Playing with the mood with Yabu Pushelberg

Glenn Pushelberg and George Yabu, the co-founders of Yabu Pushelberg design studio, were driven by the power of lighting in different environments, the need for a functional and visually appealing design to address the redundancies found in hospitality spaces. As a result, Konoha was created, a sleek and sophisticated lamp that not only enhances the aesthetics of a space but also solves various lighting challenges. From Marset, we wanted to emphasise the necessity of incorporating adaptable lighting through Konoha. This innovative design features a movable directed light source of 360°, providing the option for both soft, ambient lighting against a hat-like shade and precise direct lighting ideal for reading.

What does design mean for you? What fascinates you?

George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg Design is storytelling. It is a way to connect to your senses; try on a mood or wear an attitude. Strong design possesses substance and speaks fluently to the surrounding needs at hand. Good design has the power to perceive emotion and shape experience. Design is always evolving and responding to its surroundings similarly to people. It can be understanding, practical, and serve a purpose.

How we perceive the purpose of design goes hand in hand with how we go about creating it. Much of what we do as a studio happens before we begin designing something. We ask ourselves questions about the guest or resident; we build a character and create a fictional life. From there, we set out to craft a world through strategic planning, textures, and palettes that shape a story. Our work is always centred around how an individual will experience our outputs. No matter the scale of a project, each element is designed to contribute to a thoughtful and cohesive story.  

What was your thought process behind the creation of the Konoha?

Glenn Pushelberg The inspiration for Konoha was born from the redundancies we see in so many hotel rooms. It is standard to require both ambient and focused light in guest room design, and we challenged ourselves to combine both functions into one light. The result is a sleek, adaptable, and sophisticated light that resolves lighting challenges in a range of spaces while remaining visually stimulating.

George Yabu Much like built environments, furniture and lighting have the ability to support, change or enhance a person’s emotions. Lighting is arguably the most intimate aspect to an environment; it is the essence that frames the memories of where you met a special stranger, how you choose to begin and end your day; the aura you attribute to home and comfort. Light is the element that expresses the intention of a space. Konoha embodies that.

How did you get from the idea to the final product?

Have you experienced something special making the Konoha?

Is there any important story or point in relation to the product you want to tell us?

George Yabu y Glenn Pushelberg Konoha is a light, and a fun one at that. What was special about the design process was how closely our interior and product teams worked together. Through conversation, we arrived at a resolution to an ongoing problem of not having the right kind of lighting to infuse into hospitality projects. There is a real unity to our studio and Konoha reflects that. 

What would you like customers to think when they see the Konoha?

George Yabu and Glenn Pushelberg Have fun with it! Don’t be precious, get in there and use it. If you don’t interact with it, the light becomes limiting. We want individuals to engage and explore Konoha and its possibilities. Play with the mood.