"
.. it belongs in better places. As the base of a lampshade, for one.
Nayla and Georgy Moussa, a mother-and-son duo, turn all sorts of liquor bottles into beautiful lamps. They start off by selecting unique bottles - most times vintage and rare - and incorporate a complementary shade to create a lamp.
So, that bottle you just chugged? Don't throw it out just yet.
I'm somewhat ashamed that I just came across these lamps now. Better late than never, I suppose, but the Moussas have been making these lamps for over three years now. I'm big on liquor bottles because I see the level of thought that has been put in their branding, the packaging, and the glass selection. Certain bottles are actually beautiful (as I say this, I have the glorious Jäger bottle in mind).
I like to use bottles as candleholders for dim lighting. If the faintest spark of candelight brings the bottles' unique qualities to light, imagine what a whole lighting system can do. Nayla and Georgy are fully aware of all this, and use it to their advantage while designing their lamps.
I spoke to Nayla Moussa about all things Dadana.
B: When did you begin designing the lampshades?
Nayla Moussa: Dadana actually started as a hobby between my son Georgy and I in 2011. Georgy has autism and loves anything that requires him to work with his hands. One day, just for fun, I gave him a Perrier bottle and asked him to make a lamp out of it. He spent hours tirelessly trying to figure out how to add the wires and the lighting, and in the end he finally managed to make it into a working lamp.
To complete it, I made a lampshade to match, and that was our first ever Dadana lamp. We had a lot of fun doing this and started collecting bottles and making more lamps. Of course, in the beginning, the lamps were not as professionally done as they are now. When we did finally start to get the hang of things we decided to exhibit our work at fairs and exhibitions, where we got tons of media attention and invites to more events.
It all took off from there and we've been growing and improving ever since. Now, I consider the lamps to be art more than anything. The bottles are so unique, you really can't find anything like them anywhere else.
B: What is the one bottle you can’t wait until you get your hands on?
NM: I am moving a lot more towards making lamps from high-end, rare, and limited edition bottles as they are the more interesting ones. I consider what I do art, and special bottles that are works of art in themselves will only add to the quality of my son and I's work.
The one bottle I am currently keeping an eye out for is the Remy Martin Louis XIII Cognac; the bottle of this legendary cognac is actually an exquisite Baccaret decanter, and I can't wait to make a Dadana lamp out of it!
B: How does the custom order process work?
NM: The great thing about Dadana's lamps is that they could be made to suit anyone's personal style and taste. For example, if your friend has a love for whiskey, you can come to us, order a lamp made from a whiskey bottle, tell us a little more about your friend's taste, and we'll create the lamp from there. We'll choose different designs for the lampshade, send it to you, and you'll tell us which one you like most.
Sometimes, we do custom orders by taking bottles from people who want to make lamps out of them. However, we only do this if those bottles are extremely rare, limited edition, or have some sort of special meaning to the owner. For example, we once had a woman ask us to make a lamp from an incredibly rare wine bottle which was opened on her wedding night. The lamp turned out beautiful!
B: Where do you acquire the images used for the lampshades?
NM: A lot of time goes into making each and every Dadana lamp, and one of the biggest reasons for that is the lampshade design process. I do hours of research on every bottle to understand what they are all about, the stories behind them, the significance behind their names, by whom, where and why they were created, etc. With that information, I look for the perfect images to tell the story of each particular bottle. That is something which really adds to the uniqueness of Dadana. For some bottles I sometimes use images of popular advertisements or campaigns to create a more modern, edgier lamp which appeals to the younger crowd.
B: Where can the lamps be purchased?
NM: The best way to purchase a Dadana lamp would be by coming to our showroom and seeing our collection (which you could do by calling me on 03971865). In this way, we could understand what exactly it is that you're looking for and guide you from there.
We also often exhibit at fairs and exhibitions. For example, we'll be at Beirut Designers' Week at Zaitunay Bay from May 8-11, where our new collection will be available.
We have several of our lamps available at different boutiques which house fashion and art by Lebanese talent: Le Loft 271, Linen Loft Achrafieh, L'Anarchite in Rabieh, and Exode Achrafieh.
Contact Nayla Moussa at 03971865 for orders.
Les Lumières De Dadana is on Facebook, and with such a wide cellar of lamps, the page radiates to say the least (do pardon the puns).
All images on Bananapook are copyrighted material and all rights are reserved to the respective artists.
