Since SkLO's beginnings, the combination of light and glass has always fascinated us. These two ingredients provide the building blocks for all our creative explorations. But what happens when you add a third element, color, to the mix? At SkLO we find creating compositions of light, glass and color like solving a joyful puzzle. "The natural transparency and structure of glass allows for incredible depth of color," says Karen Gilbert, Partner and co-design lead with Paul Pavlak. "When adding color to molten glass, there is an inherent mystery to the process." Here Karen reveals what makes SkLO's approach so unique, and delves into her creative process an intriguing riffs on color theory.

Drink Cups shown in full colorway

ANALOGOUS COLOR

"Many SkLO creations captivate by playing with the concept of analogous color," Karen says. Analogous colors are like-minded hues right next to each other on the color wheel, usually composed of one dominant color and several supporting ones. Creations such as our Drink Cups or Stack Objects use analagous colors. "Skipping a step here and there in this predictable pattern adds intrigue to the conversation between viewer and object," she says.

View Bowls: Small in Olivin and Large in Smoke 

COMPLIMENTARY COLOR

SkLO also engages the concept of complementary colors - these are vibrant juxtapositions of two colors that are directly opposite each other on the color wheel. "Our approach is to use this relationship to establish harmony but also to undermine it," Karen says. She points to the contrasting base and bowl of the View Bowl and double-ended Crescent Vessel as examples. "We are looking to create a pleasureable, soothing reaction to the combination as well as a surprise."

Long Sway Bowl in Gray

COLOR TRANSPARENCY

Glass color can be either transparent or opaque depending on the type of color (made from combinations of minerals and metals) added to molten glass. SkLO playfully engages this idea by overlapping these layers in designs such as our Sway Bowl, which features one color on the exterior of the vessel and another layered into the interior. "The effect is like looking into water," Karen says. "You see through one color to the other, which creates depth as the transparent tones bounce off of the opaque ones."

In addition to our overlay process, transparent colors can be placed side-by-side to stunning effect. Bloom Object is a design of glass "flowers" made by forcing pockets of steam into a molten glass matrix using water-soaked wood. "Bloom is like a watercolor painting where the steam technique has an element of fluidity and unpredictability. With this process, the transparent colors subtly blend into different tones, creating something unique each time," Karen says.

Small Bloom Object in Pink Palette

COLOR DIFFUSION

Another key concept for SkLO is color diffusion, which our new frosted finishes highlight. The frosted technique involves etching the colored glass after it has cooled. "Since color behaves differently when lit, we want the palette to read beautifully when the fixtures are off as well as on," Karen says. "Our Rest Pendant features this ambient diffuse glow. When the light source is off, the colors become more opaque, emphasizing the sculptural lines of the fixture."

Rest Pendants: Styling by Studio Salaris; Photography by Beppe Brancato

With our celebration of color, SkLO creates unique pieces that embody depth and harmony as well as surprise. "Color evokes so much emotion," Karen says. "If you combine color in different ways, you provoke different feelings. A green tone placed alongside a pink tone tells one story, whereas a yellow tone next to a different yellow tone tells another. Similar to a language, color communicates."

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Making Of 

"Made entirely without the use of moulds, Expand Bowls are intentionally irregular and organic. During the process of blowing, the bowl is formed by opening a sphere of glass and spinning it on the pipe. With minimal intervention, the skilled glassblower guides the slight wobble of the molten glass and allows the bowl to move off-center, creating a final composition that tells a story about its handmade origins and the skill of those who make it."

- Paul Pavlak, Partner & Lead Designer