For more than a decade, Robert Ogden has helped define the creative language of Lostine, co-leading the company alongside Natalie Page while also developing his own line of refined, sculptural lighting through his namesake brand, RTO Lighting. He brings decades of experience as a maker, antique dealer, and designer into every detail of his work. From hand-formed brass fixtures to the quiet elegance of a silhouette. He also consults on NPage Studio, offering his eye and insight across the trio of brands. In this second installment of our two-part series, the lens shifts. Natalie sits down with Robert for an intimate conversation about process, precision, and the ongoing evolution of his design practice.
NP: You have been in fashion, made jewelry, sculpture, furniture, and even designed shoes. Why is lighting the thing you continue to make?
RO: I feel like I found my "design soul mate." Lighting is something you live with longer than fashion. I like the challenge of designing something people are going to live with for many years to come. I will say that jewelry is the one thing that inspires me from fashion sometimes. Jewelry is the one part of your clothing or style that can last a lifetime. Not so much costume jewelry, but precious and semi-precious jewelry, and I like to think that our lighting is precious.
NP: What is important about lighting?
RO: It’s a necessity. Our job is to make it more than just function, we want to make it an object of interest.
The importance of lighting falls into 2 categories. One is aesthetics, and the other is utility.
Since we have the privilege of designing something that most people look at everyday, we need to design with form and function in mind. That is an excellent opportunity for us to be creative.
NP: Are there any materials that you would like to work with that you don't currently work with?
RO: Stone. Over the years I’ve gotten to make objects and pieces of furniture out of marble. Using stone in a lighting application interests me because of the high character and natural variations within the material itself. I like the challenge of working with stone and approaching the construction from the same point of view as I do when working with other materials. For example, I have been making stone dovetails in a similar construction to wood dovetails and considering if the result is interesting and also effective. I would also like to experiment with turning stone like wood.
NP: Tell us the story of the first lamp you made.
RO: The first lamp I made was an adaptation of a vintage sun lamp that folded. In the mid-90s, I started to make gifts for people out of things that I found while I was working in menswear fashion in New York. I continued for a number of years making lighting from found objects which in some ways naturally evolved into what I do today.
NP: What is the difference between Lostine, RTO Lighting, and NPage Studio Lighting?
RO: NPage Studio's focus is primarily ceramics which are very much sculptural and functional.
Lostine is always evolving. It is meant to be a collection that can be appealing for someone who has a home in the city or just as easily fits into a weekend home. It is a Modern American Collection that often expresses versatility.
The RTO collection is a little bit dressier and meant to be more of a statement piece in your home.
NP: When you look at vintage lighting, what catches your eye?
RO: I think that the first thing that catches my eye is if it has movement, if it has any kind of articulation. The other thing that I often find interesting is if the materials are unexpected like the lighting designed by Ingo Maurer. It doesn’t have to be a famous designer. Sometimes I will discover something that was put together in someone's workshop because they needed a light and it piques my interest. What I am drawn to changes often for me, and has evolved the more we source vintage pieces. What I looked at two years ago would be different from what I look at today.
NP: What do you want people to know about our three companies?
RO: We are proud of the level of craftsmanship in our work. We choose to design and manufacture in our own studio because we feel that we can offer the best quality if we stay close to the process. We are a family-owned business, and we are grateful to do what we love everyday.
