-in push dimmer device, can be customized as desired with laser marking. Inspired by the star of the same name in the Orion constellation, the Bellatrix wall lamp sports a sculptural disc shape, made of brass and made precious with a gold leaf finish. The irregular surface creates striking effects, reflecting the light coming from the lamp, set in a thin brass arm.