What makes this partnership even more special is how Flos was the first to truly believe in his vision. “When I started out, many brands closed their doors to me. I still remember who said no,” he admits with a cheeky grin. “I didn’t have the patience of the 20-somethings to face so many rejections, so in the end, I launched my product under my own name.”

His small presentation at Euroluce, however, caught Flos’ attention, which immediately recognised his potential. “They took a chance [on me] when others didn’t, and that trust shaped everything that followed,” he reflects.

One of their earliest collaborations involved Anastassiades’ bold choice of using brass as a primary material. At the time, brass was somewhat considered an outdated finish. “I remember the owner of Flos telling me, ‘Germans hate brass; they only like chrome and black,’” Anastassiades laughs.

Determined to stay true to his vision, he suggested producing the designs in both brass and chrome. The results were unexpected: “Eighty per cent of sales ended up being brass,” he shares. “It proved that materials with warmth and character resonate deeply with people when presented thoughtfully.” The success of these designs not only cemented Anastassiades’ reputation, but also reintroduced brass as a coveted material in contemporary design.

Anastassiades embraces natural materials such as brass, which he helped reintroduce to contemporary design. “I reintroduced brass and spheres at a time when they weren’t trendy. Familiarity gives designs longevity,” he explains.

His understated yet expressive pieces challenge the notion that bold designs must scream for attention. Instead, they invite users to slow down and connect with their surroundings.

During the pandemic, Anastassiades expanded his material explorations with a series of bamboo-based lamps, first showcased at the exhibition Cheerfully Optimistic About the Future at ICA Milano in September 2021. The centrepiece of this line is the Bamboo Lights collection, which represents a departure from his studio’s usual language of geometric, controlled forms.

It embraces the inherent irregularities of bamboo, celebrating both the plant’s precision and its imperfection. Additional natural materials, like linen thread, reinforce the collection’s tactile appeal, while the intentionally exposed bulb holders, connections and cables showcase the honesty of its construction.

With the Italian tile brand Mutina, Anastassiades explores the versatility of ceramics. This sustainable resource inspired him to create collections of tiles for Mutina that range from two-dimensional products like the Fringe series, which features geometric patterns, to three-dimensional brick modules called Tally.

Mutina even launched a timber tile line called Rings for him. Covering a wide variety of architectural needs, these designs reflect celebrates natural textures and forms.

Anastassiades’ Peaks collection, recently launched under his own brand, is an embodiment of his love of geometry. The graded shading on the curved surface of each cone is as much a feature as the projected beams of light they emitted. Designed to be displayed as single, double or triple formats, the cones can point upwards or downwards to suit the preferred lighting direction.

For all his design achievements, Anastassiades’ own house in Cyprus remains a work in progress. This ongoing project reflects his philosophy of creating intentionally and allowing spaces to evolve naturally over time.

To the designer, a home isn’t just lit—it’s illuminated with intention. “Layer your lighting. Don’t depend on one central fixture,” he advises. Instead, he encourages creating a mix of ambient, task and accent lights that are tailored to different moods, and keeping the luminaires analogue instead of unifying them under a smart system. “Lighting should be personal, not predefined by technology or someone else’s programming,” he quips.

At his own home, light and shadow are carefully considered to create spaces that feel alive, yet calming. “Design isn’t about filling spaces; it’s about enhancing them,” he asserts.

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