Kerflights Wood Drum Pendant by Graypants, D6 and D9

The Kerflights Drum is a plywood shade cut with a fine kerf pattern, so a flat sheet of wood curves into a warm, softly lit cylinder. Designed by Graypants Studio, it comes in two sizes, the 22 in D6 and the 33 in D9, and in four wood finishes: Black Walnut, Blackened Ash, Light Ash and White Oak.

Three lamp sockets sit above an acrylic diffuser, so the light spreads evenly through the shade and throws a fine pattern onto the walls and tables around it. Every drum is made to order, so the one that arrives is made for your room.

The Design Story

Graypants describes Kerflights as a search for the line between the strength and the flexibility of wood. Cutting narrow slots, called a kerf, into plywood lets it bend into a curve without cracking, and it gives the shade a texture that feels natural but is made with technological precision.

Every lamp in the collection hangs from a powder-coated steel wire frame with its own shape, and the shade panels can be swapped and reversed, so a Kerflights lamp can change character over time. The series is built for many settings, from a home dining room to a hotel lobby, using traditional handcrafting methods.

Graypants began in Seattle, founded by architects Seth Grizzle and Jonathan Junker, and today works from studios in Seattle and Amsterdam. It is best known for sculptural lighting made from unexpected materials, and Kerflights is its answer to the question of what plywood can do when it is cut with intent.

How It Is Made

The shades are cut from FSC-certified plywood and made by hand. Graypants describes them as non-toxic and produced with responsible practices. The lamps are designed in Seattle, Washington and made in the United States.

The four finishes show off the grain differently. Light Ash and White Oak read pale and airy, while Blackened Ash and Black Walnut are deep and dramatic, and the kerf slots show up as fine lines of light in every one of them.

Why You Will Love It

A drum this size works as a single statement over a round dining table, a pair above a long kitchen island, or a row down a restaurant or lobby. The wood warms up a room full of hard surfaces, and the diffuser keeps the bulbs from showing through, so the glow stays calm instead of glaring.

It is also an easy fixture to live with. Cleaning takes only a dry duster or a little compressed air, and a plain, honest material like plywood ages gracefully rather than going out of style.

Made for Real Life

Choose the D6 when you want a presence of about 22 in across, for a table seating four to six, an entry, or a bedroom. Choose the D9 at 33 in across for a larger table, a stairwell, a living room or a commercial space. Both are 13 in tall, and the cord can be a standard 6.5 ft or a 16 ft run for high ceilings. Each drum takes three standard E26 bulbs, up to 15W LED each (not included), and 2700K warm white is recommended. It is rated for dry locations only.

Product Details

Handmade for You

Each Kerflights drum is made to order by hand, so it is built after you choose it. That care is why every order is final sale, and it is why our team is happy to help you choose between the D6 and D9, or between finishes, before you order. You are not picking a stock item off a shelf; you are having a piece made for your space.

Kerflights is a Graypants collection, and the studio lights hotels, restaurants and workplaces around the world. The drum brings that same professional quality into a home at a level of design that stays within reach, and it is built to last.

Not the Right Fit If

The Kerflights Drum is made to order, so it is not for a project that needs a fixture within days. It is for dry, indoor rooms only, and because it is real wood, grain and tone vary from one shade to the next.

Questions We Hear Most

Should I choose the D6 or the D9 drum?

The D6 is 22 in across and suits a table for four to six, an entry or a bedroom. The D9 is 33 in across and suits a larger table, a living room or a commercial space. Both are 13 in tall and use the same three-bulb arrangement.

How many bulbs does the drum use, and are they included?

Each drum has three E26 sockets and takes LED bulbs of up to 15W each. Bulbs are not included. Graypants recommends 2700K for a warm glow, and dimming depends on the bulbs and dimmer you pair with it.

How do the four wood finishes differ?

Light Ash and White Oak are the lighter pair, with an airy, natural look. Blackened Ash and Black Walnut are the deeper pair, for a more dramatic shade. Real wood varies, so grain and tone differ a little from piece to piece.

What is the kerf pattern, and what does it do?

A kerf is a narrow cut. Graypants cuts a pattern of them into FSC-certified plywood so the wood can curve, and the slots let light through as fine lines that cast a pattern on nearby walls and tables.

How long is the cord, and how high will it hang?

The standard cord is 6.5 ft and a 16 ft cord is available, in black or white. Keep at least 12 in (31 cm) between the lamp and the canopy, so you can set the drop to suit your ceiling and table.

How long will my Kerflights Drum take to arrive?

Kerflights drums are made to order, with a lead time of about 4 weeks.

What should I know before installing it?

Graypants advises having a licensed electrician handle any ceiling wiring, switching the power off and confirming with a voltmeter that the wire is dead, and checking for hidden cables before you drill. Keep the fixture out of direct sunlight.

Why We Love It

The Kerflights Drum proves that plywood can be a luxury material. A simple pattern of cuts turns it into a curved, glowing shade with real warmth, and the whole fixture feels handmade without feeling fussy.

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