Studio Brink

Studio Brink originated from the love for interior design, architecture, design and the role of light as a connecting element. We take a detailed look at function, shape, color and materials from different angles. In addition to an eye for creativity, we provide technical implementation for a project and we monitor planning and budget. Every project is unique. The budget depends on the size of the project, the choice of materials and the degree of supervision. In a first no-obligation conversation we can provide insight into costs and, depending on the wishes, issue a budget.

Shoshin mindset

The Shoshin concept holds that those who approach life with few preconceptions will be OPEN to new ideas and perspectives, while those who believe themselves experts will only see what affirms their own worldview – and may miss crucial learnings. Who is to say that the way you originally learned a skillset is the best? Most people think they are experts in a field, but they are just experts in a particular style.

Shoshin is not only a mindset; it is like a muscle: if you don't use it, you will use or lose it. At Brink Licht, we cultivate this desire to know. Perhaps, it's Shoshin - about anything and everything - that is the main driver for our twenty years journey in lighting. Shoshin brought us to where we are today.

In the last two decades, we have built an outstanding collection of high-end decorative and architectural lighting brands. They include all the prestigious design labels as well as small artisanal workshops. Adding a new brand was primarily the result of finding the right piece for a puzzle that is any project. Our brands are all unique and meet the highest quality standards. Brands not compliant with our supplier code of conduct will be phased out.

Each lighting solution grows from our dialogue with the space and its owner. We increasingly work with (local) craftsmen and small workshops that allow us to tailor materials, dimensions and colors to a project. A wide range of products gives our engineers ample options to specify the materials needed to realize the designers’ vision. Budget restrictions evoke ingenuity in our engineers: they have many options before clever design ideas are aborted.

Style, not fashion

Being stylish and being fashionable are two entirely different things. You can easily buy your way into fashionable. Style is in our DNA. It implies courage and originality. Style is never out of fashion. Our previous designs are a goldmine of ideas we can re-use but are never merely copied. We take pride in the fact that our signature is subtle. It tells you more about the user and its function than it tells you about us. Our products last a very long time, so their design and layout must stand the test of time.

Photo credits: essentialhome.eu

Everything we do is project specific. Repeating success is easy, but no two projects are alike. Many designers pretend to know what clients need right from the start and repeat their previous successes. This mass production approach leads to no innovation and leaves no room to customize to the context of space and user.

Brain

Step-by-step

Our design approach has several well-defined steps. The first step is the most important, it’s the verbal exploration, the INTAKE. Since our work is about people, it is, therefore, crucial to understand what visual quality people need for their health, safety, productivity and relaxation. We want people to meet and enjoy spending time in our lit spaces, now and in the future. After we’ve established the scope and requirements of the project, we will propose a designer as well as an engineer: they are assigned as a team to ensure a smooth process.

The DESIGNER will produce a DESIGN concept and layout and present it to the client. After this PRELIMINARY design is approved, the Engineer steps in. He/she will compose a complete bill of materials and a quotation based on the requirement set by the Designer.

All technical files are collected, and if needed, samples are provided. The Engineer will set up a meeting with the Installer involved in an early stage. Any iterations due to changes in the layout will be processed by the Engineers, who will consult the Designer if needed.

Left brain, right brain

Good lighting evokes human emotions and experiences. Lighting design is both an art and a science. Our work is about aesthetics and style on the one hand and techniques and application on the other. It is like the human brain: we need the left side to come up with inspiring ideas the WHAT. The right side of the brain is the ratio: the HOW.

Designer (the left brain):

Our designers have different skill sets that meet the highest standards. The combination of the Shoshin mindset and their understanding of the complex science of lighting. Putting people first leads to what we do best: create great lighting for great places.

Engineer (the right brain):

To make sure the ideas of the designer become reality, every project needs an engineer who breaks down complexity and keeps a keen eye on all technical details. Too often, we see that in the building process, due to lack of time or attention, plans are unnecessarily simplified, and valuable details are lost. Our well-trained engineers have years of training. They manage the details after the design is completed to create your dream. Our engineers have the unique ability to manage issues as they come up, and they act as the glue that keeps the team together.

Installer:

An Installer needs to be included in an early stage while creating a vision. If you do not have a good Installer, we can bring you into contact with one of our partners. By including the professional Installer in an early stage, we can avoid costly unforeseen surprises. Our engineer goes over all the details with the Installer, including where and when goods need to arrive. If something is not right, we work together to fix it.

Photo credits: Mercedes-Benz

Emotion meets Experience

Through our designs, we want to evoke human emotions and experiences. Lighting design is an art and a science. Our work is about aesthetics. The art of lighting. Reason and Emotion. It also considers the science of lighting, that enormous body of technical knowledge needed for design success. But most importantly, our work is about people. Lighting is for people. It is, therefore, crucial to understand what visual quality people need for their health, safety and enjoyment. We want people to love spending their precious time in the spaces we illuminated. Again and again.

How

Best of Brands and Bespoke

Over the last twenty years, we have built an outstanding collection of high-end decorative and architectural lighting brands. They include all the prestigious design labels as well as small artisanal workshops. Adding a new brand was primarily the result of finding the right piece for a puzzle that is any project. Our brands are all unique and meet the highest quality standards. Brands that are not compliant with our supplier code of conduct will be phased out.

On the shoulders of Richard Kelly

If you bake a cake, you don’t start with the cherry on top. The same applies to creating a clever light design. The base is the most important. We build on the elements defined by American lighting designer Richard Kelly: ambient luminescence, focal glow and play of brilliants.

Kelly (1910-1977) was one of the thought leaders of present-day architectural lighting design. His work remains relevant and practiced to this day. In the early 1950s, Kelly distinguished three lighting expressions that continue to help connect the psychology of lighting to design in an understandable model.

For more on Kelly read our whitepaper.