American lighting brand Apparatus opens the doors to its first London space, a gallery in the heart of Mayfair that is set to become the company’s European base (joining a network of spaces in New York and Los Angeles).
The New York brand was launched in 2012 by its current artistic director, Gabriel Hendifar, whose background includes theatre costume and production and a decade-long stint in the fashion industry before he moved to lighting and product design. Conceived and produced in New York (with manufacturing at the company’s Brooklyn factory), Apparatus lighting designs result from a constellation of inspirations that include film, music, visual art, and human emotion. ‘I believe that the objects in our homes have the power to help us understand ourselves more clearly,’ says Hendifar. ‘Design is an expression of who we are and what we value. It is about identity, connection and humanity.’
Step inside Apparatus’ London gallery
For the new space, Hendifar was inspired by London’s architecture and its tradition of members’ clubs, creating an interior that merges contemporary influences with local cultural heritage. Materials set the tone for the space: guests arrive through a vestibule clad in patinated brass, while the main gallery is defined by Italian Calacatta Classico marble and architectural motifs in plaster.
At the back of the space, a dramatic staircase takes visitors to the lower floor’s lounge. The staircase references the 1930s interior architecture of London’s Eltham Palace and Milan’s Villa Necchi Campiglio. On the walls are portraits of Hendifar’s maternal grandmother, Shazdeh, and his mother, Afsaneh.
‘In many ways, the London gallery is conceived as a fantasy home for my grandmother,’ says Hendifar, whose parents moved from Iran to LA in the late 1970s. ‘It is through these Persian matriarchs that I developed my own understanding of gracious hospitality, and what it means to welcome people into a space.’
Apparatus, 7 Mount street, London
-
Japan in Milan! See the highlights of Japanese design at Milan Design Week 2025At Milan Design Week 2025 Japanese craftsmanship was a front runner with an array of projects in the spotlight. Here are some of our highlights
-
Tour the best contemporary tea houses around the worldCelebrate the world’s most unique tea houses, from Melbourne to Stockholm, with a new book by Wallpaper’s Léa Teuscher
-
‘Humour is foundational’: artist Ella Kruglyanskaya on painting as a ‘highly questionable’ pursuitElla Kruglyanskaya’s exhibition, ‘Shadows’ at Thomas Dane Gallery, is the first in a series of three this year, with openings in Basel and New York to follow
-
A new London show explores material magic with medieval melancholyInspired by deconsecrated monasteries, interior designer and curator Jermaine Gallacher takes us on a journey through time and mood in a London exhibition at The Ragged School
-
William Morris mania meets the design industry’s darker side in a new London show‘Morris Mania’ at the William Morris Gallery explores the British designer’s complicated legacy in an ever-more commodified world
-
Wallpaper* takes a turn around Somerset House for Collect 2025Our round-up of the highlights from the 21st edition of the collectible craft and design fair in London
-
‘It’s a museum-like jewel box’: L’Objet marks 20 years of elegant design with a new London flagshipOpening on 12 March 2025, L’Objet’s new London boutique is rich in chocolate colours and velvet detailing
-
This Beirut design collective threads untold stories into upholstered antique furnitureBeirut-based Bokja opens a Notting Hill pop-up that's a temple to textiles, from upholstered furniture to embroidered cushions crafted by artisans (until 25 March 2025)
-
'A creative explosion' in the West End: Sarabande Foundation takes residency at SelfridgesSarabande Foundation's ‘House of Bandits’ takes up residence with gusto in Selfridges for nine weeks
-
‘I began experimenting and haven’t really stopped,’ Miranda Keyes on working with glassIn a rapidly changing world, the route designers take to discover their calling is increasingly circuitous. Here we speak to Miranda Keyes about her forging her own path to success
-
Feldspar makes its mark on Whitehall with a festive pop-up at Corinthia HotelDevon-based bone china brand Feldspar makes its first foray into shopkeeping with a pop-up at London’s Corinthia Hotel. Ali Morris speaks with the founders and peeks inside
