Many of the homeowners on the tour are folks after our own hearts—they love good design and lots of famous mid-century styles from names like Eames, Nelson and others. Soooo, naturally we couldn’t help doing a bit of a scavenger hunt among each of the 7 homes, recognizing particular products and seeing how “real” people have worked them into their space. There was lots of love for Herman Miller, of course, plus a few others. Here’s a look at what we found:

Altus Ceiling Fan by Modern Fan Company

Ball Clock by George Nelson

Eames Molded Plywood Lounge – Wood Base by Herman Miller

Maritime Table Clock by IC Design Group

O Space Suspension by Foscarini

Nelson Swag Leg Desk by Herman Miller

Eames Molded Plastic Armchair – Wire Base by Herman Miller

Egg Chair by Fritz Hansen

Glo-Ball T2 Table Lamp by Flos and Eames Lounge Chair & Ottoman by Herman Miller

Eames Molded Plastic Armchair – 4 Leg Base by Herman Miller

Eames Hang-It-All Coat Hanger by Herman Miller

We’ve said it before: We get excited about lights. While we saw a whole lot of modern pieces from Lumens throughout the homes on the tour (more on that tomorrow), we also spotted several awesome vintage fixtures that were the perfect accent to the decor and architecture.

This throw-back piece was the perfect complement to the home’s decor, which retained much of its original design.

A great Sputnik light hung over a home’s game room was a playful touch.

Mid-century chandeliers like this have served as inspirations for many modern designs with updated styling.

Loved these globes over a tall foyer in one of the homes.

A super fun pendant was the perfect retro touch.

Loved these plug-in wall sconces bookending a sofa.

This week we’ll be highlighting different aspects of the tour, but today I wanted to focus on something that caught my eye in some way through each of the homes: patterns. Whether it was old-school upholstery, a unique wallpaper or just a fitting color combo within a space, there was plenty of pattern play happening throughout the tour.

Here’s a closer look at some of my favorites:

(Apologies for my less-than-spectacular photos—Ansel Adams of home tours, I am not.)

A family of multi-colored polka dots can do no wrong.

Loved this mod print on a classic mid-century chair.

Was sort of enamored with the circle play happening here.

Such a great pattern, paired beautifully with a crisp navy/gray chair.

This cool retro design was hand-painted on a tabletop by one of the homeowners.

A perfect balance of color and a just-right amount of playfulness in these patterned pillows.

This quirky wallpaper was perfect for the girls changing room next to the pool.

Quinessentially retro wallpaper that lined one of the closet/bathroom areas.

A room divider with clean and modern lines that are a signature of the mid-century.

Did that take you back? Stay tuned for more highlights from the tour the rest of this week!

Karim Rashid’s Nafir Collection for Axo Light.

Karim Rashid is tooting a new horn: introducing the Nafir Pendant, a new contemporary lighting collection for Italian design studio Axo Light.

“Nafir is pure imagination,” says Karim Rashid about his first lighting collection for Axo Light. “I wanted to make a fixture that was part sculpture, one that looked beautiful even with the lights turned off, yet provided perfect functional LED light. I also wanted to create a family of fixtures whose trumpet-likes forms could be organically grouped together to create a fantastic landscape of light and shape.”

Fantastic landscapes pretty much define this unfathomably prolific designer’s penchant for organic shapes and innovative materials. With his global sensibility, the man has designed literally everything from clocks and pens to chairs and sex toys, as well as interiors and corporate identities. There is perhaps nothing he can’t do – and all of it expresses Rashid’s signature interplay of color, form, playfulness and minimal elegance.

His Nafir pendants are no exception. Inspired by a flat surface that has been “pulled and morphed,” it has a form and energy that’s indicative of Rashid’s unmistakable aesthetic. Like much of his work, Nafir evokes movement, even in stillness, and represents a pull toward the future – even while being named for a traditional North African ceremonial trumpet (the nafir). We’re not the only ones who were awed by his innovative design: Rashid’s forward-thinking collection was honored with a 2012 Good Design Award from the Chicago Athenaeum. Available as a single suspension light or grouped in multiples, the Nafir Pendant by Axo Light is available in a choice of chrome, white or gold finishes.

