Mutuus Studio Unveils Its First Official Lighting Collection

Even before founding their architecture firm Mutuus Studio eight years ago with partner Jim Friesz, Saul and Kristen Becker had been playing with light. Often incorporating handmade custom light fixtures into their projects, which run the gamut from restaurants to residences and everything in between, the designers suddenly found themselves with the makings of a lighting collection. “After dozens of variations and custom lights, we decided it was time to offer them to the larger community,” says Saul of the new line, named Dead City Lighting. “The first fixture came to life while experimenting with leftover linen Saul used to make his artist canvases,” says Kristen, describing Saul’s background in painting, which, along with his work as a sculptor and shipwright, informed the collection’s aesthetic.

Moody and sculptural, each piece is designed around tubular shades made from a material called Micarta, which is essentially canvas layered with resin. When lit, the result is a warm, ambient glow that recalls times past. “Each light in the collection references a lost city of antiquity,” Saul says. “I’m fascinated with how we live with light and the way it transcends time.”