Given that Volker Haug has only been in business for five years, his meteoric rise on the Australian design scene is remarkable.

Haug is an untrained designer and ex-hairdresser who always harboured a passion for lighting design. After a life-changing mentorship under Geoffrey Mance, Haug decided to start his own lighting design business.

“This was the point at which I moved from dabbling and experimenting to actually developing and making pieces to sell,” he says.

Antler

The designer made a strong first impression with his first few fittings, which demonstrated an inventive use of cheap, unusual and often discarded building materials.

“I am deeply inspired by urbanity,” Haug explains. “I am always on the lookout for objects in my immediate environment, particularly things that normally don’t go together.” For example, Haug used basic plastic adaptors, sourced in Germany, to create his original Antler light fitting.

Rudolf

“I bought a whole batch and played around with them, coming up with a series of chandelier shapes.” The design proved to be hugely popular, popping up in a number of private and hospitality environments and remains one of Haug’s favourite designs.

However Haug is not one to rest on his laurels and in addition to adding to his growing portfolio, he often works on refining and improving existing designs.

He recently swapped the plastic adaptors in the Antler series for larger, porcelain versions which resolved a few technical issues and upgraded the quality of the piece.

OMFG

He has also recently brought out the OMFG shade, a new larger size of the OMG shade, created from reclaimed, squashed industrial reflectors and Floor Jewellery, a floor version of his Jewellery range, made from bronzed, brass tube.

Floor Jewellery

Haug has also just unveiled a brand new collection – Firetree – a series of bent metal candelabras. These metallic-coloured, sculptural pieces are a striking addition to his varied and inventive collection.

Firetrees

Volker Haug
volkerhaug.com