Agnes Cascade Pendant Light in Nickel by Lindsey Adelman for Roll Hill

Venturesome Manhattan lighting designer Lindsey Adelman creates dramatic chandeliers, pendants and decorative objects that draw on natural forms and frequently see an integration of blown glass, porcelain and vintage brass. 

Having already earned her undergraduate degree in English, Adelman worked as an editorial assistant at the Smithsonian museums until she met a woman carving french fries out of foam for an exhibition. This chance meeting proved to be a turning point in her life, as Adelman decided to pursue a career in design. 

Adelman began to work for a manufacturer in Seattle that produced hand-blown glass lighting fixtures after earning a degree in industrial design at the Rhode Island School of Design during the late 1990s. She determined that she would focus on lighting design and moved to New York City. 

In Manhattan, Adelman cofounded a lighting studio called Butter with designer David Weeks in 2000. Six years later, she opened her own eponymous firm. The studio’s inaugural design was Adelman’s Branching Bubble chandelier, an elegant, sculptural fixture that features hand-blown glass spheres created by Brooklyn artist Michiko Sakano. It gave way to a collection of other chandeliers, pendants, sconces and floor lamps.

Adelman’s work, which is inspired by poetry, nature and art by the likes of Alberto Giacometti, has been exhibited at the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. She served as a judge for the 2015 Cooper-Hewitt National Design Award and led design workshops for kids that were hosted by the institution. Her provocative Catch collection of pendants was exhibited at the Nilufar Gallery in Milan.

Find Lindsey Adelman lighting on 1stDibs.