Photos by Jeff Cords of Cords Photography
Interior designers often say that one significant change in décor can enliven or elevate an entire room. mnima llc’s new Exigen lamp is a perfect example. The table lamp, designed by mnima founder Steve Holzgraefe (who has a background in art, engineering, and technology) is an exquisite objet d’art as functional as it is beautiful—especially when illuminated in the evenings to cast a subtle light across a room or wall.
Holzgraefe has been designing bespoke lighting and artfully illuminated objects for more than a decade. The Exigen lamps, which are fabricated in the Twin Cities, have a solid aluminum base. Holzgraefe collaborated with Minneapolis leatherworker Dan Horan of Merchant Leather on the shade, which is comprised of Italian, vegetable-dyed leather straps.
The straps are available in 10 colors, and the off-the-shelf lamps cost $1,500. But Holzgraefe also hopes interior designers, architects, and homeowners will reach out to collaborate on custom-designed Exigen pieces.
“I designed the Exigen lighting series to function, also, as a platform for flexibility, customization, and collaboration,” he says. Customers can specify different fabrics or strap material, alter the size and thickness of the straps, or even make the structure taller or shorter. “No matter how it’s customized, the light will last a lifetime because of thoughtful design and superior construction,” Holzgraefe says.
Like all of mnima’s designs, the Exigen conveys a modernist aesthetic with a minimalist vibe. Holzgraefe calls them “lifetime objects” that “enhance spaces with a pop of color and wash of light.”
“The Exigen’s aesthetic,” he continues, “is for homeowners who appreciate the object’s form, material, and fabrication—whether or not the light is on. Exigen’s effect, though, is always better with illumination.”