Newport Lighting Concepts and Design

WORDS: Remy Raitt | PROFILE PHOTO: Shavan Rahim

Until recently Newport Lighting Concepts and Design were only known by those in the design industry. But after using Decorex Cape Town as their “coming-out party”, the team of two have had more South Africans gaping at their bright creations.

Trained interior designer, Guy Harris, and certified electrician, Frederick Lindeque, have over 12 years’ experience in the lighting business. Partnered with their strong outlook on aesthetic design, Newport Lighting Concepts and Design is illuminating the South African lighting scene with an impressive range of international products, custom-made fittings and a critical approach to consultancy.

According to Guy, their wide range of available brands stems from the fact that they’re not benevolent to any one brand name: “Instead, we’re able to access huge amounts of local and international product.”

But they don’t rely on these products, often reaching into their own creativity for new designs and fittings. “We started making our own fittings in 2009 after receiving some horrifically made stuff from a Danish company. We thought if their products were the accepted standard, we could make our own fittings here,” Guy says.

At present, Newport are able to produce 30 light fittings from their freestanding range but prefer not to rest on those designs. “It’s hard to standardise when you have the ability to customise,” the two agree. “We enjoy a challenge and have done some crazy stuff for our clients, like the four-metre-long red-and-white Puzzle chandelier we made for the Heritage House on Houghton Ridge in Johannesburg.”

Guy and Frederick say they’ll make whatever their clients have in mind. This has revealed that there are some people in the country that are willing to move away from the typical aesthetics to more kooky designs.

The consultancy side of the company is also taking off. “We’re doing a lot more consultancy now, and at the moment we’re working on some insane domestic houses.” And although Newport concentrates on consultancy jobs in Cape Town, they’ve branched outside of the province too, having made pieces for domestic projects in Nigeria, Mauritius and Abu Dhabi.

These are all large achievements for the company that started in 2008 at Frederick’s dinning-room table. The business has also just moved from the Upper East Side precinct in Woodstock, Cape Town, to an incredible new space in the Waverly Business Park in Observatory. The new space will be used as an office and showroom. Although it’s not complete, one can see that, once finished, the space will be just as beautiful as one of Newport’s light designs.

Alternative lighting possibilities

The duo’s designs attempt to show alternative possibilities: “We have an aversion to the straight pole and lampshade design,” Guy says, noting that this results in quirky shapes, bright colours and the use of interesting materials.

While it’s important for the products to look good, Newport also focuses a lot of attention on the process of production and the quality of the final outcome. “For example, if you have a house in Yzerfontein and you buy generic or cheap import lights, they will rust. When we approach a project like this, we make sure the fittings will last for as long as the house does”.

Light bulbs go hand in hand with the company’s work and each light they produce comes standard with aesthetically pleasing Osram compact fluorescent lights. The designers say they have a problem with the way energy-efficient light bulbs are approached in South Africa. “I blame bulk retailers. They don’t stock the better-quality products. Instead you see the ugly white fluorescent bulbs on the stands,” says Guy. 

But besides these frustrations, the guys are very positive about their future within the South African design world: “We’re going to keep going with our freestanding range and will keep growing, but we will remain fairly excusive.”

Keep an eye out for Newport Lighting Concepts and Design on their website at www.newport.co.za, which will be updated soon. Alternatively, give them a call on 021 447 0049.