MY STORY
My name is Rico Pillet-Jerusalem. I am French and have lived in the Netherlands for ten years. I have always been very close to nature, thanks to my father, who was a big fan of freshwater fishing. From my youngest age, I spent all my school holidays camping near a canal, surrounded by nature.
Armed with a knife I loved to walk in the woods in search of the perfect branch to make a bow or anything that tickled my fancy. I’ve always loved the wood and working with it. I like the touch, the softness of curves, the smell, the warmth it gives, the colors of each essence.
Today, I still carry some knives when I go on long walks. It was on one of these hikes in the Alps that I found a beautiful branch, cut it and then had my idea. I could make a lamps out of branch like this. Once inverted and cleaned, it would have the perfect shape for it. Shortly after returning to Holland I had to prune a cherry tree from my garden with a perfect branch to achieve my N°0 lamp.
My lamps are unique pieces, all of which I find at random on my travels. They are then dried for several months before I start finishing them by hand only.
I work with different species such as eucalyptus, mimosa, cherrywood, broom or boxwood, but there is no limit to the creation and it is nature that decides for me. That’s why my lamps are not always on a horizontal plane, I choose to keep the natural form of each one of them to make them an object on their own and more than ‘just a lamp’.
After drying, I rough the wood out and make the first knife pass to clean up the wood grain and its shapes as closely as possible. I then work with sandpaper and a Dremel to erase imperfections or unwanted knots.
Always staying on a human scale, I try to make the most of the work by hand. This responsible dimension allows me to consider each of my lamps as if they were made for me and it is with the greatest attention that I choose my suppliers of electrical components and lampshades.
Thus, I can meet the demand of my clients in terms of color and final size if necessary. Each of my lamps has its own character, its own origin, its unique history. The simple and harmonious shape of the “Tripod” will make it naturally find a place at your place and bring you the light you want.