Lighting the way
Nightworks Studio’s design transcends trends, grounded in integrity, innovation, and beauty.
Founded by Kiri Morgan and Ben Wahrlich, Nightworks Studio is a lighting design company, celebrated for its refined aesthetic and dedication to both form and craft. Each piece is created to sit seamlessly within the wider collection, with award-winning designs that showcase exceptional materials, innovative manufacturing, and lasting quality.
Nightworks has evolved into a dynamic team, united by a shared dedication to design, craftsmanship, and quality. Based in Ōtautahi Christchurch, the company recently invested in a dedicated production space that has now become the beating heart of the brand. The expanded workshop space has unlocked new possibilities, enabling larger, more complex projects, increasing production capacity, and creating the freedom to take on high-profile custom commissions that previously exceeded their capacity.
Nightworks’ growth has been steady and deliberate. This stability allows deep knowledge and skill to flourish, ensuring that each piece benefits from the continuity of experience within the team. The majority of the staff are trained designers, ranging from industrial designers to jewellers and product designers, many from the University of Canterbury, who bring both creative vision and hands-on making skills to the workshop.
From the outset, Nightworks has resisted the pull of fast consumerism and fleeting trends. Instead, the brand champions a timeless design philosophy. Pieces are intended to remain relevant, functional, and beautiful for decades. Each product follows a considered, process-led path from concept to release, often taking up to two years before it reaches the shelf. The result is a collection that feels cohesive yet evolves naturally over time.
Nightworks works closely with long-standing suppliers, both local and global, sourcing from the best in each field, allowing their production capabilities to span casting, spinning, and pressing, covering a wide variety of architectural applications. Across every project, the pursuit of perfection is constant, with no corner-cutting and an unrelenting commitment to the highest quality. Recognition has followed naturally. Nightworks has been honoured with many of the most prestigious local and international awards for its product designs.
Clients can see the workshop in action, meet the directors and designers, and witness the making process firsthand. Many overseas clients, from Australia to the USA and Europe, have travelled to New Zealand specifically to visit. In an online world, this in-person experience offers something rare and memorable.
Nightworks’ projects range from its core products to bespoke commissions for architects and interior designers. A Redcliffs residence, featuring a striking multi-storey pendant light accented with Ōamaru Stone, stands out as a recent example of their design language brought to life. End projects often reveal the products in unexpected contexts, offering fresh perspectives on familiar forms.
Their designs translate across styles. The same pendant can read as effectively in a minimalist apartment, warm in a mid-century living room, rugged in an industrial loft, elegant in a heritage villa, or breezy in a coastal bach. It’s a quiet testament to Nightworks’ attention to proportion, material and finish, and the power of considered design.
Whether working on a single pendant or a large-scale architectural installation, Nightworks remains guided by the same principles: timeless design, uncompromising quality, and a deep respect for the craft. Nightworks truly is lighting the way with thoughtful design.