Design

Isabel Lane looks at lighting from the cutting edge to the traditional

Everything is illuminated

Statement lighting is a stylish way to show your garden or terrace in its best possible light. Our favourites include Fatboy's tabletop LED, Edison the Petit (fatboy.com). The cute silhouette, modelled on a traditional lamp shape, belies the 21st-century technology which makes it super flexible. Wire-free, it's highly portable and can be charged via USB. When fully charged it will last up to six hours - more than enough for an alfresco dinner. The Edison also comes in an oversized, non-wireless version.

The giant Tulip lighting by MyYour comes in a variety of cheerful, blooming colours (myyour.eu). The sculptural Piramide range by hip Spanish brand Gandia Blasco (gandiablasco.com) is rather more grown up. Serralunga's glowing Chesterfield-inspired Sirchester range is an ingenious combination of lighting and seating (serralunga.com). Now if only the nights would start drawing in.

Like a moth to a flame

The candle has developed from bedside necessity to a coveted luxury, and French heritage company Maison Cire Trudon are pretty much the crème de la crème of scented candles. Their new Limited Edition candles come in lovely packaging, decorated with illustrations by artist Lawrence Mynott. Choose from the mint-tea-scented Abd el Kad, inspired by the 19th-century

Algerian resistance leader; the orange blossom and vanilla Odalisque, inspired by 19th-century French painters intrigued by the French colonies of North Africa; or Solis Rex, with its regal scent of green leaves, eucalyptus, fir, cedar and incense. €99 each from Cire Trudon (ciretrudon.com) or net-a-porter.com

Profile

Pieter Jamart of Six Inch

What Contemporary design company specialising in brightly coloured, coated foam furniture - most recognisable is the Louis Voltaire chair (pictured).

Established By Pieter Jamart and Michel Sels in 2003.

Where In the rural area of Kontich, between Brussels and Antwerp.

Inspired by Foam. I find it very interesting to explore the possibilities and stretch the boundaries, of coated foam as a material. It naturally results in surprising and interesting creations. And I like 'design with a smile' - things that are edgy, funny, creative and friendly to use.

Our products are Innovative, flexible, fun - the sky's the limit.

I love My home city of Antwerp; it's not small but feels like a village and is international at the same time. It's full of creativity. I like the trendy minimalist cocktail bar Mogador and the sushi restaurant Zao Wang in the historic old town.

What's next A new range of designs, catalogue and website. Plus, we've just finished a 19m sofa for a Tom Dixon office project in New York.

We love Their seating installations Orange Beast and Cliffy. www.sixinch.eu

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