Second sight: GERA

What happens when two product worlds that are often seen as separate from one another, furniture and lighting, for instance, are brought together? Certain pieces of furniture, those used for storage, for example, ordinarily lead a shadowy, anonymous kind of existence, except in cases where a spotlight selectively picks out a section of a chest of drawers or a cabinet, perhaps.

Or, take a room with all its furnishings illuminated by daylight. Light falls upon each object equally, but at the same time, the scene lacks individual accents, especially with furniture that is designed to store things in the darkness of their interiors, stowing clothing or kitchen utensils, out of sight. Nice and discreet, of course, but also somewhat boring.

Logically, then, doing precisely the opposite should deliver the opposite effect. Namely, creating a more engaging scene by displaying the things we live with every day more openly to show them in their best light. And that, essentially, sums up German lighting specialist Gera’s core message. The company has been around for more than 30 years and has gradually evolved from furniture supplier to lighting manufacturer, with its own distinct position in the market.

The Thuringia-based company built up much of its expertise during the early years after German Reunification, equipping the products of well-known furniture manufacturers with lighting technology. Building on its decades of experience, Gera today produces its own brand of clean-lined, illuminated, minimalist furniture and lighting products.

Take its Light box. It is based on the Gera Lighting System 4, a modular system that is available in a variety of sizes and configurations, and includes pendants and recessed lighting, as well as illuminated glass shelves and cabinet bases. The Light box derived from the system becomes a lit-up stage for selected objects.

The product embraces the trend for creating spaces in the home that we can use to store memories: souvenirs of journeys to far-away lands or reminders of the people we love. Yes, of course, it’s a little like creating a museum dedicated to our own lives, but now in particular, with the pandemic getting in the way of our meeting friends and our ability to travel, there’s something comforting about such displays which can help to make us feel more connected.

On the other hand, the Light box becomes a showcase for creative display, one which can be continually transformed and redesigned. Its form is perfectly understated, and there to serve as a place for the arrangement of things such as plants, glasses, books, sculptures or other decorative objects.

The unique characteristics of displayed items come into play through the integrated, energy-saving LED lighting, allowing users to vividly perceive silhouettes, colours and special textures. The strategically illuminated details are staged to great effect, as shapes and contours appear in an entirely new light. Visitors’ curiosity becomes immediately aroused and displayed items become conversation pieces.

The origins of Gera’s creative and technical symbiosis of furniture and lighting can be traced to two people who have long defined the brand, Hening Pölitz and Thomas Ritt. Owner and managing director Pölitz has been growing and developing the company since 1994 and is an expert in all matters relating to the lighting of furniture.

In 1996, Pölitz met the designer Thomas Ritt, whose minimalist design philosophy has shaped the brand’s look ever since. The duo complement one other, as they continue to take the young brand into new fields of design and different areas of furnishing, whether it’s backlighting a coat rack or staging entire shelving units or sideboards with light.

‘Every well-made piece of furniture stands up to the light,’ says Ritt, who studied at the Muthesius Academy of Art. The Kiel-based educational institution was significantly influenced for many years by Prof. Dieter Zimmer in the fields of interior design and furniture.

Gera’s timelessly designed lighting systems can also be precisely adapted to the needs of users. This applies to both the control of the lighting temperatures and the practical additional uses of the products – from support or hanging functions to built-in power sources for electronic devices. The result is an impactful and exquisitely refined melding of poetry and pragmatism.

© Architonic