Let There Be Light

Home to industrial lighting designer Olivier Abry, this live-work studio in Lyon, France is exemplary of the kind of renovation many aspire to. “The apartment used to a movie theater,” Abry remembers of the building’s past life. “My idea was to integrate home and workshop so as to complement the history of the space.” Of the home’s mix of industrial elements, Abry says he hoped they would come together to create “a space that’s warm, welcoming and artsy, all at the same time.”

Olivier Abry in Lyon, France. Photography by Justin Chung.

“I’m inspired by what emanates from a piece of furniture.”

—Olivier Abry

In crafting his own designs, Abry frequently looks to the work of the twentieth-century lighting designer Serge Mouille, well-known for his insect-inspired creations: “I’m inspired by Mouille because of his purity of form,” Abry says. This shared interest is on display in both designers’ use of all-black powder-coated finishes, not to mention discrete, adaptable, articulated arms. Abry concludes: “I try to channel his aesthetic in my own work to create simple, graphic and timeless lamps.”

Olivier Abry in Lyon, France. Photography by Justin Chung.

Before he was a designer, Abry worked in an antique furniture store for almost two decades. “I’ve always loved art and design,” Abry explains, matter-of-factly, of his past career. When he decided to set out on his own in 2011, Abry had a clear sense of what he hoped to achieve with his designs, having already spent a lifetime gathering and curating objects of idiosyncratic significance. “I have a thing for stories,” Abry offers by way of explanation. “As such, I don’t usually fall for a specific ‘aesthetic.’ Instead, I’m inspired by what emanates from an object or a piece of furniture.” 

“My idea was to integrate home and workshop so as to complement the history of the space.”

—Olivier Abry

Olivier Abry in Lyon, France. Image courtesy of Olivier Abry.

Chasing this impulse has led Abry to procure some precious pieces: a pair of original Executive Armless Chairs for the living room and a mismatched set of Tulip Armless Chairs that makes up the dining room. A fan of the “simple, ageless shapes,” Abry has also tracked down some vintage designs by Harry Bertoia, whom he appreciates for the transparency of his metalwork. A piece like Bertoia's Diamond Chair, Abry explains, toes the line between art, sculpture and furniture, and serves as a versatile piece within a domestic tableau. As with a still life, Abry believes that “objects, furniture and lighting should all play off one another, so that design gives way to an appreciation of art and vis-a-versa.”

Project Credits:

Design: Olivier Abry
Photography: Justin Chung