I received an email from Ben Aroh of Aroh Made a few weeks ago introducing me to his company and telling me a bit about how he got started. He’s a young dude, 24 and fresh out of college, with a good eye for branding and photography as well as product design. Ben’s done some great stuff with his newly launched line and while some pieces are certainly more original than others, there’s definitely something for everyone. He has zero formal training in product design or anything related to this, though went to school for marketing so his chops aren’t unearned. His father is a professional wood worker and showed Ben the ropes; they work together in his father’s studio out of which Aroh is run. Ben sent me his Minimalist Desk Lamp for review and I’ve been thoroughly pleased.
This style of lamp has made it’s way around the block a bit; Allied Maker had a version way back in the day and I’ve even seen it at West Elm but I’ve always been attracted to it regardless. The simplicity combined with the vintage everything factor to it reels me in. There’s something about that lone analog toggle switch that gets me every time. Maybe it’s a harkening to the vintage audio gear that I use or reminds me of the Mini Cooper my Mom used to drive. Either way, the satisfying click when turning it on and off is such a subtle, menial detail that I love so much. The old-style filament bulbs have been popular for some time but I’ve honestly never had one in my own home. They’re pretty strongly orange which was unexpected but not unappreciated. In a day of harsh CFL hospital k-tone bulbs, a little pre-fluorescent vibe doesn’t go unappreciated. I also like the subtle two-tone bottom with the second piece of white footing embossed with the Aroh logo and garnished with four small cork foot pads to protect the lamp and whatever surface it’s resting on. Another cool detail is you can pick from four options for cord color; two patterns and two solids. Ben picked for me and sent the tan & brown option. The final detail that really sold it for me is the recessed porcelain socket. Mixing materials is a shoe-in for getting me on board with whatever you’ve got and the porcelain/wood combo is so beautiful.
Aroh has a lot of other great products worth checking out, most notably to me are the Geometric Pendant Lamp and the Picasso Lamp. The Pendant Lamp is a beautiful, simple wall-mountable design with a prairie style architecture feel about it. The Picasso Lamp is a limited run series using stone, porcelain, wood, and metal. The metal clamps holding the two dowels together are from a chemistry lab. Somehow it feels right at home as a part of this lamp. I highly recommend you keep an eye on Aroh Made. Ben’s a young guy with a young venture and I can only imagine that with this initial offering, great things are in store.
The American Classic 