Custom Lighting: What You Need to Know

Got an idea for a show-stopping feature light but can’t find what you’re looking for in our regular collection? Or looking for a solution to a particularly tricky lighting situation? About Space specialise in the design and manufacture of custom lighting pieces, so whether you’re after something spectacular for the home, or you’re sourcing a large order for a commercial project, we can help. We work with homeowners, interior designers, and architects, as well as on commercial projects across all industries to help bring ideas to life. Find out how it works below.

The briefing process

You might have made a rough sketch on a piece of paper, or you’ve got a concept, but you're not really sure how to translate it into the final piece. Or perhaps you’ve got a specific lighting problem you need help solving. Whatever the case, we start by discussing the purpose of your lighting, and the story behind your vision. It’s here that we try to extract as much information about the project as possible, including project timelines and key dates we need to work to.

From there, our in house industrial designer will take your drawing or idea, review the concept to make sure it’s practical (and possible), and draw or redraw the design to industry standards. Our designers look at everything from the design and dimensions, to materials and fixture colours, as well as specific lighting measures such as kelvin, CRI, and beam angles.

We’ll share these new drawings with you to make sure it aligns with your vision. If you’re placing a large order, we’ll manufacture a sample for your approval, before starting work on the order. For smaller orders, you’ll simply need to sign off on the drawing before we start production. Once signed off, our team of lighting designers and manufacturers get to work!

Our collaborative approach

We want you to be as involved as possible in the process. It’s your concept after all. Depending on your location, we offer in-store or on-site consults. Otherwise, we also work via phone, email, or video call. As it’s your vision we’re bringing to life, we’ll consult you after every drawing or redesign. This is your opportunity to provide your feedback and input before we move forward.

Design and manufacturing considerations

When designing and manufacturing a custom piece, the engineering of the light is one of the most important aspects. For example, if the wall bracket is facing the wrong way, or the screws are located in the wrong place, the light won’t stay upright. Weight is also an important consideration - too heavy and it might fall off!

Our industrial designers consider both aesthetic and functional aspects of the light, as well as selecting the materials and overseeing production to make sure the final product is structurally sound.

The technologies we use

Our designers often use hand-drawings to visualise their designs. If Mark, our founder and lead designer, has an idea, he’ll quickly sketch it down on a piece of paper because it’s the fastest way to get an idea from his head onto paper. Customers also often come to us with their own sketches of inspiration photos. We’ll then use different programs to create line drawings from their original idea. If the project is approved for production on a larger scale, we’ll also use 3D modelling to build a prototype.

The technology we use to convey ideas and collaborate both internally and with our customers varies based on the requirements and scale of the project, but we work with all technologies, from hand drawings, to renders, 3D models and everything in between!

Where our custom lights are manufactured

About Space specialises in Australian-made lighting, and many of our most popular pieces are assembled at our head office in Fitzroy, including our 2BY collection and custom profiles. We also work with manufacturers in other parts of Australia, as well as China, and Europe, where we have excellent relationships with our partner-manufacturers.

The materials we work with

We can work with almost any material. Our main goal is to find a lighting solution that meets your needs, so as long as the material is practical for the purpose, we can use it. Predominantly, we work with steel, aluminium, timber and glass.

The cost of custom lighting

The investment required for a custom piece varies based on the type of product, the materials used and the quantity of lights you order. For large orders, we can leverage economies of scale, so the unit cost of an individual light will decrease as the number of lights you order goes up.

Turnaround times

Depending on the materials and production process, manufacturing can take anywhere between 3 to 13 week.

Installation

As each city will have a different electrician that’s suitable for the installation work, we don’t work with any specific companies or electricians. However, we provide installation instructions for all our lighting.