Patricia Sheridan photos Full Moon lamps by Hangar Design Group were among the products introduced at the international furniture fair in Milan, Italy. Click photo for larger image. Photo Journal Light year in Milan

MILAN -- Salone Internazionale del Mobile in Milan, Italy, is always a beacon for cool design. But this year's furniture fair really hit the switch when it came to bright ideas in lighting.

While unveiling the most au courant contemporary furniture, the fair's focus alternates each year between kitchens and lighting. This year, the glow from Euroluce 2005 could be seen across the continent.

From heavy hitters such as Philippe Starck to newcomers who pulled no punches, it was once again the ultimate exhibit of what's hip for the home.

Disarming, if not exactly charming, is Starck's Gun Collection for Flos. The 18-karat gold-plated gun lamps in table and floor versions signal a safer reincarnation for WMDs. They are as much an artistic statement about the crimes and times in which we live as John Angelo Benson's "The Most Expensive Chair in the World to Die For," displayed in Salone Satellite, the exhibition hall for prototypes and other works by up-and-coming designers.

Benson's electric chair -- with diamond-studded leather arm and leg bands -- illustrated most clearly the idea of furniture as art, a theme that is more and more evident each year. The piece, created with collectors in mind, can be seen as satirical design as well as a commentary on cultural morbidity.

More pedestrian, the Punching Bag lamp from Progetto 25ZERO1, also a Satellite find, is a positive outlet for man's aggressive tendencies. One hit on, one hit off -- way more fun than the Clapper and a calorie-killer to boot.

If cheerful beats fearful in your home, you'll take a shine to Pianvio, colorful tulip-shaped floor lamps by Rossetti Light, and Full Moon hanging lamps by Hangar Design Group in luscious lemon, white and green plastic. These fixtures represent the fair's many environmentally inspired designs, a natural counterpoint to the more politically minded pieces.

Some Milan introductions successfully toe the line between tradition and modernity, like the Barovier & Toso Taif Italian Renaissance-style chandeliers in brilliant red, green and gold Venetian crystal and blown glass. Also done in black, orange and lime, they are a decorator's dream team.

Taking their cue from the kitchen were wall sconces and hanging light fixtures by Fabbian, which use everyday drinking glasses as shades. Going with a simple space-age look was the Muse chandelier by LUS, also known for its spaghetti string Fontana ceiling lamp.

For a thought-provoking look at light, check out Memento, a large, steel cylinder with cut-out numbers as the pattern. Its maker says it reveals "the ambiguity of human memory" -- or just shines cool numeric designs around the room.

Some designers managed to mesh furniture and light. Moroso's illuminated Ripple chair radiated waves of delight while Jean-Marie Massaud's Aspen sofa for Cassina reflected both streamlined comfort and a clean, white aesthetic.

Taking a playful approach as he blends science and art is Luis Pons of Aponwao Design Inc., an architecture and design firm based in Miami. His Metal Rain Chainball light relies on static electricity to keep a light bulb suspended amid chains. The best part is that the user can move the light up, down and around within the chains.

Almost as much fun is Pons' Mutables Pinhead Door, whose panels are filled with thousands of tiny movable pins that retain the impression of your face, hands, etc.

Finally, sailing in another direction is the Laguna bathtub by ID Connect Design Solutions. Made with modern yacht-building techniques, the natural wood, ergonomic tub is surprisingly sleek and sensuous, like the varnished hull of a ship.