The 'Light' Effect

From the time light was discovered by Thomas Alva Edison, ever changing lighting designs and trends have taken the world by storm. A chat with three well-known designers who throw some ‘light’ on their take on lighting.

- Benoy Sebastian

How did the concept of design happen to you?

Design does not just happen. It is an everyday practice. If you are passionate, everything is linked and any experience or encounter can inspire you. When I design a new collection, it is often the culmination of a lot of thought that has gone in multiple directions over time. My designs often have their roots in history, but are completely new.

Share your experience?

I have changed a lot in my practice and in the way I see the place that my work should take. In my first chandeliers, I was trying to imagine my work in a set up, a decor, as a part of a room. I wanted it to go with the decor trends. Today, I do not design for an interior or for a theme - I start from the material I work with and my work is more a reflection of where I am at on this discovery path.

Your mediums?

My mediums of predilections are natural stones, of course rock crystal, amethyst and alabaster, but also citrines, jade and ruby. We are also very good at hand chiseling and burnishing, that makes all the difference in very tiny details that sometimes only we – and a few connoisseurs – actually notice.

The challenges in executing a design?

Executing the design is as exciting for me as designing them. I am like a child in the workshop when we work on prototypes. I have a team of magicians with me that is now used to my crazy ideas and is always up to a challenge when I come with something that is supposedly impossible.

How did the concept of design happen to you...