Considered Spaces by J. Adams & Co | Rise Art

When designing, how do you balance beauty and function—two qualities often seen in tension within both art and design?

When it comes to decorative lighting, I see form and function as inseparable. A luminaire’s primary role is, of course, to provide illumination, but the way it achieves this is just as important as the light itself. Beyond its practical purpose, a luminaire also serves as a sculptural focal point or a subtle counterbalance within a space. Equally, the way it emits and shapes light should be treated as part of its design language. We carefully consider how light is distributed, how it interacts with surfaces, and how to avoid harshness, ensuring comfort and atmosphere without sacrificing performance or effect.

Your practice blends tradition with modern design. How do you draw inspiration from historic craftsmanship while ensuring your pieces remain relevant in contemporary spaces?

Our factory in Birmingham is rooted in traditional metalworking techniques, but also equipped with state-of-the-art CNC machines. I think of the techniques and tools available there as a kind of palette or medium, and I find the constraint of working within that palette can actually drive creativity. It also helps produce pieces with an innate timelessness and warmth, allowing them to feel natural in both contemporary and more traditional settings.

Do you see your lights as future heirlooms, in the same way a painting or object might be treasured and passed down?

That is certainly an aim, and it is why we strive to tell the design story that goes into crafting each piece. It connects directly to our ethos of sustainability: we need to promote a shift away from fast consumption and towards long-term investment in quality items that can be treasured, repaired, and passed down.

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