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Peta Tomlinson

The right kind of illumination features can effortlessly merge style and function if chosen for their elegance and practicality.
Like many of his ilk, lighting designer Michael Anastassiades insists he doesn’t follow trends.
But many of us do, and when the Britain-based creator of his eponymous lighting brand was named Designer of the Year for the 2020 edition of the influential trade show Maison & Objet in Paris, the design world took notice.

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And for Anastassiades, who collaborates with Italian design hous Flos, his signature simple shapes and volumes – a sphere, a line, or a circle – will resonate with those seeking an unfussy minimalist interior.
Therein lies the universal appeal of this clean, uncluttered style. As Maison&Objet noted in awarding his accolade, “It takes a lot of effort to make something look simple.”
Anastassiades says he likes the familiarity of these forms. “A sphere is the ultimate primal form – you can’t get any simpler than that,” he says. “My idea of starting with something familiar is to introduce a point of conversation with the user.”
As simple geometry goes, a straight line (a unit of measure) can similarly be a starting point for dialogue, he says.
The simpler the design language, the more easily a piece can fit into any interior, Anastassiades continued. “If you remain quite discreet, you allow yourself endless possibilities to fit inside everyone’s home.”
His exhibition work ranges from super minimal to elaborately decorative, but the trick to making it work is in the simplicity of his forms and the purity of illumination. “All these factors together somehow make the lamps fit comfortably every time.” Anastassiades, who remains fascinated by the glow of all kinds of illumination, whether natural or artificial, likes to use metal, in particular brass, for the warmth it projects from reflected light.
At the same time, he “embraces the darkness”.
“A lot of people feel very uncomfortable in darkness, but darkness is there for a reason – to wind you down and prepare you for the time to rest. Trying to completely overthrow that by illuminating the space with a super bright light does the opposite of what nature is trying to say,” he says.
“I would propose [having] multiple light fixtures spread around your interior, switching them on as you move around the home, appreciating the warmth and quality of the glow.”

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A beautifully layered lighting scheme takes time to curate, he adds.
“Don’t try to do everything all at once – it’s important to familiarise yourself with something before you start adding. Take your time, introducing something new with the right quality of illumination.”
Another celebrated designer currently embracing the darkness is Tom Dixon, whose global hubs include a store in Central, Hong Kong.
“As the nights get longer and winter closes in, we’re forced to spend more time indoors, which can encourage a sense of gloom,” he says. “This is when we all must find ways to conquer our universal fear of the dark.”
Afraid of the Dark is the name of the designer’s latest collection, which he has curated to counter these feelings by providing “joyful, positive luminosity”. The campaign includes Dixon’s Melt series of hot-blown glass shades, evocative of molten embers and fire; Opal, an ethereal sphere that emits a soft and diffused light; and Spring, made of pliant ribbons of stainless steel that have been arranged like a whisk around a custom-made LED module.
As Alex Sheldon, of The Home Stylist explains, lighting not only adds ambience, warmth and drama, it can also be used to highlight special areas of a room. “Lighting is key to atmosphere and enhancing good design,” she says.
Achieving the perfect effect requires a layered scheme, that includes general lighting (overhead or wall-mounted); task lighting (think desk lamps and cabinet lighting in kitchens), and accent lighting, which Sheldon describes as “the fun lighting used to highlight an area of object, like art”.
She offers her top tips for styling your home lighting like a professional.

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“Make sure your chandelier or pendant light is on a dimmer,” Sheldon says. “Dimmer switches allow you to change the atmosphere in a room with ease and different chandeliers will look best with various levels of light.”
“Position floor or standard lamps carefully so that there is no glare and the light source cannot be seen from the seating area. You want to be able to use the light but not be distracted by it,” she says.
To avoid issues with eye strain and dark corners, always have a secondary source of light alongside your task lighting. This could be either natural light from windows, soft overhead lighting or a dimmer lamp elsewhere in the room.
Organic Modernism offers a range of lighting options. From pendant lights to floor lamps, the possibilities are endless.
From a feng shui perspective, notes Sheldon, light represents fire, one of the five elements that bring harmony and balance to every space, and has a profound effect on the home and the occupants in it.
“In Feng Shui philosophy, it’s important not to have any dark corners in a room. Lighting a piece of furniture from behind, with an uplight for instance, eliminates dark corners and will instantly make the area more inviting.”
HOW TO USE A TABLE LAMP TO THE BEST ADVANTAGE
Designer Clifton Leung, of Clifton Leung Design Workshop, shares his tips on tabletop lighting features.
Table lamps are a great way to decorate or create a zone in a room, but there are tricks to arranging them just right.
As Alex Sheldon explains, “One common mistake is using the wrong-sized lampshade in the wrong place,” she says.
The remedy? Turn the shade on its side and measure it against the lamp base. It should be the same height. The shape of the shade should also reflect the shape of the base unless the base is a column which can match any shape.
The material used to make the lampshade is also important. A fabric or slightly see-through shade will spread light softly out through the shade, while a solid shade will send the light up and down.
Placing different, complementary coloured lamps on either side of a sofa can help to frame a particular space in an open-plan room.
A beautiful table lamp can be the hero when styling a room with different accessories. “Try adding a couple of accent pieces next to a lamp to create a beautiful vignette,” says Sheldon, “while being mindful that less is more. Of course, when styling with home accessories, you must be careful not to clutter.”


