Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 53
Occupation: Lighting designer.
Instagram: @davidweeksstudio
Hometown: Athens, Georgia.
Studio location: Brooklyn.
Describe what you make: I make your day. I bring light to people’s homes and make things people didn’t know they wanted.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: Important? That’s a tall order. I did a project with Lonnie Tanner and SeeChangeNYC to modify the existing furniture in municipal agency offices. The intention was to change the experience people had when they had to ask for help from the government. It was a great project. We worked with a group of women recently released from Rikers. They learned a little carpentry, and the people in family court didn’t have to sit in what looked like church pews when waiting to be called by the judge.
Describe the problem your work solves: I love its ephemerality. With the flick of a switch, you can completely change the mood of a room. Lighting has a versatile application. It’s an invisible detail that completely affects your surroundings, like a child’s night light. Lighting is not hindered by physics and load requirements. Light is also an underappreciated necessity for humans. We know to appreciate food and shelter but take air and light for granted. People love the food and decor of a restaurant when so much of the feeling comes from the lighting.
Describe the project you are working on now: I’m going way back. We’re making small editions of designs for collectors. Three fixtures per design are being made by hand in our Brooklyn studio. These are the lights that are too complicated to add to the line. It’s very satisfying to make things that are beautiful and can’t be easily duplicated.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: The sale of these special additions is a partnership between David Weeks Studio and Remodelista. It’s great to collaborate with a brand that you respect so much. These will be showcased in an intimate Brooklyn setting on Dec. 9.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: Music. Each shop has its own musical taste. The metal shop, without prompting, fell right into the industry standard of speed metal: Pantera, Clutch, 89.5 Seton Hall’s Pirate Radio. The assembly shop starts the mornings with NPR and changes to hip hop for the afternoon. I usually enjoy the ride. Maybe put on little Pucho or Sharon Jones.
What you do when you’re not working: I don’t remember. It’s been so crazy since Covid hit. Clearly, I need a hobby.
Sources of creative envy: I got turned on to Pulp. Really funny, smart lyrics.
The distraction you want to eliminate: I’m desperate for distractions… I get obsessed with projects and forget to eat. The opportunity to sit and be still sounds awesome.
Concrete or marble? Concrete. My contractor friend was telling me that he’s starting to see as much travertine marble in the demo dumpsters as he is sheetrock.
High-rise or townhouse? Townhouse.
Remember or forget? Remember! To forget is to ignore, not bother, not give a damn.
Aliens or ghosts? Ghost is to intuition as jellyfish is to alien.
Dark or light? Dusk.
