For a professional chef and content creator, a home must seamlessly transition from a high-functioning production studio to a restorative sanctuary. Crafted alongside his partner, Ann, this space beautifully balances natural materials with intelligent lighting solutions. From a dry kitchen that doubles as a filming stage to a living room filled with travel treasures, the home is a thoughtful study in neutral tones, functional design, and creating an inviting atmosphere for both the camera and guests.
Pictured Above: Halo V2 and Halo Mini Adjust
Your home has such a distinct sense of character. How would you describe it, and what was the guiding interior direction?
I would say it's built to be a calming space. Calming for us means warm, soft light. Neutral tones with natural materials like wood and stone.
There's a beautiful balance between natural materials and richer, more tactile notes. Where did that palette begin?
It began with Ann, she was always pushing for a neutral colour palette and it took me a while to understand because I generally like a bit of a pop of colour. But her idea was to bring the colour in through objects and art rather than to paint the walls red for example. These objects and art are easy to swap out when you get tired of them whereas repainting the walls is a commitment.
Pictured Above: Halo V2 (left), Halo Mini Exposed (right)
Did you design your home as a hybrid space?
We both essentially work from home so we designed the house with that in mind. I use the dry kitchen essentially as a filming studio so I wanted to design the space that enables me to jump into filming a video should the idea arise. As much as we can, we try to keep work and leisure separate so that there is a physical boundary that is crossed when we go from work to rest, or vice versa.
As a chef and content creator, how in"Lighting is everything when it comes to food, even the most beautiful dishes can look visually flat if they don't have the right light on it."tegral were the spatial planning and lighting to the way you shoot and work at home? "Lighting is everything when it comes to food, even the most beautiful dishes can look visually flat if they don't have the right light on it."
Lighting is everything when it comes to food, even the most beautiful dishes can look visually flat if they don't have the right light on it. We host a lot at the counter and the rotatable nature of the Halo lights have proven very useful. We can angle it to make the counter feel like a 'stage' where I guess you could say I 'perform' by cooking and interacting with the guests.
Pictured Above: Halo V2 (left), Halo Mini Exposed (right)
Tell us about your experience working with Sol Luminaire.
It went very smoothly, we do not have very high ceilings and when they assessed our space, we agreed that recessed lighting wasn't very feasible and they recommended their Halos which we have come to love.
Lighting in a chef's home carries two jobs, one to flatter food in the videos and another to flatter guests when you’re hosting - how do you balance that?
I would say we prioritised the lighting for the guests a bit more. We always use the dimming function of the Halos and have it at about 30-40% brightness for a warm and flattering environment. If you had the most amazing looking food but the guests aren't comfortable, then ultimately the goal isn't achieved.
Pictured Above: Halo Mini Adjust (left), Halo Mini Adjust and Halo V2 (right)
Is there a room in the house you'd describe as the "signature dish"?
Probably the living room. It's the room with the most display shelves and it's where we get to showcase some of the things we have collected through our travels.
Was the home designed with a growing family in mind?
Ann is actually pregnant now and we thankfully have catered for a spare room that can be easily turned into a nursery. We are in the process of doing so!
Pictured above: Halo V2
Is there a particular space or object in the home you find yourself drawn to again and again?
I really enjoy our master bedroom. It’s where Ann and I reconvene after our days and we usually watch a show before bed. So coming in always feels relaxing and I always look forward to it.
What's one thing about lighting that genuinely surprised you, something you'd never considered before?
I would say we have always known that lighting is very important to the mood and look of a house and that was one of the fir"What surprised me was how big the difference in colour temperature plays"st things we told our interior designer. That lighting was going to be a priority. I think perhaps what surprised me was how big the difference in colour temperature plays. You can assess white paint in daylight but it will look completely different the moment you turn on your light and it shines onto your walls. "What surprised me was how big the difference in colour temperature plays"
For someone about to start their own home, what's the one piece of lighting advice you wish you'd been given earlier?
Plan ahead and plan early. If you want things like recessed lighting or you want LED Strips that aren't visible and instead bounce off of walls, they require setup in order to be done nicely. Light placement is also very important and this is where having your light vendor advise on whether certain areas might be too dark and you require more lights in order to illuminate the space.
