People are perennially drawn to the soulful light of a candle flame (it’s been used as far back as Ancient Egyptian times, after all). And Sebastian Hepting is no exception. Now based in his hometown of Munich by way of Italy, New York and a brief stint in Japan, the specialist lighting designer wanted to combine  less of a traditional lamp and more of a functional, directional light source. And so? The CandleLight collection was born.

Cleverly designed to create the effect of a classic candle holder hovering weightlessly above the surface, No bulbs are used but glass rods which act as fibre optic. Each iteration casts a soft, cosying spotlight onto dining tables, nightstands or glistening marble countertops. It combines a soft candlelit glow on top with an invisible spotlight that illuminates magically downwards from underneath with a gesture control function. 

 

Sebastian Hepting along with Kaia have integrated a sensor chip technology, which allows the downward light to be dimmed with a simple hand gesture control. Also, the brightness of the downlight can be adjusted with this technology.  The real wax candle can be replaced by a glass candle, with an electric light source, for safety among homes with young children. These glass candles have a satinated top and the light is transported to the top simulating the light of a real flame.

Sebastian has spent the past two decades honing his skills in design, from an apprenticeship at Fendi Casa in Forli, Italy, to assisting furniture designer Vladimir Kagan at his studio in New York and studying traditional Japanese craftsmanship under Osaka-based designer Toshiyuki Kita.

 

It wasn’t until 2004, when he returned to Munich and launched a collaboration with Ingo Maurer, an expert in lamps and light installations, that his own enthusiasm for lighting took over. Since then, Hepting has honed an experimental design approach that earned him the New York City Design Award in 2021.

Inspired by Inner Glow, a sculptural lighting piece created by Sophie Dries, the GLOW collection was likewise born from a desire to mimic the harmonious coexistence of organic and geometric forms. Using previous KAIA collections as inspiration, the Parisian-born architect and designer began by “looking at nature through the lens of brass and glass.” Knowing that she wanted to converge two seemingly opposing materials, she looked at the use of leather before meeting historical and organic papier-mache producer PaperFactor.

Chandelier GLOW 3 IN LINE

Custom-made by master glassblowers based in Bohemia, waxed glass forms delicate orb-shaped pendants held in line to form the GLOW 3 In Line chandelier. Each glass shade is artistically covered in layers of textural papier-mache, creating a raw, organic form that appears to be ‘growing’ and moving of its own accord. Suspended from aged, hand-crafted brass, the lamps showcase technical precision and material delicacy side by side.

GLOW 3 IN LINE detail

It was a year spent studying at Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland that inspired Parisian-born Sophie Dries to forge a career that revolved around furniture. “Scandinavian design is more focused on making than French design, where the schools are centered on theory and the abstract. I got very much into making,” she said, and the influences are clear in her experimental yet sustainability-focused approach to interiors.

Read Sophie Dries Interview here

Now based between Milan and the French capital, the designer has collaborated with several luxury interior design and architecture offices in Paris since establishing her own studio in 2014, as well as designing stores, offices and private residences in France, Istanbul, and the Alps. In the past two years alone, she has been named one of Phaidon’s 100 World’s Best Interior Designers, been selected for the 2022 AD100 list, and won the Coup de Cœur at the AD & Land Rover Awards. 

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Decorex will be taking place at Olympia London between 9-12 October, and we’ll be welcoming both new and existing customers to stand E142 to browse our newest collections. Click here to register, or contact us directly ahead of the event for more information. We look forward to seeing you there!