Ginger Bollard

“Marset is more than lamps: We take care of light in its different nuances and effects, to create atmospheres with character, helping to improve people’s quality of life,” declares the Barcelona-based company. Marset’s dual preoccupation with both crisp contemporary design and the more elusive ambiance of lighting has firmly fixed the firm on the design world’s cutting-edge radar. A series of attention-grabbing and innovative fixtures account for the recent revitalization of the brand, though Marset has actually been around since the 1940s.

A family business, Marset was originally a foundry, not a lighting company. It segued into lighting design when Francisco Marset formally established Marset Illuminacion in 1965. Decades devoted to metalwork easily translated to the contemporary lighting industry, with a dexterity of materials available to create unexpected, atmospheric lighting effects. Not to mention the influence of its Barcelona home, a city renowned for architecture, design and visual inspiration.