The team behind BEEM

Enough dust has settled now after Milan that the stand-out products and big ideas have been seared into our memories, and the less-inspiring fodder has been shoved into the brain’s equivalent of under the bed. One new launch that continues to illuminate our imagination is BEEM, a new lighting brand from London-based designer Samuel Wilkinson and Chris Stimson and Bujar Shkodra, entrepreneurs and founders of well-lit. Combining the latest in LED technology with a clean, the premise of the products is to do away with ugly bulb setting in favour of a far more sculptural affair.

Given the lighting market is currently dominated by retro-chic and an industrial aesthetic, BEEM founders Samuel, Chris and Bujar wanted to develop a brand that hinged on simple, streamlined shapes that were still packed with personality. Its initial two designs, SMILE and CURLI, were soft-launched at Future Dome at Ventura Future in Milan, winning fans with their novel approach. CURLI is a continuous asymmetric coil that spirals around the bulb holder to hide it from view and SMILE, as the name suggests, is a U-shaped curve that drapes elegantly from the ceiling.

Chris and Bujar founded well-lit in 2013 with the aim of disrupting the status quo of big companies selling poor quality LED lighting for over the odds. Chris and Bujar brought in designer Samuel Wilkinson for new project BEEM to harness his expertise in contemporary design and the result was a match made in heaven.

Given Chris and Bujar were friends for many years before they became business partners, we wanted to catch up with these bright sparks to get the inside scoop on their working lives.

You were neighbours before you were business partners. When did you realise you’d make a good team?

It is all about having a shared goal and most importantly having fun while trying to achieve that goal. We both fiercely want to challenge what existed (and still exists) in our industry and the perceptions of what’s possible in terms of design and performance, but that process had to be fun and enjoyable.

We met about 10 years ago and in that time there have been plenty of opportunities when things have got really tough, tough enough just to chuck it all in, particularly when we both started having kids. But we believed in what we were doing and no matter how tough things got we are two people who can always find a joke or light-hearted moment.

Why should we be excited about some of the recent advances in LED technology?

Flexible LED Filament technology is a complete game changer. Not only does it open up a new world of opportunities from a design and form point of view, but it’s also a more reliable and stable technology. It’s a very exciting time to involved in lighting.

How has BEEM stretched your already considerable lighting knowledge?

From the usual LED Lamps we designed and created everything had to either be improved or created from scratch for BEEM. We had to develop longer flexible filaments with LED chips that emitted light on both sides to get the required level of lumens and an even light distribution. Heat dissipation had to be sufficient in a space far smaller than we were used to and completely new manufacturing techniques had to be developed. We are constantly learning and pushing boundaries and this is exactly the environment we are most comfortable in. There is far more anxiety and stress in standing still and not innovating as far as we are concerned.

What has been the most fun thing about working with Samuel?

Working with someone so creative and enthusiastic about what they do is inspiring. Right from our first meeting we had to discuss the project, we knew we had the right person. Not only has Sam provided incredible designs for the lamps but he’s also been instrumental in taking our initial idea and transforming it into something much bigger

If you could have a BEEM product installed in any building (or non-architectural location), where would it be and why?

Chris: For me there are two, my beloved Everton is about to build a new stadium, so I’d love to be a part of that – perhaps a special edition blue and white Smile 03 in the hospitality areas. In three to four years time I can take my son to his first game and say that those are daddy’s lights. Secondly, the Gherkin. It’s a modern, progressive yet classical design that changed the landscape of London. It’s cutting-edge design but fits perfectly with its environment and even complements the nearby St Paul’s cathedral. It’s perfectly in keeping with the vision for BEEM and I’d love to see hundreds of the Curli hanging down in the lobby.

Bujar: Coming from Kosovo it has to the National Library of Kosovo. It was built in 1982 in a style that combines modern means, regional traditions and rural architecture. For me it’s a completely unique and revolutionary building, so the Curli would fit in perfectly.

Like what you see? Samuel Wilkinson shines a light on how BEEM’s first collection was designed here.

Click here to find more about what we do for Samuel Wilkinson and BEEM here.