Float 48 in Linear Pendant | Blackjack Lighting

Float is a linear pendant in its most essential form: one long, thin bar of light hung level in the air. The body is a slim metal extrusion just 1.3 inches wide and 1.7 inches tall, running a little over four feet, with an acrylic diffuser along its whole underside. Two fine cables lift it to a narrow rectangular canopy, and from a few steps away the cables almost vanish, so the bar seems to hover over a table or island.

The integrated LED makes that slenderness possible. A continuous strip of LEDs runs the full length of the extrusion and the acrylic diffuser spreads it into one even line, with no spots, no sockets and no gaps; the driver lives up in the canopy rather than in the bar. The result is generous, high-quality ambient light from a remarkably small object. Polished Chrome gives the bar a bright, reflective edge; Satin Nickel softens it to a quiet brushed line.

Design notes

• A line of light: a continuous LED strip behind a full-length acrylic diffuser, so the whole bar glows evenly from end to end.
• Thin proportions: 48.1 in (123 cm) long but only 1.3 in (3.3 cm) wide and 1.7 in (4.3 cm) tall.
• Floating suspension: two 96 in support cables to an 11 in canopy, which also houses the driver.
• Serious output: 2932 lumens from 39 W at 3000K with a 90+ CRI, enough to light a long table on its own.
• Two metal finishes: Polished Chrome for a crisp highlight, Satin Nickel for a softer, brushed look.

Specifications

Downloads

• Float 48 in specification sheet (PDF)
• Float instruction sheet (PDF)
• Float 48 in LM-79 photometric report (PDF)
• Float 48 in IES file (ZIP)

Stephen Blackman and Blackjack Lighting

Blackjack Lighting is the studio of industrial designer Stephen Blackman, its President and Chief Design Officer. Trained in industrial design at Syracuse University, Blackman began his lighting career in 1984 at Sonneman Design Group, then founded Blackman Design Associates in 1988, designing decorative and architectural lighting for manufacturers including Kichler. He launched Blackjack in 2013 in suburban Chicago, now based in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, to build fixtures conceived for LED from the first sketch.

His argument is that the LED should change the shape of a light, not just its efficiency. Rather than hiding a new source inside old bulb-and-shade forms, Blackjack designs around the small, flat, cool-running LED: thin discs, slim rods, glowing rings and lenses that let the light itself become the object. In his own words, "Decorative lighting by its nature is not primarily about optimizing lamp efficiency, it is primarily about decoration!" Float is the slim-rod idea at its purest: a single four-foot line of light that seems to hang in mid-air.

Questions

What is the idea behind Float?

To reduce a linear pendant to a single thin line. A continuous LED strip and full-length acrylic diffuser let the bar stay just 1.3 in wide while lighting evenly along its 48 in length.

Who designs Blackjack Lighting?

Industrial designer Stephen Blackman, President and Chief Design Officer, who has designed lighting since 1984 and founded Blackjack in 2013 to make fixtures built around LED.

Polished Chrome or Satin Nickel?

Polished Chrome catches reflections and gives the bar a sharp, bright edge, good with glass, lacquer and stone. Satin Nickel is softer and more matte, sitting comfortably with timber, concrete and brushed hardware.

How bright is it, and can it be dimmed?

2932 lumens at 3000K with a 90+ CRI, a strong, warm, even light for a long table or island. It dims on a standard 120V TRIAC dimmer.

What warranty does it carry?

Three years on the integrated LED and its power supply, and one year on materials and workmanship, for the original buyer in the US and Canada.