Sculpting Light: An In-Depth Interview with Ian Cameron of Cameron Design House
EXPERTS 15.10.24
Q: Can you share the core philosophy that drives Cameron Design House's aesthetic and innovation?
Cameron Design House is a sculptural lighting and furniture studio based in London with workshops in Hertfordshire where all of our pieces are handcrafted by artisans. We are dedicated to creating spectacular statement pieces that are made to last for many lifetimes. British craftsmanship is at the core of our studio’s ethos and our designs embrace organic themes of nature.
Q: Walk us through your creative process. How do you evolve from a concept to the final light installations?
I always start developing a design by sketching out several concepts. Once I’ve fallen in love with an idea, I move onto thinking about the materials and manufacturing techniques needed to bring it to life. Once the concept has progressed, we have a technical department where we implement multiple rounds of prototyping to develop the piece. Due to the bespoke nature of all of our pieces, there is a technical design process involved for every project no matter the size.
Q: Materiality plays a significant role in the expression of luxury. What are some unique materials you’ve incorporated into your designs?
When I founded the studio ten years ago I was predominantly working with metals and wood. We have since evolved our designs to feature glass. All of the materials that we work with are incredibly versatile and support our ethos in creating statement sculptural pieces. We are dedicated to creating pieces that look beautiful whether they are on or off, like pieces of art.
Q: Could you share insights into one of your most challenging collaborative projects and what made it successful?
We collaborated with Chris Beardshaw to design a piece for his show garden at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, which was an incredible and challenging project. The theme of the garden was circular economy, and sustainability was at the core of the design brief which is something that is really important to us. My business partner Simeon Chilvers is a trained landscape architect, and had always had Chelsea on his bucket list so it was a real dream collaboration for us.
Q: Which historical or contemporary figures have influenced your work the most, and how do you stay ahead of current trends in lighting design?
Cameron Design House’s designs always embody notes of nature and rather than specific people, I am inspired by everything around me. I have always been heavily influenced by my Finnish heritage - the Finnish landscape’s natural beauty is unrivalled and whenever I return from my Finnish homeland is when I feel most inspired.
Q: Of all the pieces you've created, do you have a personal favourite? Why does it stand out to you?
The Kuulas is definitely one of my favourite pieces due to its show-stopping nature and celebration of craftsmanship. Each glass pearl is hand blown by artisans to the required size and we have a beautiful curation of glass colours to choose from. We machine all of the metal components ourselves and once the glass has been handblown, our artisans assemble the piece in our Hertfordshire workshop. I love how this piece has so many custom elements - such as glass colour, metal finish and configuration - allowing us to create a truly unique piece for each project. We recently designed a 3 metre long Kuulas in this incredible wine colour for the centrepiece of a living room in Miami and then we designed a vibrant green.
Q: Could you share a recent innovation or technique developed in your Hertfordshire workshop that has significantly influenced your recent projects?
We love to explore working with a variety of different materials and a new piece that we are currently working on introduces the use of alabaster into the collection. Currently in the prototyping stage, I have been really intrigued by the way the light soares through the alabaster’s veins and shadings, adding a new dimension to the piece.
Q. How do you envision the legacy of Cameron Design House evolving over the next decade?
Last September, we launched our debut furniture collection called Kupoli - it has been a really exciting step for the studio branching our lighting collection into the world of furniture. It’s really important for us to continue innovating and pushing the boundaries of design, I have a sketchbook bursting with ideas and can’t wait to prototype these designs - lots of new pieces in our future for sure!
