Artifact Lighting
Artifact Lighting has been creating handcrafted, timeless lighting from its studio on the south coast. Inspired by classic designs and traditional craftsmanship, founder Greg Bailey shares how their unique approach adds atmosphere and character to homes.
What inspired you to start Artifact Lighting, and how did your background lead you to pursue lighting design?
Artifact was founded in 2011 by myself and Mark, two friends that met during our early years. We had a shared passion for interiors, antiques, and a desire to stay living by the sea in Bournemouth. Naturally, we started a business
trading antique lighting and increasingly started reworking the pieces to our own tastes. Luckily, people enjoyed our work and we were able to continue this journey.
It wasn’t too long before our work started to get recognised for flagship commercial projects such as Wework and deVol, which allowed us to continue building our workshop and experience. After 15 years of designing light, we feel as though we are fully expressing our own style, understanding the relationship between material, craft, and the connection with the space where it will be used.
How do you balance maintaining traditional craftsmanship while also innovating and keeping your designs fresh?
We are inspired by the relationship between craft, material and design. We use traditional craft techniques which enable us to have a direct connection with the materials and yields a natural, authentic aesthetic that can only be achieved through handcrafting. These sustainable processes and materials, together with our commitment to craftsmanship, allow a real, emotional connection to the space.
We concentrate on the entire making process as well as the spaces our lights inhabit, creating mindful lighting that bring minimalist, natural, and reflective elements to homes.
What are some of the key materials you use in your lighting, and how do they contribute to the quality and longevity of your products?
We work with many classic materials, featuring a versatile range of glass and metal collections, sourced locally from established artisans. Our current focus is with plaster, an ancient and sustainable material that requires little energy to cure. If properly crafted, the material becomes resilient and long lasting once set. We love working with plaster - it’s incredibly versatile and creates a raw and tactile nature, allowing its natural properties to reveal themselves on the surface.
Lastly, what does belonging mean to you?
For me, being by the sea is a way to be reminded of belonging. Visually, the ocean is a vast expanse of nature that has no commercial or man-made distractions. The dramatically changing scene and the close community that surrounds it helps me feel grounded and gives me a sense of belonging, which is one of the reasons Mark and I chose this area as the home of Artifact Lighting.
Website → artifact-lighting.com
Instagram → @artifactlighting
