‘Lighting Is as Important as the Architecture,’ Says Designer Nicci Kavals

One of the leading luminaries in the world of lighting design, Nicci Kavals actually started her career as a chef, relocating to cook at a restaurant on the Greek island of Naxos, before she moved to Paris to work as a food stylist for the magazine Votre Beauté.

“My experiences as a food stylist taught me the process of reduction and simplification,” she says. “What remains—whether on the plate or more broadly in design—needs to have purpose and relevance, even if its significance is hard to articulate.”

Kavals eventually returned to her native Australia, working as Melbourne editor at Vogue Entertaining + Travel magazine, and then as a homewares and hard goods product designer for the lifestyle brand Country Road, before she ultimately established Articolo Architectural Lighting in Melbourne just over a decade ago.

“I felt there was a gap in the market for superbly designed artisanal lighting that was unique, sculptural, detailed yet timeless,” she says.

Now, with showrooms in Melbourne and New York City, Articolo has designed artisanal lighting for Nobu Restaurants, the Museum of Applied Arts in Budapest, the Tiffany & Co. flagship store on Fifth Avenue, and residential clients including Robert Downey Jr.

The company relies on artisanal workmanship, Kavals says. “Each of our pieces embodies their expertise.”

Articolo has steadily expanded its global presence, having made its European debut at Salone del Mobile Milan in 2019. The company reached a pair of milestones last year, as Kavals unveiled a new identity and rebranded the company as Articolo Studios—reflecting its evolution into a luxury lifestyle brand—while opening its North American flagship showroom in an elegant, gallery-like space with soaring ceilings across from New York’s Madison Square Park.

Articolo Studios’ New York showroom
Eric Petschec

As her designs evolve, Kavals acknowledges the need to stay ahead of ever-advancing technologies. Last year, Articolo launched its first tuneable white light source known to restore the body’s circadian rhythm in a decorative fitting.

In April during Milan Design Week, the company introduced Articolo Home, a capsule collection of small-scale furniture pieces. And last month, the company launched rechargeable lighting.

Kavals, 68, recently spoke with Penta from her home in Melbourne where she lives with husband, Vic Kavals, also co-founder and director of Articolo Studios.

Penta : Among design elements, how important is lighting?

Nicci Kavals: It can change our perspective on how we view and appreciate the space around us—lighting is as important as the architecture, the interior design and finishes and the furniture selection. Lighting provides the soul to a space. It often provides a moment of awe, where you are moved by something beautiful.

How much of a difference does bespoke decorative lighting make?

When each fixture is purposely selected to enhance the space with shadow play of light, there is a sense of atmosphere and soul—the animation of light dances within the space, patterns and striations casting movement, layering, and providing depth. I love the notion of moving through a space and happening upon a beautiful fixture or light, which is more like artwork and makes you stop, pause, and exhale, where you take in that moment of beauty and then move on.

How do you describe your process?

I have a huge library or body of designs that I am continuously working through and refining. I tend to mull over them endlessly to perfect them before being ready to take them to market. We like to explore and experiment with new materials. … It’s important that each design reflects the many hands that have produced it, celebrating the craftsmen and -women whose skill and talent I deeply respect. It’s the human element that in many ways we’re losing through mass production—I strongly believe there’s no substitute for the handmade.

Where do you look for inspiration?

To express myself creatively through the play of light and shade is a genuine gift. I find inspiration everywhere I go; from the washed, bleached colors of Marrakech and Mexico to the architectural detail found in minimalist Japan. I love to explore the local crafts, and pore over the work of local artisans of different lands. The Japanese are exceptionally talented in porcelain, whilst the Mexicans are experts in beading, embroidery, and silver.

How would you describe your progression from an Australian firm to a global one?

At the time of starting Articolo in 2012, designing and manufacturing lighting in Australia was quite uncommon, with most of the high-end decorative lighting coming out of Europe and the U.S. In the beginning, my knowledge of lighting was minimal—which in hindsight, was perhaps a blessing as I may never have embarked on this journey had I been aware of the challenges. As I don’t come from a lighting background, I’ve found that I’m not restricted by a traditional approach. As we expanded globally, we had the option to expand into Europe or the U.S. I have always been drawn to a European design sensibility that celebrates craftsmanship, timelessness, and the artisanal. However, knowing that the U.S. was the harder option, we went in that direction as we never make the easy decision and have challenged ourselves at every turn to be better and improve constantly. This was a completely new ball game for us—certification standards to comply are vastly different in the U.S. than the rest of the world.

What does the future hold for your field?

Embracing cutting-edge technologies can elevate the functionality and aesthetics of luxury lighting. Integration with smart-home systems, customisable lighting experiences, and the use of innovative materials and finishes can provide clients with a truly unique and immersive experience. I expect to see a surge in demand for intelligent lighting solutions, and I am optimistic about the potential for transformative advancements in this area. While technology is crucial, I also value the artistry and craftsmanship that goes into creating luxury lighting pieces. I hope to see a continued appreciation for handmade, artisanal designs that showcase the skills of talented craftsmen. Balancing traditional craftsmanship with modern design sensibilities can result in timeless pieces that stand out in the market.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

During the Covid pandemic in 2021, Silicon Valley venture capitalist John O’Farrell organised a call with several tech CEOs to urge them to back Unicef’s efforts to distribute vaccines globally as he and his wife, Gloria Principe, were doing.

