Peter Bristol

The lighting industry is experiencing a revolution and an evolution. Emerging technologies and new industrial materials are reinventing how the light source can become an integral part of the lighting design. LED technology is rapidly evolving, which has created a fundamental shift in the way we think about illumination. We’re inspired to offer the most current advancements in order to make new lighting experiences both beautiful and accessible.

Our partners are embracing this evolution and offering us an ever-widening collection of ideas and innovations.

Peter Bristol sees a future that is supporting more imaginative and technologically advanced lighting than ever before. From the pared down beauty of the Orbit Pendant to the bold geometric forms of his Interlace Chandelier, Bristol’s designs are straight forward in their appearance with a meticulous attention to craftsmanship and technology.

We caught up with Bristol to discuss what lighting is to him and discover his insight on how the evolution of technologies are shaping the future of lighting design.

VC:

What is lighting to you?

PB:

Lighting can add texture to a space or can act as a centerpiece, from functional to sculptural, light can and does take on many roles in an environment. It is neat to me that lighting designers can approach it from so many angles, and yet it is ultimately up to the architects and interior designers to truly bring light to life.

Bristol sketching lighting ideas.

VC:

Do you remember what your first design was?

PB:

I don’t think so. I did a lot of art projects growing up and my ideas were almost always naturally design projects of some sort. As far as things that have been produced, I feel like it is almost more of a gradient than a defined start. I worked on projects like etched glass window art, map illustrations, and furniture drafting during college, so it doesn’t feel like there is a “first.”

VC:

What part of the product development process do you enjoy the most?

PB:

Honestly, whatever part I am working on is my favorite. I enjoy all parts of the design process and appreciate the variety of tasks my projects bring in my line of work.

Bristol inspecting functionality of Orbit Pendant prototype.

VC:

What styles do you see shaping the future of lighting design?

PB:

Broader trends and trajectories seem to inform each other rather naturally. While it’s not something that I can predict, digitization and connectivity have revolutionized lighting design. In combination with LED technology, connected lighting is taking light beyond illumination. The rapidly evolving consumer electronics world is delivering a limitless toolkit for creativity. From more expressive to more functional, lighting solutions are becoming personalized with control applications and easy to integrate sensors.

The availability of information has also become a powerful component in this shift. The internet, in all its forms, allows people to find and appreciate design in new ways. Optimistically, I hope this provides for more than the most current trends to drive design. By being more aware of things past and present, we should be able to continue to move the state of the lighting forward.