SNF 72 in Ceiling Light | Blackjack Lighting

SNF is a ceiling of light rather than a light on the ceiling. Nine square steel canopies are joined into one 6-foot panel, and set into it are 81 small Novo Short luminous ring lights, arranged nine to a canopy in a precise grid. Seen from below it reads as a single dark, flat plane studded with points of light, closer to an architectural surface or a starfield than to a conventional fixture.

Its low profile comes from the LED. Each of the 81 points is a short surface-mounted cylinder with a thin glowing ring at its base, so the panel stays under three inches deep while still delivering a very large amount of light. The grid spreads it evenly across a whole room, which is why SNF suits boardrooms, dining rooms, lobbies and galleries where a single statement fixture has to do all the work. The finish applies to the canopy faceplates and the sockets: Matte Black for a deep, dramatic plane, White for a pale, airy one, Polished Chrome for a reflective surface.

Design notes

• Full coverage: 81 luminous ring points in a regular grid give even, glare-controlled light over a large area.
• Architectural scale: a 71.9 in (182.6 cm) square of nine canopies, only 2.64 in (6.7 cm) deep.
• Small, repeated elements: each point is a 1.63 in (4.14 cm) Novo Short cylinder with a luminous ring.
• Steel and acrylic: steel canopies with acrylic light guides, and plugged ports in each faceplate.
• Three finishes: Matte Black, White or Polished Chrome on faceplates and sockets; white has a white backplate, the others a black one.

Specifications

Downloads

• SNF specification sheet (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!" SNF scales the glowing ring up to architecture: 81 of them set into one shallow panel that turns a ceiling into the light.

Questions

What is the design idea behind SNF?

To make the ceiling itself the fixture. Nine steel canopies form one 6-foot square, and 81 small luminous ring lights set in a grid turn it into an even, starfield-like plane of light.

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.

Which finish should I choose?

Matte Black creates a deep, dramatic plane where the points of light stand out most strongly. White blends into a white ceiling for a lighter, more architectural effect. Polished Chrome adds reflection and works in glamorous or hospitality settings.

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

29,500 lumens at 3000K with a 90 CRI, enough to light a large room on its own. The universal driver dims with TRIAC, ELV or 0-10V controls.

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.