As they helped clients curate the look of their homes, Emily Wilson and Jennifer Kalman always enjoyed getting to the stage of picking out lighting elements that cultivate a mood or add warmth to a space. But it was at that point where they'd hit some common roadblocks, such as what their client wanted being unavailable or items being overly expensive. The pair of designers were also drawn to using wooden features that were popular with clients, but they struggled to find ethically and sustainably made pieces.
Met with those challenges, the pair decided to address them all themselves. The architectural designers turned entrepreneurs made another career pivot to woodworkers as they launched A Light Studio in Victoria about a year ago. While bringing customizable light fixtures to customers has been at the forefront, the duo is also challenging the wasteful status quo within the lumber industry and the 'fast furniture' trends of today.
Kalman said they can make durable pieces from wood that was destined to be burned, shredded into sawdust or trashed altogether. “It’s really nice that we can find beauty and potential in something that is otherwise really disregarded," she said. In their small shop, mostly salvaged wood is hung up to be dried until it's ready to be hand-shaped into sconses, lamps and other light fixtures that are enduring in both quality and style.
They also started an 'off-cuts' collection where they take small wooden leftovers and turn them into candle hold.