“We don’t make lights, we find them,” says British lighting brand skinflint. They have been giving new lives to vintage lights for more than a decade – and in that time they have saved more than 50,000 lights from landfill. They rescue lighting from all over the world, from abandoned glassworks in Budapest to old Navy ships in shipbreakers’ yards in Gujarat, restoring every light to modern electrical standards without compromising character. Design Milk speaks to co-founder Chris Miller to find out more.

Tell me about your childhood, education, background, and how you first became interested in repair.

Repairing, restoring, fixing, mending – they were all the norm in my household growing up. We didn’t just throw things away. But it wasn’t until I got a little older that I realized my mindset differed from the predominantly throwaway culture elsewhere. When I look back, I realize it’s this that led me towards restoration as a career path – skinflint was founded on a mission to stop vintage lights from going to landfill; repairing vintage lights has always been an act of care for our planet and our people.

What appeals to you about repairing objects versus creating something new?

And a triple-bottom-line approach underpins everything we do. As a Certified B Corp, we will always prioritize people and the planet over profit. And restoring and repairing vintage lights is how we achieve this. Our vision is to buck ‘fast furniture’ fashion trends, so it wouldn’t make sense for us to design and manufacture new lights and add to the waste pile. Vintage lights were made to last, designed before the notion of ‘planned obsolescence’. That’s why we often find them in amazing locations around the world, outliving the buildings they exist within. The ceilings may be falling down but the lights are still standing!

There are many words for repair with slight nuances in their meaning – mending, fixing, hacking, restoring, repurposing… which do you prefer in relation to your work and why?

‘Restoration’ is the word that best sums up what we get up to at skinflint. To us, it means working with each vintage light to preserve as much of the original character as possible. We ensure each light meets modern-day technological standards but also preserve signs of age and patina; they’re the bits that tell the story of where the lights have been – everywhere from churches in the UK to private residences in Prague and factories in the Eastern Bloc.

What is the inspiration behind it – where did the idea come from?

We’ve always wanted to challenge the status quo; why can’t modern-day homes, hotels, shops, and restaurants be fitted with salvaged and restored vintage lights? In 2009, we put the theory to the test in a Victorian home in North London, and with that, skinflint was born. Fourteen years later we’ve grown, but always stayed true to our founding mission. Our ethos means we continue to make business a force for good and ensure we give back through initiatives like 1% for the Planet every year.

Which repair techniques are you using and why? How did you learn the techniques you’re using and why?

We treat each vintage light differently, there is no one-size-fits-all approach! Some lights are soda-blasted to remove old paint, some are polished, some are lacquered – restoration is a slow and steady process. But regardless of the intricacies, we will always work sustainably and prioritize the environment in our processes.

How do your repairs change the function or story of the object?

The aim of the game is to preserve. We never want to change the function of salvaged vintage lights, just ensure that they’re able to live on to tell their story. That’s part of the beauty of what we do at skinflint – the first chapter in a light’s life might be illuminating old mine shafts, but the possibilities of where it could go next are endless. We work closely with other B Corps like Aesop and Patagonia, who now have skinflint lights that once lit 1940s factories suspended from their ceilings!

How visible or invisible is the repair and why is that important?

We talk a lot about never compromising character. Signs of patina are an added bonus; it’s these little details that all add to the story of each individual light. They’re great conversation starters above dining room tables! But we will always ensure that the electrical components meet modern-day technological standards. As a proud member of the UK Lighting Industry Association, we’re independently audited, approved, and verified at every stage to ensure that all of our lights are expertly restored to modern standards for faultless functionality.

How have people reacted to this project or body of work? How do you feel opinions towards mending and repair are changing?

Consumer behavior is definitely changing. As individuals, we’re all a lot more aware of our impact on the environment and the proof is in the questions our clients are asking. They want to know we’re working sustainably and that we’re kept in check. And we are! Our B Corp Certification means that we’re legally obligated to consider our impact – and to report on it. It’s the little reminder we need to continue to evolve our ways of working, and making sure the work we do is truly circular. That’s why we recently introduced Full Circle, our product buy-back scheme. It means our clients can return their skinflint vintage lights for a 50% credit towards a future purchase. It keeps vintage lights in existence for longer and we also offer a lifetime guarantee, meaning we’ll repair any lights that need a little extra TLC.

What do you think the future holds for repair and restoration?

We’re proud to be the first vintage lighting company to introduce a product buy-back scheme and we like to think of ourselves as a game-changer in the industry. What we’ve done is demonstrate that a fully circular approach to vintage lighting is absolutely possible. And we hope that others in the industry will follow suit, bringing change to the sector as a whole. We’re excited to see what the future holds.

