Astro – Edward Collection
The Edward Collection by James Bassant, Founder, Astro.
What is the concept behind the Edward Collection? I wanted the Edward range to retain our core Astro DNA but with more scale and visual impact. Not purely minimal but also not overly fussy. Its decorative modern style has a timelessness to suit hotels, hospitality, or high-end domestic interiors with ease.
How long have you been working on the collection? From concept to completion it was around two years, but as with many of our designs, the Edward contains ideas that have been forming in my mind and sketchbooks for several years; coming back to them, refining them, until there’s nothing I would change.
Tell me about the design process and materials used. I often start with a single detail that holds a design together. In this case, it was the simple connecting piece between the base and the stem. Although a small detail, it is hugely important to give the range its unique individual character and visual signature. This is especially true on the desk light where I feel the component almost evokes a feeling of familiarity, a contemporary delivery but with the essence that it could be a repurposed old machine part.
What makes this range stand out from anything else currently on the market? It is attention to detail that creates good design and what makes an Astro product. On the desk light, although the base has an integral switch it was visually important that the cable exits from the tube rather than the easier route through the side of the base. Seemingly simple but a complication we embraced to ensure the product looks just right.
Another important difference with the Edward range was to offer our clients greater flexibility, so for the first time, we offer a range of metallic as well as fabric shades. The simple base unit can be paired with either a black or brushed brass metal shade or three fabric shade options, allowing for dramatically different looks depending on the combinations chosen.
Describe this collection in three words.
Bold, elegant, simplicity.