Nimbus arrives with a clear, focused intention: to enhance the dining experience without interrupting it. The design works quietly within the dining environment, preserving sightlines, gestures and the natural rhythm of conversation. More than a lamp, it is a considered presence - calm, unobtrusive, and instinctively at home within the atmosphere of the table.
Its slender stem and shallow shade maintain a sense of openness across the table, while the broader base provides visual stability and a sense of permanence.
A subtle halo of reflected light extends softly around the base, gently broadening its presence across the tabletop while keeping attention on the people gathered around it.
We spoke to our Senior Industrial Designer, James Perry, about the thinking behind the form, materiality, and design vision for Nimbus.
Senior Industrial Designer James Perry with the Nimbus Cordless Lamp.
Nimbus has a very resolved, continuous silhouette. How did you arrive at the proportions between base, stem, and shade?
I wanted the body to feel continuous and uninterrupted, almost as though the form could extend infinitely upward or downward. The wider base gives the lamp a grounded presence against the table, while the narrowing stem creates a sense of lift and visual lightness as the eye moves upward.
The domed top completes the silhouette in a quiet, purposeful way. It shields the light source from the diner’s eyes while directing illumination down onto the table surface. Every proportion was considered in terms of how the lamp would feel within the social space of dining, not just how it would look as an isolated object.
What drew you to a highly reflective chrome finish, and how did you balance its visual qualities with the practical demands of hospitality use?
The reflective finish allows Nimbus to absorb its surroundings and subtly shift throughout the evening as movement, texture, and light change around it. Rather than appearing static, the lamp becomes more connected to its environment, reflecting the space's atmosphere back into itself.
The chrome avoids unnecessary detailing in favour of smooth, wipeable surfaces that feel refined while remaining practical for daily service.
The Nimbus at the private dining room at Grill Americano Sydney.
What qualities of light were most important to you, and how did that translate into the lamp’s features?
Creating a focused and intimate pool of light on the table was the central consideration. Good hospitality lighting should bring people closer to the experience of the table itself, rather than illuminate the room indiscriminately.
The halo effect became an important part of that. The curvature of the body reflects and concentrates light around the base, subtly expanding the lamp’s presence across the table surface while maintaining softness. It draws attention toward the interaction happening around the table, not the surrounding environment.
Table lamps sit directly in the social space of a meal. How does Nimbus contribute to the atmosphere without becoming intrusive?
It comes down to a balance between proportion, materiality and light quality. The narrow stem minimises visual obstruction across the table, while the reflective finish allows the lamp to recede into its surroundings rather than dominate them visually. At NEOZ, we always try to design lighting that contributes without demanding attention. Nimbus was designed to feel calm within the centre of a busy table setting. It is not there to become the feature piece. It is there to elevate the experience around it.
