Step inside the enchanting world of custom lighting.
The right illumination can create ambience, soften harsh edges, and imbue a sense of warmth. However, not all light sources are of the same quality. A custom chandelier, for instance, will always stand head-and-shoulders above the rest.
These meticulously made creations can range from minimalist to monumental, bringing scale, ambition, and elegance into the room. There are a select few brands that have spent years honing this craft, and whose bespoke work truly stands out – their attention to detail shines in every piece of cut glass or sculpted bronze.
Cox London
Cox London’s creative process is rooted in artistry. Its co-founders, Chris and Nicola Cox, first connected over their shared love of sculpture, before ultimately founding their eponymous studio in 2005. Over the years, the brand has become well-known for its grand chandeliers made of brass, iron, or bronze – and welded entirely by hand. Most designs mirror the natural world, like Magnolia Grandiflora, which is composed of iron leaves and illuminated cotton blooms.
As impressive as they are, each design has humble beginnings. “The fastest way to get an idea out in the open is from head to hand,” says Chris Cox. “If we don’t put pencil or charcoal on paper, ideas will remain ideas, unlikely to come to fruition.” This method served as a starting point for one of the brand’s recent creations: Mater Quercus, or “Mother Oak,” as it translates from Latin. For this project, Cox created full-scale charcoal drawings depicting meandering branches and clouds of foliage. It was a custom piece for interior designer Victoria Davar, who designated it for an area above a fireplace.
After the sketch is done, the artisans take over – Cox London employs over 65 in its studio. The process for Mater Quercus involved several months of intricate metalwork, and then threading the wires through to illuminate the piece. “It’s not unusual for 20 members of our team to touch a single chandelier,” he says.
Lasvit
The Bohemia region in the Czech Republic has a long history of glassmaking, a legacy that deeply informs artisan brands like Lasvit. Its bespoke installations are some of its most impressive and well-known works, adorning the lobby of the St. Regis Qingdao and the Langham Hotel in Jakarta.
Custom projects unfold via a carefully organized chain of communication. The brand employs 16 in-house designers – one is assigned to a project based on the brief. “When clients come to us, sometimes they have a vision for their space, sometimes they have none – it’s a range,” says Jana Růžičková, Lasvit’s head of design. For the indecisive, ready-made samples, sketches, and even mockups provide a sense of what the final piece will look like. Even after it’s all been approved, the in-house designer will work closely with the craftsmen; they may even accompany the chandelier when it’s being installed to make necessary adjustments.
What’s central to Lasvit is its continued innovation within the medium. One of the brand’s best-known creations is Herbarium: A technique that creates the imprint of a branch or herb within the glass. “We collect them from local nature, and pour the liquid hot glass over the leaf,” says Růžičková. “It burns down, leaving just the imprint.” The beauty of the process is that it’s endlessly customizable for clients – if there’s a botanical that you like, chances are Lasvit can render it in glass.
Herbarium was the product of an annual workshop in the Czech countryside, but designers are given days to freely create and think of new ways to reinvent glass as a medium. “During every bespoke process, we have to experiment,” says Růžičková. “I try to come up with new shapes, and new combinations of techniques to create something really unique.”
Saint Louis
To say Saint Louis has a long history is a bit of an understatement. The heritage brand dates back to 1586, making it the oldest crystal manufacturer in France. Over the years, the brand has accumulated a wealth of knowledge when it comes to manipulating glass and molding it into shapes both contemporary and classical.
This know-how is carefully passed down from master to apprentice via direct, hands-on mentorship. “It usually takes about 10 years for an artisan to start mastering the core of their crafts,” says Jérôme de Lavergnolle, the brand’s president and CEO. “They’ll keep learning and refining their techniques their whole life.” Many will work 30 to 40 years at the manufacturer; it’s not uncommon to see multigenerational families in different parts of the workshop.
Saint Louis is perhaps most well-known for the different colors that it can render in crystal, including sky blue, chartreuse, and amber. Piecing them together, along with the many components that the artisans can create, allows for thousands of different iterations. For example, the brand once constructed a chandelier that was almost 30 feet tall – it consisted of 220 lights, and weighed over 5,000 lbs. Larger projects like this one can take hundreds of hours to manufacture, with a dozen different craftsmen involved over the course of several months. The end result is well worth it: “They capture the light in unique ways,” says de Lavergnolle. “They’re as stunning during the day when turned off as they are at night when the lights are on.”
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