Katie Treggiden is a purpose-driven journalist, author and, podcaster championing a circular approach to design – because Planet Earth needs better stories. She is also the founder and director of Making Design Circular, a program and membership community for designer-makers who want to join the circular economy. With 20 years’ experience in the creative industries, she regularly contributes to publications such as The Guardian, Crafts Magazine and Monocle24 – as well as being Editor at Large for Design Milk. She is currently exploring the question ‘can craft save the world?’ through an emerging body of work that includes her fifth book, Wasted: When Trash Becomes Treasure (Ludion, 2020), and a podcast, Circular with Katie Treggiden.

At the age of 20, designer and KYT (Keeping You Together) founder Bridget Scanlan was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. As her pancreas stopped producing insulin, she had to learn to manage blood glucose tests and insulin injections – as well as all of the equipment that comes with it. Soon, KYT released three designer bags meant to empower diabetics and streamline their daily treatment in a stylish way.

“From talking to diabetics around the world, I got universal insights into the daily diabetes struggle,” Scanlan says. “It sparked a thought: could smarter design empower people to feel better about dealing with daily treatment? I wanted to redesign diabetes, so we could all redefine it.”

Jumping into action, her background in fashion design and entrepreneurship led the way. “Every zip, every angle, every equipment detail has been influenced by the insights gathered from the hundreds of incredible diabetics who have opened up and shared their diabetes stories (and gripes) with me,” she shared.

The contemporary bag designs feature smart layouts, using quality materials such as gold-rated Italian leather and solid brass hardware, and are ethically crafted. Each bag holds and organizes the carrier’s diabetic supplies, such as a testing kit, pump consumables, and insulin pens.

The SideKYT is a crossbody bag that streamlines users’ essential diabetes supplies by splitting into two sections: life essentials up front and diabetes equipment in the back. A testing station allows blood glucose levels to be evaluated straight from the bag.

If you’re looking for something larger, the SideKYT+ style might be for you. It’s a larger crossbody bag designed for pump users or those who want to carry more equipment or spares.

Lastly is the StarterKYT. The compact case allows users to discreetly carry supplies, measuring in at the size of a sunglasses case. It locks together with magnets and unfolds flat to create a testing station, then can be easily folded up again.

Currently, all three bags are available for pre-order, which includes a 15% price cut. 

Bridget Scanlan

A donation from every KYT bag sold helps diabetes charities get crucial supplies to those in need. To learn more or pre-order, visit kytbags.com.

Kelly Beall is senior editor at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based graphic designer and writer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, and enjoys sharing her finds with others. When undistracted by great art and design, she can be found making a mess in the kitchen, consuming as much information as possible, or on the couch with her three pets. Find her @designcrush on social.

At the age of 20, designer and KYT (Keeping You Together) founder Bridget Scanlan was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. As her pancreas stopped producing insulin, she had to learn to manage blood glucose tests and insulin injections – as well as all of the equipment that comes with it. Soon, KYT released three designer bags meant to empower diabetics and streamline their daily treatment in a stylish way.

“From talking to diabetics around the world, I got universal insights into the daily diabetes struggle,” Scanlan says. “It sparked a thought: could smarter design empower people to feel better about dealing with daily treatment? I wanted to redesign diabetes, so we could all redefine it.”

Jumping into action, her background in fashion design and entrepreneurship led the way. “Every zip, every angle, every equipment detail has been influenced by the insights gathered from the hundreds of incredible diabetics who have opened up and shared their diabetes stories (and gripes) with me,” she shared.

The contemporary bag designs feature smart layouts, using quality materials such as gold-rated Italian leather and solid brass hardware, and are ethically crafted. Each bag holds and organizes the carrier’s diabetic supplies, such as a testing kit, pump consumables, and insulin pens.

The SideKYT is a crossbody bag that streamlines users’ essential diabetes supplies by splitting into two sections: life essentials up front and diabetes equipment in the back. A testing station allows blood glucose levels to be evaluated straight from the bag.

If you’re looking for something larger, the SideKYT+ style might be for you. It’s a larger crossbody bag designed for pump users or those who want to carry more equipment or spares.

Lastly is the StarterKYT. The compact case allows users to discreetly carry supplies, measuring in at the size of a sunglasses case. It locks together with magnets and unfolds flat to create a testing station, then can be easily folded up again.

Currently, all three bags are available for pre-order, which includes a 15% price cut. 

Bridget Scanlan

A donation from every KYT bag sold helps diabetes charities get crucial supplies to those in need. To learn more or pre-order, visit kytbags.com.

