Design Jones: OWL.

No, not the nocturnal bird.  OWL is an acronym for "Objects With Light," an impressive collection by London-based artist Georgios Ignatiou.  According to his website, OWL consists of "objects with light improvised through form, function, and aesthetic [by] reclaiming the functions of used or found objects or materials ... [then] re-applied practically into lifestyle to describe new forms from old forms that function mainly as desirable objects with light."

In other words, he makes extremely cool shiny things that seem to glow in the dark.

I absolutely love this kind of work.  Most of the pieces wouldn't function very well at all for task lighting, but obviously that's not the point.  The fixtures are beautifully arranged, ranging from massive amounts of marbles, sponges, tweeters, slinkies, and various other household objects.  Ignatiou creates the pieces so that the light passing through and around the objects is given a quiet, mellow glow -- definite mood enhancers.  Just imagine a couple of these tastefully installed in some dark after-hours lounge with strains of Soulstice or Supreme Beings of Leisure floating through the air, as you relax with a sexy $12 cocktail at your side.

Or something like that.  That's the thing: if something as singular as a light source can inspire one to design an entire scene around it, then it has done its job well.

Now let me see if I can enhance the mood by draping a red T-shirt over my desk lamp ...