It is the rugged and wild landscape of Norway that inspires the designs of Vera Kleppe and Åshild Kyte: luminaires, benches, shelves, tables and glass objects. Take “Topiary”, for example, a luminaire that resembles a tree, yet is so flat that it almost appears two-dimensional – like drawings in children’s books. What is surprising about the two Norwegians, who obtained their degrees from the Bergen Academy of Art and Design and opened their studio in the coastal city in 2012, is that they do not work with wood but with metal. And their objects are lacquered in the kind of bright colors we last saw at Memphis in the 1980s.
Vera & Kyte
![](https://cdn.stylepark.com/articles/2014/vera-kyte/l2_v355144_958_621_414-1.jpg)
![](https://cdn.stylepark.com/articles/2014/vera-kyte/l2_v355144_958_308_318-2.jpg)
Whowhatwherewhenhow?
Where would you like to live?
Vera: By the sea.
Kyte: By the mountains.
Your favorite character in the history of design?
Vera: Dieter Rams.
Kyte: Alexander McQueen.
Which qualities do you admire in a designer?
Vera: Diversity.
Kyte: Boldness.
What do you enjoy doing most?
Vera: Laughing.
Kyte: Drawing.
Your main personality trait?
Vera: Unafraid.
Kyte: Thorough.
Your biggest mistake?
Vera: Was optimistic about custom clearance.
Kyte: Mixed up credit card and visa card.
Your idea of happiness?
Vera: Seeing the first prototype.
Kyte: Tidy workspace and a new project.
What do you find really annoying?
Vera: Not having enough time.
Kyte: Dried out markers and pens.
Your favorite material?
Vera: Paper.
Kyte: Ink.
Your favorite flower?
Vera: Lilac.
Kyte: Garden cosmos.
What kind of music do you listen to when you work?
Vera: No music.
Kyte: Radio.
Which design achievement do you most detest?
Vera: Welded plastic packaging, impossible to open.
Kyte: Battery driven salt and pepper grinder.
Which talent would you like to have?
Vera: CAD genius.
Kyte: Breathtaking sketches.
Can you describe your present state of mind?
Vera: Busy and eager.
Kyte: Busy and enthusiastic.
Your motto?
Vera: Enjoy work.
Kyte: Take risks.