Although it was not entirely common for his era, he studied industrial design abroad from Norway, specifically at the Royal College of Art in London. There, among other things, he was asked to design a chest housing the coronation gift to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. Immediately after his studies, he started working in the design firm of the famous duo Peter Hvidt and Orla Mølgaard Nielsen. You can also find on DesignVille the furniture collection Hvidt and Mølgaard from &Tradition bearing the surnames of the two aforementioned greats.
A few years later, Dysthe's own career began to form. Thanks to clever design solutions, the designs from his pen have become present in most Norwegian public spaces. His career breakthrough came with his Dokka furniture series, which appeared in the Mad Men series, or the Laminette and Globus Chair. As an industrial designer with a multidisciplinary background, he was comfortable with metal, wood and plastic. Interestingly, he also made a significant contribution to the development of modern winter ski safety bindings with his design of a two-pin solution – the kind we use today in a modified form.
It is therefore not surprising that diversity has become Dysthe's main characteristic. Not to forget the precision, elegance, and simplicity of each unique solution. These qualities are also achieved by the Butterfly luminaire by Northern, originally designed as a Vegglampe (wall lamp) for Arnold Wiigs fabrikker in the 1960s.
The delicate shape of the luminaire and its lightly appearing wall mounting seem to not even reveal that it is made of metal. Only the characteristic shine, which is caused by the reflection of the otherwise subdued and sophisticatedly diffused light flowing from the overlapping parts, gives a hint. The elegant and subtle curves can also be dressed in tactile perforated metal.
Although the design of the lamp dates back to the 1960s, the shades were also chosen with a view to connecting with modern interiors. Due to the arched parts, the lamp will also attract attention even when unlit, and it will also be interesting to line up several pieces horizontally or vertically, perhaps by combining them with the perforated version. Which combination will win for you?
