With its bespoke systems and eye for aesthetics, Astra Lumos takes lighting design and installation to a whole new level
“We decided that if we were going to be the UK’s go-to lighting design company we needed a name that reflected that,” says James Fielding, Director of Astra Lumos, specialists in bespoke lighting systems. Eventually, he and co-founder David Ritchie came up with the Latin name for “starlight”.
Founded in 2014, Astra Lumos has lived up to the aura of its name, in both the quality and range of its service, the extra miles it goes to ensure customer satisfaction and the joy for its clients when they see the final product. “Dave is the more artistic one,” says James. “Clients meet me first and I tell them what is possible. I sell the dream and Dave designs the dream, then the company makes it happen.”
To create the dream, the company makes full use of modern technological capabilities. “It’s mind-blowing what modern systems are capable of,” says James. For example, a button by the front door can be programmed to turn all the lights off, and if someone goes on holiday just by pressing “play” the lighting system can emulate the pattern of lights going on and off over previous weeks, so that it looks like someone is at home.
Drawing on vast experience and the specialist skills of the team, Astra Lumos works on both commercial and residential properties, whether it is a highly energy efficient “Passivhaus” or a listed building. The company also caters to a range of demands, from one client who had completed a stable conversion to another who required chandelier installation expertise. Some of the homes it works on are worth millions. “With this level of client, you have to inspire confidence very quickly,” says James.
To do this, Astra Lumos places importance on an extensive consultation process, as well as an unmatched expertise in combining aesthetic vision with practical application. The company even has patented innovations of its own, as “from a lighting aspect, we want you to only see what you want to see – not the light fitting”.
“When it comes to lighting,” says James, “Dave and I have been in this business long enough to know that there is a whole world of possibilities out there.”
www.astralumos.co.uk