Nader Gammas Reimagines the Candelabra With a Playful Twist

Once reserved for formal dinners and dimly lit mantels, the classic candelabra just got a colorful glow-up. Dubai-based lighting designer Nader Gammas brings the silhouette into the modern era with Woaw, a new collection that trades tradition for toy-like shapes, bold color blocking, and loads of personality. Debuting under his more accessible label Mr. John’s Goods at the Shelter Design Fair, Woaw adds a sense of whimsy to the familiar form – without sacrificing function. The collection is part of Gammas’ broader Mr. John’s Goods umbrella, a commercially-driven line designed to offer a more approachable alternative to his bespoke, sculptural work.

Shelter is a new design fair that launched this month during NYCxDesign. Held at the iconic Starrett-Lehigh Building, the three-day event from Afternoon Light is part immersive showcase, part shopping spree, and entirely focused on reimagining what a design fair can be. Among more than 100 buzzy brands and boundary-pushing studios, Woaw made a debut that’s bright, bold, and hard to miss.

Two modern table lamps by Nader Gammas, featuring curved stems and multiple dome-shaped bulbs, are displayed on white pedestals against a plain white wall.

A green lamp and a matching green floor lamp by Nader Gammas, each with multiple white bulb covers, are displayed on white pedestals against a plain wall.

The playful collection includes ten distinctive lighting variations: Single Table, Single Single Table, Double Single Table, Double Table, Double Tilt Table, Single Floor, Single Single Floor, Double Single Floor, Triple Floor, and Double Tilt Floor. Each piece combines a steel body with ceramic shades, offered in a playful palette of yellow, pink, red, blue, purple, and green. “Woaw brings a sense of lightness and wonder to everyday objects,” says Gammas. “It’s designed to be lived with – simple, expressive, and unpretentious.” Designed for flexibility and international compatibility, the lamps are CE and ETL certified and come equipped with a universal 3-region plug for use in the US, UK, and EU.

Colorful modern lamps by Nader Gammas feature rounded white shades and vibrant yellow, green, and blue bases, displayed against a plain, light-colored background.

Two modern, blue lamps with multiple branches and dome-shaped bulbs, designed by Nader Gammas—one perched on a white pedestal, the other standing on the floor—are set against a plain wall.

A modern lamp with a blue, Y-shaped base and two white, dome-shaped light shades set against a plain background, inspired by Nader Gammas’ contemporary design sensibility.

A modern table lamp by Nader Gammas, featuring a blue, branch-like structure, two white dome lights, and a round blue base with a green accent, elegantly displayed on a white surface.

Two modern lamps by Nader Gammas, featuring yellow stems and multiple small white dome-shaped shades, are displayed on separate white pedestals against a plain wall.

A modern lamp by Nader Gammas features a pink base and yellow arms, each holding small dome-shaped white lights, elegantly displayed on a white pedestal against a light background.

Two modern Nader Gammas lamps with colorful bases and three bulb-like lights each are displayed; one table lamp is on a pedestal, while the striking floor lamp stands elegantly on the ground.

If you were the kind of kid who loved stacking blocks, mixing colors, or building entire worlds from imagination, Woaw might just be your grownup design dream come true. With sculptural silhouettes and a joyful palette, Gammas proves that lighting can be as playful as it is practical.

A display of colorful lamps in blue, yellow, green, and red—curated by Nader Gammas—are arranged on white pedestals in front of a wall with text reading "MR. JOHN'S GOODS" and "WOAW LAMP.