Lighting designer, Jonny Hall, explores the South Island’s rugged beauty through hand-crafted luminaires

Drawing on his experience in landscape design, construction, sculpture and joinery, Jonny Hall, owner and designer behind Cast Lighting, started making and selling lamps around 15 years ago.

“I developed a technique of bonding wool to create cylindrical shades and started designing and selling lamps as a side project. When the Covid-19 pandemic affected my main work, I decided to focus on lighting. I could see a gap in the market for handcrafted lighting with a New Zealand feel and was keen to explore that further, so I decided to go all in and give it a go.”

A day in the life of a lighting designer

Nestled at the foot of the scenic Port Hills in Christchurch, Jonny’s Hillsborough workshop is the birthplace of every Cast Lighting piece. His days begin with a bike ride from the central city, following the Ōpāwaho Heathcote River to the workshop.

“I’m thinking about the day ahead and just enjoying the experience, taking in the views along the river and views to the hills. It’s a great opportunity to wind into the day and to stay in the present moment,” he says.

“Currently Cast Lighting is just me, so a typical day has a lot of variety which includes making, marketing and admin. My sweet spot is working between three lighting projects at their different stages, where I can move between design, construction and finishing. This allows me to create an efficient work flow.”

For the wool shades, Jonny winds the wool onto cylindrical forms to bond with glue, followed by a glue laminate and finish.  

“A couple of times a week I’ll have clients pop in to visit. Many like to check out my work and see the workshop. People want to learn how their lighting is made. It’s an interesting part of my work; showing them what I’m making at the time and then talking over their ideas to see what we can create together. Several people bring in timber from their previous house to upcycle into a pendant for their new home. It’s a special connection for them, taking memories into their new place.”

Jonny’s designs typically start with a sketch which is then developed into a pendant using Sketchup 3D design software. Focusing on simple forms and materials, he will often pare back designs to balance aesthetics, functionality, and user experience. 

“Prototyping is my favourite part. I love moving from the spark of an idea to a sketch, then onto Sketchup to work through the practicalities, scale, duplication etc. I often make scale models, there’s something important about seeing a tangible representation on a smaller scale. I used to make models and invent contraptions as a boy and not much has changed!”

Turning an idea into a physical form is a satisfying process for Jonny, especially when the process is hands-on.

“I’ve crafted several handmade tools and techniques to make my lighting forms unique. These tools include a hand-cranked wool winder to spin and bond wool to cylinder templates, an electric post-sander to sand along the inside of timber curved forms and an adjustable LED light source that lights up cylinders around the complete 360 degrees.”

Inspiration and influences 

With the location of his workshop, it makes sense that much of Jonny’s inspiration comes from the rugged, wild, and beautiful South Island landscape.

“I've been on many trips around the South Island, from mountains, rivers and beaches to farmland and lush forests. It’s easy to find inspiration in these dynamic landscapes. I’m influenced by the rugged natural world, the diversity and textures of plants, rocks, the vast materiality of nature, and in particular the way light hits the landscape,” he explains. 

These features are incorporated into his lighting designs, using native timber and wool to create simple forms that echo those outside the workshop walls. He hopes that, through his designs, clients can experience the unique beauty of Aotearoa in their homes. 

Jonny’s mid-century influences are also clear, with the functional simplicity of modernism  providing inspiration for his work.  

“I was brought up in a house full of furniture and effects from this era, it was hugely influential. I love the functional simplicity and design aesthetic of mid-century modern. I feel it's timeless because it’s understated. You can see this influence in some of my designs; the Circlet pendant, for example, is a very familiar mid-century pendant design. I’ve reimagined it using local materials — recycled rimu and bonded wool — to create a unique pendant with a distinctly New Zealand feel.”

As for the future of Cast Lighting, Jonny is exploring the possibilities of new materials and expanding into a larger workshop with an on-site showroom.

“I’m keen to incorporate glass slumping and casting, adding another dimension to what I make currently. I’m intrigued by the idea of introducing curved, patterned and moulded glass forms and how light can be diffused through them. I’m looking forward to sharing my skills and employing staff to help grow the business,” he says. “I take pride in what I do and find it rewarding to create light fittings that bring a lifetime of enjoyment for my clients.”

Learn more about Cast Lighting.