Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 33
Occupation: Partner at Anony.
Instagram: @anonystudio
Hometown: Toronto.
Studio location: Toronto.
Describe what you make: We design lights that we hope will shed light on the things we believe in.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: Anony. A system that allows us to exist, create, and practice our ideals.
Describe the problem your work solves: Longevity. One of the downsides to fast design is waste. Our products use modular design, replaceable parts, and quality materials to ensure they last.
Describe the project you are working on now: We’re working on a coffee shop in Toronto called Milky’s that the founder describes as being a place that makes people happy. Toronto has very long and very short days. Being open all day, they needed a lighting solution that would make the space look natural throughout the year. We used circadian lighting that mimics the sun. We also customized our Highwire Pendants. The aluminum bodies of two were anodized to fit the shop’s color palette. We handmade oak joiners to shape the wires.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: Row, which launches in Jan. 2020. Our Row lighting collection, a collaboration with EQ3, features matte black frames with acid-etched glass lamp heads. The soft LED light can be directed wherever you like. Or rotate the puck to simply sculpt a shape. The collection has many models, all with a small footprint, making the form repeatable in any sized space.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: Inspiration, tea, distractions, music, spontaneous events.
What you do when you’re not working: Listening to podcasts on bike rides to and from work, but only paying attention when I get a red light. When it rains, I like to ride the streetcar and read. When it’s sunny, I like to read in the park. When it gets dark, I like watching films. When I get hungry, I like to cook a meal using the constraints of my fridge’s contents.
Sources of creative envy: Dieter Rams. He created his own philosophy of design, then a process to achieve it, and proof in the form of dozens of beautiful, well-designed objects.
The distraction you want to eliminate: The idea of understanding something. The moment I feel I know what I’m looking at, I stop looking at new ways to look at it.
Concrete or marble? Concrete.
High-rise or townhouse? High-rise.
Remember or forget? Remember.
Aliens or ghosts? Aliens.
Dark or light? Get a dimmer.
