A quiet presence It was already a success. Launched in 1937, the L-1 task light was already established as the proverbial cool task light and a must-have item on the desk of any ambitious designer, architect, artist or writer. It even came with a special wall mounting bracket for those whose illuminative needs transgressed the horizontal plane. But… There’s always a but, especially in creative circles. Sure, mounting the L-1 task light on the wall was great in an office, a studio or a showroom with ample space, but in a private home? In a hospital? In a church? Wasn’t it a bit … loud? ​ ​ Without having thought about luminaires in terms of decibels before, the Luxo designers got the point and soon introduced the L-1 Wall. And yes, there was controversy. Critical voices denounced the new L-1 Wall for its apparently flawed genealogy, what with its preposterously tiny arm and small dome. However, the critical voices soon subsided as the L-1 Wall luminaire proved itself as being nothing if not a true L-1: smart, functional and friendly, perfectly suited for its purpose and with the quiet elegance that can only come from good craftmanship. In other words: an excellent example of how great ideas don’t fade, but just shine brighter.