Hear more about the design from Rashid himself in the video below:

Rashid’s design is available in a White/White finish, Chrome/White and White/Gold, shown here.

Rashid’s Nafir Pendants in Chrome

The Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour takes place May 18. Photos by Donald Satterlee.

We’re very excited to be sponsoring this year’s Sacramento Mid-Century Modern Home Tour–the May 18 event features 7 homes, including Eichler homes from the 1950s, a 1970 Carter Sparks/Streng Home and lots more. Aside from the famous architecture, we love getting a peek into some of the area’s most gorgeous homes, many of them impeccably designed and featuring iconic mid-century modern lighting and furniture.

While this is a home tour, there’s much more to be seen throughout the event. A Vintage Transportation show will also take place, and the tour includes the interiors of several special, not-often-seen mid-century modern buildings in the area. There’s also a free screening of a film about Eichler Homes — “People in Glass Houses” by Monique Lombardelli of Modern Homes Realty in collaboration with Kyle Chesser.

If you aren’t in the area, fear not–we’ll be sharing lots of photos on Instagram (follow us @lumensdotcom), and you can always get your MCM fix with our friends at Sacramento Modern, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and protecting modern art, architecture and design in the Sacramento region.

And if you are in the area, be sure to get your tickets ASAP–advance sales only run through May 15, and attendance is limited, so there’s no guarantee that tour-day tickets will be available.

Hope to see you there!

1. Los Angeles Tower Hotel 2. Braxton Pendant by ELK Lighting 3. Regatta Pendant by Currey and Company 4. Allegretto 780140 Drum Pendant by Fine Art Lamps 5. Bourgie Table Lamp by Kartell 6. One of many covers for F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby 7. Carey Mulligan and Mademoiselle Pendants by LBL Lighting 8. Bling Wall Sconce by Robert Abbey

Today marks the release of Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, and all of the buzz has me anxious to check out the dazzle that’s sure to come with the movie’s costumes and sets. Luhrmann movies are known for elaborate set design (like Moulin Rouge, Romeo + Juliet) and Gatsby is sure to be packed with the same filmic spark.

The Gatsby grandeur has been especially inspiring. I tend to skew pretty casual in my own style, but the opulence that comes with Gatsby glam is nothing short of fascinating.

Of course, this period style could easily feel dated, but we put together a few modern inspirations for bringing the Gatsby look into today—glittering jewels, art deco patterns, Hollywood regency styles and ‘20s glamour. For more inspiration and ideas for going Gatsby, visit our board on Pinterest.

Glitter & Glamour: Pizzazz and all that jazz–this look channels the glitzy look of the Gatsby ballroom.
Above: 1. Bling Large Chandelier by Robert Abbey 2. The Fitzgerald Suite in the Plaza Hotel 3. Lucia Wall Sconce by Murray Feiss 4. Roxy Mini Pendant by WAC Lighting 5. Etch Candleholder by Tom Dixon

Art Deco: This influential style helped earmark 1920s design, representing luxury and exuberance, but today’s iterations keep it modern and fresh.
Above: 1. New York’s Chrysler Building 2. Dianelli Drum Pendant by Sonneman 3. Scallop Duvet Set by DwellStudio 4. Millennium Wall Sconce by Quoizel 5. Fitzgerald Fan by Fanimation

Nouveau New York: A champagne-toast-worthy style pointing to elegant tones and jazz-age extravagance.
Above: 1. A Pre-War New York Apartment via DesignShuffle 2. Rittenhouse Drum Pendant by Arteriors 3. Hollywood Beach Long Pendant by LBL Lighting 4. Phoebe Flushmount by Stonegate Designs 5. Annika Table Lamp by Mary McDonald

