I first heard about Mike Randall from Tessa McLoughlin, founder of Kwench Culture Club. Her exact words were simple: “You should meet him – he’s incredible.”
Mike is the founder of Mike Randall Design and his work is woven throughout Kwench’s thoughtfully curated co-working space. Bent wood that feels alive. Custom lighting designed with digital nomads in mind. Stain finishes that perfectly complement the architecture. His pieces fill the space and guide how one works inside it.
In 2021, the year I moved to Victoria, I reached out to Mike and we met up for a coffee at Bean Around the World. I asked about his work, his teaching and his family and we shared a conversation about wood working, engineering and life. I left that chat with an appreciation for his work but an unclear path on what questions to ask next.
Fast forward to 2025, and I’ve transitioned my career into consulting and photography. In the spirit of storytelling, I’ve been reaching out to local makers, designers and business owners to capture them, their spaces, and their work. Mike was patient-zero – he invited me into his home workshop and allowed me to see into his world, his process, and the unique challenges of lighting design.
In the fall and winter, the sun comes up well after Mike has started his day. Surrounded by darkness, Mike sits at his desk sketching a design by hand or in CAD, following up on emails and planning collaborations. Like most solo-founders, Mike is not just a lighting designer, he’s a business owner in all aspects. Marketing, sales, design, build, customer service & branding all fall on him. Over the years he has forged strong relationships with some giants in the design world, including Montauk Sofaand the Interior Design Show (IDS).
My first time visiting, I was struck by the space itself. It’s small and thoughtfully laid out with all the tools Mike needs to bring his ideas to life. The shed style roof opens to the south, and sunrise light streaks in and catches lingering sawdust in the air from a recent cut. Walls covered in tools, some I know of, and many I don’t. I’m learning that there is a tool for every job in lighting design, no matter how small or unique.
On my second visit it was the olfactory experience of white and red oak that stuck with me. Each design needs just the right piece of wood with the perfect imperfections and the correct properties for bending and contorting. Mike keeps his shop in excellent condition, but there is a soft and thin layer of sawdust scattered throughout, the mark of any carpenter’s well used shop. The smells remind me of my time in high school shop class, learning new tools, picking my own unique piece of wood for my own project. I had guidelines and a playbook provided by my teacher. Mike follows the playbook of his own creation, often changing as frequently as the design itself.
On my third visit, I felt more familiar with Mike and his routine. He has a plan, but as any artist knows, the plan always falls apart. I’ve witnessed him reflecting at length on how to make just the right complicated cut or micro adjustment. He’s in a creative flow in the mornings and his projects span months. Sometimes they stay hanging up even if he’s working on another design. It’s on purpose: he wants to stay wrapped up in their shape and composition, to really get what it will feel like when it gets delivered.
Mike is originally from the United Kingdom. He’s owned his own sailboat, ran his own sailing tour company and met his wife on his first night in Victoria. They’ve built a life together in Fernwood, Victoria’s Arts and Culture Hub. Their two kids are entering their university years. Mike’s son, Felix, has the same creative bug. He works with metal, a different medium. He’s considering studying at the British Academy of Jewellery in the UK. Another craft, but the same artistic process.
For Felix, I see a future of early mornings, sunrise light, and metal shards on the floor of his own shop. Designs scattered among the tools. I am sure he’ll have the same eye for the way light falls and how that brings more depth to his art.
Editor’s comment-This photo story is by Alex Pym, a member of the Victoria Camera Club.
This is the first of what we hope will be a continuing series of occasional photo stories by Alex and other club members.
Should you have a photo story, be feel free to submit it. We are looking for good photographs and good writing.