According to the New York Times, there’s a new lamp that seems to be ubiquitous in New York City restaurants. It’s a sleek and sexy table lamp, and it’s slowly been taking over as the go-to lighting over the past couple of years. It’s called the Pina Pro. It’s one of many in a line of decorative and functional objects designed by Zafferano, the company founded by award-winning Italian designer Frederico de Majo.
As the Time’s recent article reports, Zafferano has sold about 20,000 of the lamps the past year, mostly in NYC. The popularity of the lamps is in part a result of the COVID pandemic. The pandemic forced NYC restaurants in 2020 to offer outdoor dining and since then the streets and sidewalks in front of many dining establishments have become semi-permanent seating areas throughout the city. The Pina Pro caught on as a table light for outdoor diners in place of candles, which tend to easily blow out.
The lamp is cordless and rechargeable, which makes it a practical solution. But ultimately the allure of the lamps may be what the Times called its “mellow glow,.” Its design is attractive and minimalist. And though it’s easy on the eyes and has captured the attention and appreciation of design savvy restauranteurs and diners, its an otherwise unobtrusive and functional object.
GLOBAL GRAPHICA 