Light & Shade.

“The retained façade and period of the building directly inspired our approach to the lighting design,” says Vabel Creative Director and co-founder Jeremy Spencer of Vabel Kentisston in Kentish Town, which began its life as a polytechnic in 1929. 

With the early modernist façade defined by large, arching windows, filling the interior spaces with light, Jeremy naturally considered lighting design as soon as the studio embarked on the project. He set about creating a range of bespoke light fittings, to bring atmosphere to the space when the light fades.

Lighting design at Vabel is inextricably linked to space planning and zoning. “It’s all about the living experience, and facilitating different functions and activities – considering how the home is used,” Jeremy explains. “It’s about transforming the mundane into a ritual. Our lighting design is born from the specific functions and atmosphere we want to give to the spaces.” All the lights used in Vabel homes are energy-efficient LED and dimmable, so you can create the right ambience – whether you’re having a quiet night or hosting a party with friends. 

A Vabel space will never be lit purely by ceiling downlights. Instead, you will find a beautiful dining pendant, wall lights to accentuate arched windows, and glowing recessed bathroom lights. Where downlights are used, they are positioned strategically. “That’s why they came about, to highlight things, such as a piece of art” says Jeremy. “It’s all about considering different light levels and positions. A lot of lighting design is actually about considering how light reflects off materials to create a certain ambience and accentuate what is around you.”

At Vabel Kentisston, Jeremy worked to create a unique range of lighting for the space, from pendants and ceiling fittings to wall fixtures and bathroom lighting. The challenge was to create a family of fittings that drew on period details but felt intrinsically modern, and to create a cohesive range across the different light types. “I wanted to create a sense of layering, a tapestry of materiality and detailing,” he says. Jeremy consulted original photographs of the lecture theatre space to draw on the original lighting design. “It was a domed space, with tiered seating and glowing frosted glass orbs with brass detailing. I wanted to do justice to the original design of the space, without it being pastiche.”