Let’s start from the beginning! Tell us a little about the journey that led you to where you are now.

I studied furniture design at Buckinghamshire Chilterns University. It was a truly incredible place, and the entire campus was designed to honor the historic furniture making heritage of the area. The university offered glassblowing, ceramics, upholstery, and metalwork programs. It even had its own saw mill! I graduated with a broad knowledge of quality materials and timeless craftmanship. I was then lucky enough to be recruited by a small decorative lighting design company in London. In this role, I spent three years designing and managing bespoke projects for some of the United Kingdom’s top interior designers. Unfortunately around this time, the recession hit, and I found myself without work. However, that period of time inspired me to create my own lampshade company in partnership with a well-established factory I really admired. This is where I learned so much more about fabrics and the generations-old techniques used to craft traditional shades. After 7 years I was ready to leave London, where I then started what’s now known as Fosbery Studio. Thanks to my background, I felt comfortable incorporating both traditional and modern manufacturing methods to create one-of-a-kind lighting fixtures. Fast forward eight years and we’re still making all of our lighting fixtures and accessories by hand from our little workshop on the South Coast of England.

Using modern manufacturing techniques to create beautiful, contemporary lighting fixtures is the heartbeat of Fosbery Studio. Your team utilizes traditional artisanal techniques while incorporating timeless materials like brass and natural fabrics. How has the intersection of these various facets shaped the product assortment and brand identity?

We have carefully selected a range of materials from which all of our designs stem. Each material is available in a simple assortment of finishes; pale, neutral, and dark. For example, our wooden materials are available in these three finishes: pale (a bleached sycamore), neutral (an aged teak stain), and dark (a scorched ash). Everything we design honors the material it’s crafted from. This means that we don’t force a material to become something it doesn’t organically lend itself to. Instead, we embrace those naturally occurring qualities and simply shape the material to take on new forms. This philosophy is what makes the designs both harmonious and timeless.

What inspires you? What factors have played roles in the development of your artistic style?

Materials and tools inspire me! I love observing how objects are made and I appreciate how the details of manufacturing can enhance the final product. I align with the idea that form follows function, as taught by the Bauhaus Movement. It is similar to how nature designs! Nothing superfluous is featured on the leaf of a plant. Instead, every detail of the plant is perfectly efficient. Yet within such calculated biology, we see thousands of unique designs that are totally different from one another. Their differences are specifically engineered in alignment with unique functions, and this is where the beauty lies. I really respect this approach to design. It is less about forcing an idea into existence and more about discovering the design that is always there. You just have to take the time to ask the right questions!

Fosbery Studio is committed to environmentally responsible design, utilizing locally-sourced, natural materials and prioritizing durability and waste reduction throughout the design and production processes. What can you share about the social impact of your business model on both people and the planet?

I try to be sustainable throughout the design and production processes. It can be quite difficult! We aim to craft our products out of materials that minimze waste. We often design with materials that are infinitely recyclable, such as brass, aluminium, and glass. This means that if we start with 1 pound of brass and melt it down, we still have 1 pound of brass. The process repeats itself over and over again. Our lights are designed to be easily repaired, or stripped and recycled at the end of their life. Other materials, such as wood, are fully sustainable when managed correctly. When disposed of, they break down into the soil to become a part of the earth again. We operate on a made-to-order basis, so we don’t have large stocks of parts that will be thrown away if a product is removed from sale. We save all off-cuts of cable and recycle them locally.

The studio also employs people from the local community. A lot of talent moves away to work in London, so we are keen to offer opportunities to people so that they can remain in their hometown while still working creative and interesting jobs. Everyone that works in the studio arrives by bicycle, and we commute to our client meetings via train. Our energy provider only uses renewable energy sources. All of our designs can use LED bulbs that are easy to replace and therefore extend the life of the fixture. Lastly, our packaging is 100% paper. We chose to use just a single material to reduce waste once the package is disposed of post-delivery. Paper was the obvious choice as it is easily recyclable and made from 70% recycled material. If recycling is not available, it can be composted in the garden.

Tell us what a typical day-in-the-life looks like for you.