Stewart Butterfield , co-founder and—at the time—the CEO of Slack, and his wife, Jen Rubio , co-founder and CEO of Away, “gave US$25 million on the spot,” and challenged other tech CEOs to give, too, says Kristen Jones, Unicef’s fundraising manager, global philanthropy.

O’Farrell is on the national board of the organisation and a member of the Unicef International Council, a network of 150 wealthy individuals from 22 countries.

“We were trying to mobilise resources really quickly,” Jones says. In this instance, an International Council member showed how the “influence and trust” of individuals and their network can be extended to Unicef and its mission.

Unicef National Board Chairman Bernard Taylor, an arbitrator and mediator at Judicial Arbitration and Mediation ADR Services and a retired partner with Alston & Bird, is also a member of the organisation’s International Council.
Courtesy of Unicef

Unicef, officially the United Nations Children’s Fund, is a U.N. agency focused on humanitarian and developmental aid to children. It relies on funding from governments and intergovernmental agencies. But it also depends on the private sector, from US$1 gifts provided by individuals across the world to giving by corporations, foundations, and wealthy donors.

Total giving to Unicef from the private sector totalled US$2.07 billion last year, representing 23% of total revenue, according to its annual report. Of that total, US$829 million was unrestricted—money that is particularly valuable because it’s flexible.

“That funding is critical for us to be able to cover underfunded operations, emergencies or situations of armed conflict that are not in the headlines anymore,” says Carla Haddad Mardini, director of Unicef’s division of private fundraising and partnerships.

The International Council was formed in 2017 not only to boost private-sector donations, but to create a powerful group of individuals who could bring their knowledge, expertise, vision, and networks to the organisation, Haddad Mardini says.

“We don’t see them as donors, we see them as partners,” she says.

That’s because the council’s engagement with Unicef goes behind giving. “They support by opening their networks to us, thinking with us about the global problems that make children more vulnerable,” Haddad Mardini says. “It’s invaluable in terms of the advocacy that they do and the influence that they exert.”

The council, of course, also provides needed funding. Since it was formed, members—who give US$1 million when they join—have donated more than US$552 million.

This past year, the council brought on 15 new members, half from countries in the Southern Hemisphere, including India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Mexico. The incoming chair is Muhammed Aziz Khan, founder and chairman of the Summit Group, a Bangladesh industrial conglomerate, whose foundation is focused on the education of vulnerable children in the country.

“We want this group to be as diverse as possible,” Haddad Mardini says. “They’re not there for their own visibility, they are there to really meaningfully and purposefully make a difference.”

Bernard Taylor, an arbitrator and mediator at Judicial Arbitration and Mediation ADR Services and a retired partner with Alston & Bird, an Atlanta-based international law firm, has been an active supporter of Unicef for years, joining its Southeast Regional Board in the U.S. in 2007. In 2018, he joined the council and this past summer, became chair of the organisation’s National Board.

One of Taylor’s earliest experiences with Unicef was a trip to Madagascar not long after the island in the southwest Indian Ocean off the coast of Africa had been hit by successive cyclones.

“It was really eye-opening from the standpoint of seeing the despair that so many people were living through and that the children were living through,” Taylor says. After returning home and taking his children on a trip to the local mall to buy supplies for a school project, he was overwhelmed by the abundance that surrounded them.

“Just a short plane ride away, people were living in despair and death—we had to do something about that, and what I saw was that Unicef was doing something about it,” he says. “That’s how I got involved and committed.”

Often, the council responds to emergencies such as the urgent need for global vaccine distribution during the pandemic. In 2022, the council raised US$3.2 million to support Unicef’s work in Afghanistan, and another US$5.5 million in response to the war in Ukraine.

But as Haddad Mardini says, the council also goes beyond check-writing.

“We are all focused on pulling together our resources, our expertise,

our networks,” Taylor says. “As a private philanthropy, we’re able to be nimble, to be fast and flexible in ways that can address the issues that Unicef is struggling with. As a council member, I’m able to utilise my influence with peers and business leaders and even governmental entities.”

Recently, he spoke with one of Georgia’s U.S. senators to inform him about Unicef’s activities and to get his support. “Maybe you would call us extenders of influence—we increase, substantially, the influence and the ability of Unicef to do its work.”

The experience of Taylor, O’Farrell and others as private sector executives can also be influential to the thinking of Unicef’s executives, Jones says.

“They’re bringing their private sector experience and what they’re seeing in their partnerships,” she says. “It’s a space where they feel comfortable being very open and candid. It’s a nice dialogue with leadership.”