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Home Essentials

LED there be light: brighten your home with these illuminating tips from lighting guru Michael Anastassiades – Designer of the Year 2020 at Maison & Objet in Paris

Organic Modernism’s Trilight lighting feature brings focus to the living space. Photo: Organic Modernism

Praying Mantis lamp from Organic Modernism. Photo: Organic Modernism

Tom Dixon

Who are the 5 Hong Kong jewellery designers dressing Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift and Michelle Obama, and working on Hollywood films like Tom Hanks’ The Da Vinci Code?

Lady Gaga wears pearl earrings by Anabela Chan; Michelle Obama shows off a Dickson Yewn ring. Photos: Invision/AP, AP Photo

(From left to right) Qeelin chief designer Dennis Chan, actress-artistic director Maggie Cheung Man-yuk working on a model for Qeelin's 2010 ad campaign in Beijing.  credit: SCMP Pictures (HANDOUT)

Handout Image shows Jade Chinese Lattice Ring by Dickson Yewn [13AUGUST2017 WOW  POST MAGAZINE]

Michelle Ong at her shop in Hong Kong

Qeelin's Double Wulu collection. Photo: Qeelin

handout

***ONE TIME USE ONLY, PLEASE CLEAR THE COPYRIGHTS BEFORE RE-USE - OTUO*** Wallace Chan. [23NOVEMBER2015 FEATURES LUXURY LEAD]

Mr Dennis Chan, Creative Director and co-founder of Qeelin Collection Lifestyle 23 Sept 2011

***ONE TIME USE ONLY, PLEASE CLEAR THE COPYRIGHTS BEFORE RE-USE - OTUO*** This handout image shows Anabela Chan talent section.    [10JANUARY2016 THE TALENT FEATURE POST MAGAZINE]

***ONE TIME USE ONLY, PLEASE CLEAR THE COPYRIGHTS BEFORE RE-USE - OTUO*** Necklace named "Now And Always". [23NOVEMBER2015 FEATURES LUXURY LEAD]

***PLEASE CLEAR THE COPYRIGHTS BEFORE REUSE*** This handout image shows Hong Kong jeweler Dickson Yewn. Photo: HANDOUT [2017 FEATURES FASHION OBAMA RING]

First lady Michelle Obama stands with President Barack Obama, not pictured, as they wait for the arrival of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip for a reciprocal dinner at Winfield House in London, Wednesday, May 25, 2011. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak) [2017 FEATURES FASHION OBAMA RING]

***ONE TIME USE ONLY, PLEASE CLEAR THE COPYRIGHTS BEFORE RE-USE - OTUO***  Wallace Chan's design jewellery.

Remembering Pierre Cardin, the pioneering fashion designer who started at Dior, dressed The Beatles and staged a fashion show in China just two years after the Cultural Revolution ended

France's Academy of Fine Arts has announced that Pierre Cardin, the French designer whose Space Age style was among the iconic looks of 20th century fashion, has died at 98. Photo: AP

(201229) -- BEIJING, Dec. 29, 2020 (Xinhua) -- File photo dated July 9, 2016 shows fashion designer Pierre Cardin (L) waving during a fashion show in Bonnieux, southern France. Pierre Cardin, the French fashion designer famous for his avant-garde style and pioneering business moves across the world, has died at the age of 98, French media reported on Tuesday. (Xinhua/Li Genxing)

FILE - In this Oct.6, 2008 file photo, a model wears a creation by French fashion designer Pierre Cardin during the presentation of his entire Spring-Summer 2009 and Autumn-Winter 2009 collections at his villa in Theoule sur Mer, southern France.Pierre Cardin, the French designer whose famous name embossed myriad consumer products after his iconic Space Age styles shot him into the fashion stratosphere in the 1960s, has died, the French Academy of Fine Arts said Tuesday. He was 98. (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau, File)

(FILES) In this file photo taken on June 03, 2016 French designer Pierre Cardin speaks during an interview at "La Fenice" theatre in Venice. French designer Pierre Cardin, who shook up the fashion world with his visionary creations but also turned his name into a money-spinning global brand, died on December 29, 2020 aged 98. (Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP)

FILE - In this Oct.30 1975 file photo, French designer Pierre Cardin poses in the dressing room at Hotel Pierre in New York. France's Academy of Fine Arts says famed fashion designer Pierre Cardin has died at 98 (AP Photo/Ray Stubblebine, File)

FILE - In this March 22, 2016 file photo, a model displays a creation by French fashion designer Pierre Cardin during Moscow Fashion Week, Russia. Pierre Cardin, the French designer whose famous name embossed myriad consumer products after his iconic Space Age styles shot him into the fashion stratosphere in the 1960s, has died, the French Academy of Fine Arts said Tuesday. He was 98. (AP Photo/Pavel Golovkin, File)

Special Reports

From pedestal lamps to pendant bulbs, there are several ways to change up and enhance your living space with lighting features, says Maison & Objet’s 2020 designer of the year, Michael Anastassiades


From pedestal lamps to pendant lights, there are several ways to illuminate your living space, says Maison & Objet’s 2020 designer of the year
