A woman driven by great passion and dedication in her field of work, Olivia – Ann is by profession is both a lighting and interior designer who for the past 20 years has been established in designing a large variety of different projects both locally and overseas.

Getting to know Olivia-Ann

What inspired you to become a lighting and interior designer?

Inspiration is for me a mixture of ambience and situations. I was brought up with a big affluence in the lighting industry due to my upbringing and family business. As I grew older I started interesting myself in the science behind the lamps and light fixtures wanting to know always more. On the other hand I am a very artistic person and love detail, the atmosphere and its quality that I surround myself in is very important and the love for interiors, antique furniture and the history behind are for me an obvious general knowledge we should all know about.

Where did you pursue your studies?

I studied lighting design in University College London and then furthered my studies at the institute of lighting engineers in Birmingham. After that I went on to continue my studies in interior design at KLC School of design in Chelsea harbour. It was a total of six wonderful years were mainly London itself gives a massive exposure to anyone coming from a small Island like ours.

What gives you inspiration in design?

Inspiration is a mixture of the people you work with and also depends on the ambience you are trying to create. My greatest inspiration comes from appreciating the cities and countries I visit and is often the result of a combination of cultures and diversity. On the other hand, it is also important to understand the people who will be living or working in a particular property and to convert this into inspiration and ideas which lead to great design.

What sort of properties do you enjoy designing the most?

I consider myself to be very versatile and enjoy having different projects to work on. Whether it is a project for a residential home or involves a commercial enterprise, a large scale hotel, or an exclusive retail experience, to only mention a few I am always open for the next challenge and prefer variety rather than having repetitive work

Thankfully my work evolves around different people with different expectations, needs and requirements for their projects

  Why is lighting so important in interior design?

Light is an essential element of the design itself. It often determines important aspects of the design and is a crucial factor to highlight elements of the interior design and promote a healthy living / working environment. Artificial lighting also offers you the opportunity to add a bit of drama to your design by giving it a bit of a theatrical twist. With proper lighting you are able to present objects d’art in their best light. It also allows the designer to give prominence to key features in the property while overcoming certain shortcomings, such as a dark corner or staircase.

What is the most beautiful part of your profession?

The ability to study the needs of different people, wear their shoes and then help them conquest their dreams, aspirations and functionality. I generally use philosopher Socrates mid wife metaphor in order to explain my role. My work is versatile, aspiring and fulfilling and that makes for the most beautiful part in my profession.