Saturn-inspired table lamp is both playful and sustainable

Our modern lives are filled with artificial lights, but there is still plenty to be learned by observing our world’s ancient light sources. Of course, planets and even more distant stars can barely light up our homes, but they can definitely serve as inspirations for interesting designs, from their ball-like shapes to the kind of light they provide. Of all the planets in our neighborhood, Saturn has always mesmerized our minds with its beautiful rings, and it has probably served as the muse for many lamp designs. This somewhat spherical lamp, for example, borrows some ideas from the planet’s morphology to create something unique, fun, striking, and sustainable, all at the same time.

Designer: Veronica Castellanos Barron

Saturn isn’t the only planet in our solar system with rings, but it has always been the most distinctive and picturesque. Literally applying that imagery to a lighting fixture might not exactly be practical, even for a lamp that hangs from the ceiling. Instead, what SATURNO does is learn from the ringed planet’s morphology, which resulted in a more flexible kind of design that still retains a bit of that mystical quality.

The SATURNO lamp is actually made of three disc-shaped parts that connect without the use of any glue or screws. There are cutouts instead that allow the parts to be inserted into each other at perpendicular angles. Two are made from walnut wood, while the third is made from resin, which could be any sustainable kind. A multicolor LED strip is embedded inside the cutout of this resin disc, providing the light that is diffused by the resin surrounding it.

The result is a three-dimensional structure that looks nothing like Saturn yet also subtly bears its form. That’s especially true when you look at the resin part head-on, with its horizontal line mimicking the light scattered by Saturn’s rings. That said, the lamp won’t stand like that unless it has some support, but it can be inclined at any angle or position thanks to its unique shape.

Unlike the real Saturn, SATURNO’s LEDs can be controlled to show different colors and different intensities, creating an even more pleasing experience that could match the owner’s moods and room design. This does mean that there will be some electronics beyond the LED strip, but those can be kept at a minimum and hidden from view inside one of the wooden discs. The end result is a versatile lighting fixture that gives a glimpse of the heavens right inside your home.