La Stella Lighting: Creating a Light Fantastic

Some radiate with aquamarine luminescence or sparkle with the iridescence of icicles; others brighten the sprit with a crystalline calliope of colors. They may be chandeliers, sconces or pendants, but each is endowed with a singular distinction of beauty that comes from the magical interaction of light and fused glass.

“What we create are illuminated sculptures,” said Giuliana Dalsgaard, president of La Stella Lighting. “It’s not just lighting, it is a world of color, emotion and illumination. Some call it creating light poetry with glass.”

The way Dalsgaard creates her “light poetry” is by a fused glass process that essentially melts and blends layers of colored glass. By varying melting temperatures and types of glass, La Stella Lighting creates illuminated sculptures that are functional and supremely artistic.

“Much like a painter does with a pallet, I use high kiln temperatures to blend various types of glass that produce new textures and colors, or I can use lower temperatures to precisely meld glass-gems into a design,” Dalsgaard explained.

Located in Novato, La Stella Lighting offers a complete line of custom-created lighting fixtures, from full collections to stand-alone creations. Prices for small works start in the $2,500 range, while majestic chandeliers range up to $75,000 and may take six months to produce. “We specialize in creating unique, one-of-a kind lighting for the hospitality industry, high-end residences, world-class casinos, restaurants and corporate facilities,” said Dalsgaard.

La Stella’s 6,000-square-foot fused-glass production studio and showroom are unlike any in the North Bay. The spacious gallery displays Dalsgaard’s creations; each creation is named to reflect the artist’s vision. There is Carnival, a chandelier both majestic and festive, and the cool, sexy, Blue Ice, offered as a chandelier or sconce. Then there is Tranquil Waters, a fusion of blue-green glass, with elegant sculptured steel trim.

“Clients bring us their ideas; they see what we have created, and then more ideas start coming,” said Dalsgaard. “We give them guidance, then develop three-dimensional computer models that help us create fused-glass sculptures that fulfill their vision and lighting needs. With our metal-working skill and fused-glass technology, the possibilities are endless.”

The president of La Stella Lighting seems a fusion of talents. Poised, but with an ebullient sense of humor that reflects her Mediterranean heritage, Dalsgaard is equally at ease in the showroom or workshop.

“I love every aspect of my business, from helping clients to the technical elements. Working at my bench is such a joy; I love experimenting with different types of glass and techniques. I fill my notebook with data. La Stella is on the cutting edge of fused glass lighting and I intend to keep it that way.”

Dalsgaard’s affinity with glass began when she was a young girl.

“As a first-generation Italian, my parents often took me to Italy. In Venice, I fell in love with stained glass windows and the art of glass-blowing. Later, I did stained-glass pieces but then I discovered the possibilities of fused glass.” Dalsgaard’s first creations were small tabletop pieces and pendants. “I would hold them up to the window and see how the light made the glass glow. The colors seemed alive,” she recalled. It was when Dalsgaard teamed up with metal-sculpture craftsman Stephen Peterson that La Stella was born. “Stephen is an artist. He creates the custom metalwork that makes my glass creations function as both light fixtures and works of art.”

“My goal is to use the art of metal to create a stage for our light sculptures,” said Peterson. “At La Stella we strive to create a harmonious melding of metal and glass that brings a sense of wonder and delight to our clients.”

“We pride ourselves in our personal service, quality and creative vision,” added Dalsgaard. “To think we create light sculptures that will adorn the finest environments in the world is a dream fulfilled.”

La Stella Lighting is located at 52C Leveroni Court, Novato. For an appointment, call (415) 884-9045.