THE HEART OF
MY DESIGN
WHY CHOOSE ME?
I am a designer who aspires to create lighting that is both functional and a piece of art.
Where I stand out from many designers is that I can work with a number of different materials including leather, metal, wood and glass, often producing pieces that are enhanced by the amalgamation of these.
Lighting is an art form to me that should look beautiful from all angles - the opportunity to reflect light in different ways and through different mediums is a total joy, which I intend to be evident in all my designs.
Being an engineer at heart, I see every design as an opportunity to generate a solution to meet a need - which I genuinely love doing! So I say bring on the next challenge!
MY BACKGROUND
I have had a long and very varied career since graduating from Southampton University as a civil engineer in the early 90s. At first I went to work for a consulting engineering firm as a Graduate Engineer in London and Winchester for a few years, and I then qualified as a chartered accountant and for the next 13 years worked all over the country for both international and national organisations.
I then settled in the beautiful town of Melbourne, Derbyshire, and became a mum, which inspired me to create and run my own business Creative Little People for 3 years, doing arts and crafts with little ones and their carers. I then qualified as a primary school teacher at the age of 40, and now still work in education as a Specialist Assessor in a secondary school!
However, making things has always brought me great pleasure whenever I have found the time. In 2022, fast approaching 50, I realised there was no time like the present to follow my heart and to make design my living, and at that point Sarah Cicely Designs was created! I remember the day well, 6th March, when I woke up with the name, and by the end of the day I had a web domain set up, an email account and a logo, and a total feeling of joy and excitement that I was about to embark on a journey that I will never want to end!
MY INSPIRATION
I created this business in memory of my amazing Granny Cicely, a lady who will forever be one of the most influential people in my life and without doubt is the heart of my creativity. She taught me to sew, to draw, to paint, to cook and, most importantly, to love.
The most treasured material possession I own is my Granny’s A5 sketch book. The earliest sketches in this book are probably circa 1960s when she was working with ceramics, and some of the last entries are annotated paintings she did in the 1990s. She was right-handed, but after suffering a series of strokes, she completed some of her later illustrations with her left hand, demonstrating well her intoxicating enthusiasm for life.
THE FUTURE
Who knows, one day you may be the giver or receiver of a piece of hand crafted “functional art” by Sarah Cicely Designs.