Moooi vs Foscarini vs Research.Lighting: Three Ways to Light a Modern Room
Modern lighting isn’t one thing. Sometimes it’s bold and theatrical. Sometimes it’s poetic and refined. And sometimes it’s minimal with just enough charm. Moooi, Foscarini, and Research.Lighting each carve their own lane, but together they show how wide “modern” can stretch.
Moooi
Moooi is the maximalist of the group. Playful, experimental, and always ready to surprise. Their fixtures arrive as sculptures first, lamps second: chandeliers dripping with blossoms, pendants shaped like clouds, table lamps that seem lifted from a dream. They are conversation pieces designed to anchor a hotel lobby or spark delight in a dining room. If lighting should tell a story out loud, Moooi is the voice.
Foscarini
Foscarini takes a more refined approach. An Italian house known for balancing engineering with emotion, Foscarini often feels architectural yet soft at the same time. Glass, fabric, resin - they experiment with materials that glow from within without demanding attention. Their lights carry a sculptural presence suited to galleries, restaurants, or homes where sophistication and warmth belong in the same sentence.
Tier 3 Chandelier in Black with 3in Glass Globes
Research.Lighting
Our work lands in a different place. Based in Brooklyn, we design pared-back fixtures with character: pendant lights that float, wall sconces with a subtle offset, flush mounts that frame a ceiling with ease. Built from steel, brass, and glass, every piece is assembled in-house and made to order. We focus on proportion, rhythm, and a glow that feels considered. Fixtures that hold their ground without excess. Modern, simple, and meant to last. We also, on occasion, make custom light fixtures.
Where They Differ
Moooi thrives on scale and drama. Foscarini leans into material elegance and technical precision. Research.Lighting finds its rhythm in minimal sculpture with a hint of play. Different voices, different moods. None better, just different.
When They Come Together
The real strength shows when they overlap. A Moooi chandelier could anchor a dining table, a Foscarini floor lamp could soften the living room, and Research.Lighting sconces could add balance in the hallway. One brand brings drama, another poetry, another everyday ease. Together they create layers, like a playlist where each track sets its own mood but the mix still works.
Ba Da Boom
Moooi vs Foscarini vs Research.Lighting isn’t about choosing sides. It is about knowing what kind of energy you want a room to carry. Bold, refined, pared-back, or a mix of all three. The best modern spaces are never one-note. They are composed. Sometimes the right light is a chorus.
Check out our list of the Top Designer Lighting Brands Shaping Modern Interiors or read about how Research.Lighting compares to Flos vs Artemide or Louis Poulsen vs Artek.
