Bella Figura meets Laura Hammett in an illuminating collaboration

How did the collaboration come about, who approached who?  

We were working closely together on some bespoke pieces for a client, so the conversation came very naturally.

Have you used Bella Figura’s lighting in the past? 

 Yes we use them regularly, both selecting from their fantastic collections as well as commissioning bespoke pieces. We particularly love their large circular pendants, which you’ll see in many of our projects.

 A tough decision, but which is your favourite piece from the collection? 

It’s so hard to choose but I think it has to be the round chandelier because it has so much impact. I love oversized dramatic lighting! It has some Art Deco influence but also feels so timeless to me, and I know we will be using it on projects for many many years to come. I do also love the sculptural quality of the wall light.

How does the collection make you feel? 

For me it’s the epitome of luxury. I absolutely love the combination of materials, using the rich warm solid bronze paired with the soft almost ethereal quality of the Murano glass.

Please could you tell us a little bit more about your recent Knightsbridge project? 

The apartment is vast for the location (a stones throw away from Harrods) and was designed for our client as his London residence. We are working with him on both his Miami and Paris apartments, so he wanted this to feel very contemporary and masculine but with a classic architectural back drop. The scheme was very monochromatic, but with the warmth of deep bronze, rich gloss timbers and luxurious fabrics.

We showed him the designs when The Facet Collection was in its early stages and he loved them. The finishes compliment the rest of the design perfectly, and add the drama needed to the large rooms. The lighting is such an important focal feature of the key reception rooms and we see these creations as works of art in their own right. While we designed the pieces to work and sit beautifully in this London project, the idea is that the lighting will sit easily in luxury homes around the world.

When you were designing for the Knightsbridge project did you have the pieces from your collaboration already in mind? 

Yes, I was very much in that headspace at the time. Our projects are quite varied in style due to the locations we’re working in all over the world, but at the time I was heavily immersed in this particular aesthetic.

Have you got any exciting projects coming up? 

So many! One of my biggest passion projects at the moment is a 13,000 sq ft private villa in Cap d’Antibes, South of France where the aesthetic is a knocked-back rustic Provençal style but with all of the luxury you would expect from one of our projects. Another very special one is a grand 12,000 sq ft Grade I listed townhouse in prime Central London, which has the most incredible original architectural features I’ve seen in a private London residence. Working within a Grade I listed property is very challenging but so rewarding.

The Facet Collection is on display at Bella Figura’s showroom in the Design Centre, Centre Dome.