Pillbox 20 in Pendant Light | Blackjack Lighting

Pillbox borrows its name and its shape from a small, familiar object: a shallow round box with gently sloping sides. At 20 inches the form is stretched wide and low, 21.5 inches across and under 8 inches tall, so it reads as a calm, horizontal disc floating above a table rather than a tall shade. The sides taper in toward a flat top, which keeps the silhouette crisp from every angle.

It is made in spun aluminum with a powder-coated finish: matte black outside, gold inside. From across the room you see a dark, graphic band; from beneath, the gold interior glows warm around a glass diffuser that hides the integrated LED. The contrast between the cool exterior and the warm lining is the whole point, and at this scale it gives a dining table, a counter or a lounge corner a strong, low-hung pool of light.

Design notes

• Warm light from a dark shade: the gold interior reflects and warms the light while the black exterior stays matte and quiet.
• Wide, low proportion: 21.5 in (54.6 cm) across and 7.8 in (19.8 cm) tall, a broad tapered drum that reads as a horizontal line.
• Spun aluminum: a spun metal shade with a powder-coated paint finish.
• Glass diffuser: the integrated LED light kit sits behind a glass diffuser, which softens its 2,071 lumens.
• Long suspension: a 12 ft (144 in) adjustable cable, so the shade can hang low over a table even under tall ceilings.

Specifications

Downloads

• Pillbox 20 in LED specification sheet (PDF)
• Pillbox 10 and 20 in LED installation instructions (PDF)
• Pillbox 20 in LM-79 photometric report (PDF)

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!" Pillbox applies it to a classic shade: a slim LED kit behind glass lets a wide, shallow drum hold a full pool of warm light.

Questions

What is the idea behind Pillbox?

A classic tapered shade made playful through scale and color. The 20 in version stretches the form wide and low, with a black exterior and a gold interior that glows when lit.

Who is behind 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 conceived for LED.

Why Black with Gold Interior?

It gives the strongest contrast: a matte, graphic shape against the room and a warm, gilded glow beneath. The gold lining also warms the color of the light that reaches the table.

How much light does it give, and can it be dimmed?

2,071 lumens at 3000K and 90 CRI through a glass diffuser. The canopy driver runs on 120-277V with TRIAC, ELV or 0-10V dimming.

What warranty does it carry?

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