Michael Anastassiades’s lighting and furniture are the very picture of minimalism, but the designer dislikes the limited nature of the word. “I like to start broadly with my research and take information away,” says the London-based Cypriot. “It’s a distillation process.” His uncompromising aesthetic — a blend of clever functionality and spare organic beauty — has earned the 49-year-old a loyal following. His Calder-inspired mobiles and spheres are sold in such design meccas as the Future Perfect and Ralph Pucci, and he has collaborated with FlOS and the Parisian fashion boutique Colette.

Anastassiades moved to England in the 1980s to study civil engineering, but after completing his degree he decided to start over and enroll in design school. “No one was creative in my family,” he says. “I wasn’t aware that one could study the design of everyday objects.” After experimenting with more cerebral concepts post-graduation, Anastassiades discovered his sweet spot while furnishing his home. Noticing a shortage of elegant but useful lighting, he designed a few things for himself. “I wasn’t even trying to sell pieces at the time,” Anastassiades recalls. “I just wanted to express my ideas.”