I wake up and enjoy a full breakfast of fruit, granola, and yogurt. In the summer I will have plums, strawberries, gooseberries, and figs from the garden. In the winter, I enjoy fresh apples, raspberries, and blackberries. Breakfast is my favorite meal and I take my time enjoying it with a strong black coffee. I then head out to the shed in the back garden to fetch my bicycle, push it around the cottage to the front driveway and then ride along the promenade with the sea and the cliff below. It’s just a 15 minute ride to get to the studio and the scenery is so beautiful.

Once I arrive at the studio, I meet with Katrin who is our studio manager. We catch up on the week’s work and plan out our next projects. I then sit at the desk and answer some emails, create quotes, and check over the production sheet. Once caught up, I will put on some overalls to go to the basement and check on the stock of components or work on some orders. My work is varied — Sometimes I will be brazing brass components together, while other days I’m cutting and staining wood. We also have wall bespoke designs that need assembling and testing, which I oversee.

Lunch is usually at my desk. I make a sandwich or eat some of the previous evening’s meal. Although in the summer, it is hard to ignore the call to walk to the beach and eat chips! Lunchtime is usually when I check social media and plan our posts. I am a keen photographer, so 90% of the studio images are created by me and edited during my lunch breaks.

In the afternoon I will usually work on new design prototypes, either making basic models in the studio to check scale, or creating them on the computer in 3D to finetune the details. The afternoon often flies by and I find myself working later than expected. In the evening, I ride my bicycle back along the cliff to get home. Or if I have been proactive with my social calendar, I will meet some friends in a bar or host a game night. We love games, so we have a very large collection! But if not, I will pop into the green house and take some time tending to the garden before making a cup of evening tea.

How do you seek to incorporate balance in your life?

I recently had an epiphany when I was on vacation earlier this year. As usual, I had my laptop with me and found myself sending emails and checking in on production throughout my time away. In the past, I would have told myself that I shouldn’t be working because I was on holiday and that this was unhealthy. But what I have come to realise is working up to a specific day to then effectively ignore clients and suppliers is more stressful than just continuing to manage these tasks. But I can still manage these tasks away from the office on a day trip or with holiday activities mixed into my life. I have come to realise that I can take more vacations! Whether long or short, my breaks don’t need to affect the studio. I collectively still get more time to relax and have those special experiences. It really does seem to work.

What advice would you offer to other artists looking to grow their business?

This is tough, as I am still trying to work this out myself! What I have learned so far is that it is important to get to know how your customers engage and then use social media to ensure they’re exposed to your work. Efficiency is key to growth, and any marketing should bring in more than it costs. I would say that your return should be at least 5x. Calculate what impact the advert should be having on your sales and if it doesn’t work, don’t do it again. The last piece of advice is to ignore your competitors! It is so easy to be influenced by what others are doing. But if you follow closely behind a competitor, it’s more difficult to stand out. And if they trip, so will you.

What’s next for Fosbery Studio? How do you hope to see the impact of your work take form?

We are launching our new website early 2025, which will showcase our products in more detail. We are also working with local ceramic artists to create a range of lights with a more sculptural aesthetic. 2024 has seen our lights used in several high-end restaurants and hotel projects, but we’re now looking forward to seeing our work featured in more American projects. It is a very exciting time for us! Thanks to the recent support from Shoppe Amber Interiors, we are at the beginning of making a positive impact on the decorative lighting design scene.

Favorite place to visit to spark inspiration?

Factories! I love looking through the scrap bins. Sometimes all you need to do is play with materials to discover those interesting ideas.

Patterns or solids?

Patterns! I love geometric and organic designs.

Colors or neutrals?

Surprisingly, given the style of our designs, I actually prefer color! Although, I think color is a very personal thing. I like bright colors, but that’s where paint and fabric can balance out the more neutral designs.

Favorite space in your home?

My kitchen or garden! But when it is dry and sunny, it is always the garden.

Best Fosbery Studio product to give as a gift?

The Rye Table Lamp is small and can be plugged in, so it is the easiest for someone to use in their home. The shade is removable and can be washed, so kitchen shelves are a great place for them.