Takayuki Ishii is the award-winning vice president of design and development for Kalco Lighting and Allegri Crystal. Inspired by jewelry, abstract sculptures, fine art, textures, and materials found in nature, Takayuki finds balance in a variety of elements to give lighting collections a purpose to exist. Takayuki studied Industrial Design at Pratt University in NYC and personally designed the Redding Collection, which received the Better Homes & Gardens’ 30 Most Innovative Products award in 2021 and the Marcel 5 Light Chandelier which won in 2022. Learn more about Takayuki’s expertise in lighting in today’s Maker Monday.
Estrella Pendant Light
Andrew Joseph: What are three things you can’t live without?
Takayuki Ishii: Three things I absolutely can’t live without are creativity, playfulness and design.
Creativity – The world without creativity? That would be an absolutely lonely and isolated place with no motivation because no one would have anything interesting to share about themselves or others.
Playfulness – I think playfulness has two sides. The first side is playfulness for yourself. We all need time to let our curiosity run wild and experiment with new things. The second side is playfulness for others. I always like to think about what others are interested in and how I can utilize my skills to entertain others. What’s life without a little fun?
Design – Design makes our lives all the more interesting. For example, if we only need light to see things in the dark, then why aren’t all light sources just bulbs hanging from the ceiling? Why do we instead have fixtures covered with thousands of crystal cuts instead? Because we are all creating our own theatrical stages in life – some for study, some for comfort, and some for entertainment. With design, we’re able to identify each stage of priority and communicate directly and instantly with others.
Redding 5 Light LED Chandelier
AJ: What about your design style has shifted post-quarantine?
TI: Having spent so many hours indoors during the pandemic, I find myself craving more natural and understated colors. I associate colors with memories I’ve gathered from spending time in nature: the pink colors of a sunset, deep blue lakes, golden desert sands, and miles of green corn fields. Quarantine naturally pushed people to spend time in regulated outdoor spaces and open nature – backyards, courtyards, decks, rooftops – and as a result, our living spaces grew to include nature. The Esterno Cristallo collection from Allegri Crystal by Kalco Lighting was a perfect solution for people who wanted to spend time outside in style and luxury. The fireplace found its place in the backyard, so why not crystal light fixtures? Working on that collection solidified for me that the indoor/outdoor trend is here to stay.
AJ: What was your first job?
TI: After receiving my degree in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute in NYC, I began working for Sirmos Lighting, which was started by interior designer Louis Bromante and sculptor and architect, Edward J. Krumpe in the early 70s. I had never worked on lighting products before, so I had to learn everything from scratch. Sirmos worked closely with a variety of high-end clients, which meant I was exposed to all kinds of work – custom house projects, restaurant and bar design, and large-scale hospitality projects – from the very beginning of my career as a lighting designer.
Samal Pendant
AJ: What would you tell your teenage self?
TI: Study English harder! To give some background, I was born in Japan and started studying English reading and grammar in junior high school, but it wasn’t until I moved to the United States that I began learning how to speak English and hold a conversation. It was an amazing experience as a 20-year-old to have suddenly lost the most important communication tool – language. I felt like I had thrown myself into a New York City movie set and didn’t understand the script at all. Many New Yorkers speak very fast, and on top of that, I had to learn to interpret tons of new accents, too. My drawing skills became my mother tongue until I could use English comfortably.
AJ: What are you most proud of?
TI: From a young age, I always believed that I would end up designing something, but I never could have imagined that I’d be designing lighting fixtures in the United States of America. I love the boldness of American design, and I feel very proud and lucky to be a part of it. I’m also very proud to lead the design and development at Kalco Lighting and Allegri Crystal and to continue to push the envelope with each new collection and product introduction.
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