Now, we know lighting ‘round here, and we’ll be darned if those aren’t Random Lights by Moooi  spotted in one of the drawings:

Drawings of the proposed arena for the Sacramento Kings | Photo from AECOM and city of Sacramento

The drawings are hardly set in stone, of course, but I couldn’t help myself to think this favorite from Moooi certainly wouldn’t be a bad choice. A grand space and lively atmosphere punctuated by a statement-making light like the Random is right up our alley. We might even kick it up a notch, with even bolder designs fitted with LEDs, such as:

Heracleum II Suspension by Moooi: A little more whimsical than the Random, but with an audacious silhouette that would bring on cheers even outside the court:

Copernico Suspension by Artemide: While each of this fixtures nine aluminum rings rotate independently, we quite like the out-of-this-world when each is turned every which way, and could certainly see them hovering overhead in the city’s new hot spot.

Nafir Pendants by AXO Light: This new design from Karim Rashid would be a seriously sleek addition to the arena’s lounge. The thin, lengthy shape is modeled after the North African trumpet used in ceremonial music.

Raimond LED Suspension by Moooi: Almost like Random’s blinged-out cousin, the Raimond is a subtle sphere by day, and a sparkly stunner by night, when each pendant is lit by 252 LED lights.

Sacramento, what do you envision the new arena looking like? Check out the rest of the sketches in the Sacramento Bee.

Copper: This industrial metal emerged as a design favorite last year, and continued its reign in 2013. Brands like Tom Dixon, Verpan, Diesel for Foscarini and Bocci all paid tribute to the shiny metal finish by way of adding it to some of their most well-recognized fixtures or incorporating subtle copper accents on cords and canopies.

Copper finishes were big at this year’s Euroluce light show and the Milan Furniture fair, with designers from Tom Dixon, Wästberg and Bocci all paying tribute to this pretty-as-a-penny finish.

Wood and wood accents: The au natural look also continued to a source of inspiration for many new lighting fixtures, like the new Stick collection by Matali Crasset for Fabbian. From bare, natural wood finishes like this to mixing wood with cold metals and soft fabrics, wood seemed to make its way into many new—and beautiful—lighting designs.

Decorative LEDs: LED lighting isn’t new, but as designers work to integrate this energy-saving light source into their work, we are really starting to see the design edge that LEDs can provide. Plus, many more classic fixtures like those from Flos and Foscarini are reintroducing some of their most famous fixtures (like Patricia Urquiola’s Caboche for Foscarini) in LED.

Our team loved the Scandinavian style and unexpected colors from Muuto.

New Nordic: Scandinavian design was at its best, from furniture to lighting. We loved the new pieces from award-winning Swedish lighting company Wästberg, as well as the work exhibited by furniture and lighting studio Muuto and Northern Lights. The color palette from Scandinavian designs wasn’t like any other, including many bright pendants in less predictable hues like mint greens and muted primary colors.

Swag Lights: Designers were getting very creative with swag lighting, turning simple ceiling lights into sculptural works of art. Going far beyond a simple draped/hanging cord, swag lights were creating illusions with colored cords, clustered pendants and textured pieces for a new, unique effect.

Swag lights got a whole new meaning with installations like this one from Vibia.

Table Pendants: We weren’t quite sure what to peg these as, but we saw a lot of work-light-inspired “pendants” that were actually designed to sit on a tabletop. These go-anywhere lights are less expected than a table lamp, but offer accent lighting and visual interest into what could be Furniture and lighting from Muuto.a small or hard-to-design space.

For more on our trip to Milan, check out our album on Facebook.

If only pictures did it justice–but you’re in luck. If you weren’t able to make it to Milan, Moooi had your back. You can take a (very in-depth) virtual tour on their site and literally check out every corner, every angle, every beautiful piece that they so masterfully displayed. Check it out right here.