Kelly Beall is senior editor at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based graphic designer and writer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, and enjoys sharing her finds with others. When undistracted by great art and design, she can be found making a mess in the kitchen, consuming as much information as possible, or on the couch with her three pets. Find her @designcrush on social.

RIT’s annual Metaproject is now in its 13th iteration, encouraging students to produce design that’s “semantically correct, syntactically correct, and pragmatically understandable, but also visually powerful, intellectually elegant, and timeless.” All while staying in line with the Design is One philosophy at the school’s Vignelli Center for Design Studies. For Metaproject 13, students partnered with alumni-owned, high-end furniture brand Lazzoni and shared their work during NYCxDesign 2023.

The term “metaproject” acts as an overarching theme when referring to an industry partnership that places the students’ work into a more global view. The school’s philosophy is part of the conversation of Metaproject in order to make use of and challenge modernist ideological foundations in practice, learning from available archival resources. Lazzoni shares this same point of view, asking the students to develop a unique seating solution based on the mindset.

Students taking part in Metaproject 13 presented their scaled ideas knowing that there was the possibility of their seating project being manufactured and added to Lazzoni’s catalogue – a first for Metaproject. On May 20th, the full-scale versions of contemporary chairs and sofa prototypes were showcased at Lazzoni’s Madison Avenue showroom. Dylan Malone’s Shell Chair, a convertible armchair that becomes a lounge with a simple pull, was crowned as the winning design that will move on to production and become available to consumers.

Shell Chair, Dylan Malone Transforms from a sleek armchair into a relaxing lounge with just a pull. The tri-tone upholstery gives near infinite customization for any modern home or office. The design language is expandable to a wide range of related products such as loveseats and sectionals.

Hareket, Clare Maxwell The Hareket seating system utilizes inventive typology through simple geometry and encourages rearrangement to promote various social interactions. The simplicity of the form leaves its use to interpretation.

Hagia Sophia Seating System, Danny Harig The modular Hagia Sophia Seating System brings endless combinations of seating solutions into a living space. Inspired by Turkish architecture and tempered by the Vignellis’ restrained approach, it is a home of relaxation and conversation.

The Stage Lounge, Emma Yee The Stage Lounge is a place that supports togetherness or separation, collaboration or solitude, work, rest, or even play. The movable, weighted cushions allow for an easy shift from one scene to another.

Şebeke, Joey Ruan This gridded system of tufted modules can be easily reconfigured from an armless chair to a sofa. With a back that can fold down in two orientations, one can create varying seat depths and widths, armrests, and surfaces..

Enjoy Chair, Linying Xu The Enjoy Chair intends to create a space for relaxation and a place for small items which often get lost. TV remote, phones, and other items fit neatly into the storage slots in the chair’s arm. Combining functions leads to an enjoyable seating experience.

Hafiza, Matt Hotaling The Hafıza is a minimal but elegant barstool for the home. Inspired by the Laz typography, hafıza means memory in Turkish, a perfect name for remembering and creating new memories.

Temel (root) Sofa, Rebecca Arens Emerging from the ground, this sofa brings the user down to their roots. Comfortably seating two, the curvilinear form is soft and welcomes you to sink in and relax.

The Honeycomb Collection, Max von Bartheld The Honeycomb Collection is a basic geometric shape elevated to incorporate design and comfort, inspired by nature and the vast honey culture of the Turkish people and the Las tribe. The Honeycomb Loveseat is a compact chair that holds two people for a closer connection.

Havadan Sudan, Ruth Shin Havadan Sudan seating defies typical seating classifications and cultivates a micro-climate of shared consciousness for its participants who are challenged to sit in, on, and with its physical structure.

Arc, Rebecca Harris Arc is an interactive seating device designed for – and not to constrain – the body. Using Vignelli’s design sensibilities and Lazzoni’s established brand language, this is a seat for the home that allows for lounging, focused work, and everything in between.

Moon Chair, Will Davis A chair that takes inspiration from the crescent moon pictured on the Turkish flag to create a space for the placement of a circular ottoman. The design is meant to be unique and recognizable to serve as an iconic chair, while also utilizing a cohesive, minimal, and elegant design language that fits into the Lazzoni brand.

Tas, Brynna Justice Tas seating holds space for the user and encourages conversation within the vessel. It has the ability to be modular and custom for large scale contract work, while also developing an open and comfortable environment for every user and every activity.

To learn more about Metaproject, or 2023’s Metaproject 13, visit rit.edu.

Kelly Beall is senior editor at Design Milk. The Pittsburgh-based graphic designer and writer has had a deep love of art and design for as long as she can remember, and enjoys sharing her finds with others. When undistracted by great art and design, she can be found making a mess in the kitchen, consuming as much information as possible, or on the couch with her three pets. Find her @designcrush on social.