Operating out of her hometown, New Orleans, Louisiana, Sara Schoenberger Studio formally took root in Brooklyn, New York, around 2019 when she launched the Louis Collection of lighting at ICFF in New York. Sara’s creative studies began at Carnegie Mellon University, where she focused on Sculpture and Public Art. Since then, she has worked for several New York-based lighting design studios, where she developed her skills in metalworking and product design. Her work today represents a merging of these two fields, art and engineering, unrestrained curiosity and manufacturability.
Sara’s favorite projects to pursue are a balance of around 80% feasible and 20% fantastic. She wants her clients and viewers to be surprised by what they are seeing, and delighted to live with it. She’s excited to be launching a new collection of lighting, for which she worked with a talented glass artist, in May during NY Design Week. Learn more about Sara’s fantastic pieces in today’s Maker Monday.
Louis Lamp
Andrew Joseph: What inspired you to become a designer?
Sara Schoenberger: A turning point in my life was when I took a temporary position as a metal fabrication assistant for furniture brand Uhuru in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Most of my friends were bored out of their minds, gallery sitting, so I was thrilled by the idea of getting to make things for a living. Once that job ended, I was on the hunt for a permanent position in this vibrant, creative community. At the same time, I was recovering from a wrist injury, so I thought lighting could be a better fit than furniture in terms of the weight and strength involved. I spotted an opening in the lighting department at Pelle, and I’ve been hooked on it ever since.
AJ: What is your favorite design trend from the past?
SS: Victorian conservatories — can you imagine the glorious daytime nap you could have in one of these? I suppose sunrooms are more practical (sunrooms have ceilings and aren’t all glass, so easier to climate control). Apparently, a conservatory will actually decrease the value of a home today.
Reclaim Table Lamp
AJ: What is the most important skill for a successful designer?
SS: I would say an ability to always see the bigger picture. A designer has to bring together many different angles of a project, and it can be easy to get absorbed in just one aspect. As I gain experience, I’m able to see how shifts in the direction of a project can actually mean getting closer to my goal in the end. But that requires keeping an open mind and allowing new information to inform my decisions.
AJ: What’s your favorite cocktail?
SS: A bee’s knees! Gin, honey syrup and lemon, in a coupe glass.
AJ: Style (or design) icon and why?
SS: There are so many, but Gino Sarfatti, founder of Arteluche, comes to mind right now. He created something like 700 lighting designs. They say he applied a very rational, engineering approach, and yet there is something so delightfully “extra” about his lights. That’s what I’m striving for in my own work: a balance of practicality in manufacturing with a feeling of surprise and delight.
Vault Chandelier
AJ: What’s your design pet peeve?
SS: Dupe culture is tough to swallow. And low-quality products with good marketing.
AJ: What was the last book you read and how did it inspire you?
SS: This isn’t design-related per se, but I recently read “Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro, recommended by a friend. It left me thinking about how our reality is being defined in ways we’re not even remotely aware of. It reminded me to trust my deepest gut feelings and intuitions. Design allows me to shape my physical experience, and I enjoy seeing how others are inspired by design to determine their own realities.
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