Lee Broom on Craft, Creativity, and Conquering the U.S. Market

Since founding his eponymous company in London in 2007, Lee Broom has designed more than 100 lighting products, furniture pieces, and accessories. All have been created for and manufactured by his own brand: an unusual approach, this assumption of all risk and responsibility for a product. But little about Broom follows the prescribed script.

Born in Birmingham, in Britain’s West Midlands, Broom was a child actor who specialized in Shakespearian theater. While acquiring a degree in fashion design, he segued into interiors and, ultimately, furnishings. So little surprise that his pieces, which reinterpret classic styles in unexpected ways, contain moments of drama and narrative. Luxurious materials, including Carrera marble and Bohemian crystal, play to the senses and add to the story.

Broom describes his designs as “striking the balance between modernism and nostalgia, re-imagining silhouettes, and playing with form and shape.” They are certainly striking a chord in the United States, which has become Broom’s largest market.

Following, Broom elaborates on his business and creative practices as well as the ways he is truly making New York home.

How did you get your start?

My career began at the age of 7, when I started acting professionally, including as a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. I always loved to draw and had a particular interest in fashion. At 17, I entered a national competition for fashion design and won; this led me to meet and then work for the legendary designer Vivienne Westwood. I decided to pursue a degree in fashion and started at Central St Martins, in London.

To support myself at college, I gave décor advice to independent bars and restaurants. That eventually became a full-time career after I graduated in 2000. I also was designing bespoke pieces for the venues, so I decided to launch a furniture and lighting brand under my own name.

Where do you find inspiration for your designs?

I pick inspiration up all the time, just by walking around the city, traveling the world, seeing architecture and fashion, going to galleries, and even visiting factories where I make my products. If I see something interesting, I store it away in my memory and then tap into it later on or combine it with another idea. I think that is what makes my pieces innovative yet familiar. I like that you may have seen them before, just not in that way. There is an immediate connection but a distinct point of difference making them unique.

With which materials do you primarily work?

Metals such as brass and aluminum always seems to find their way into my pieces, particularly to create structure and seamlessness. I like working in a variety of materials and finishes and pushing their boundaries. This is particularly true in lighting, where oak, draped plaster, and Jesmonite are not the usual options.

Your penthouse apartment in Tribeca [in downtown Manhattan] doubles as your U.S. showroom. Why did you decide to allow people to tour your personal living space?

Initially I had a showroom on Greene Street, in SoHo. Just before COVID our lease expired, and we were thinking about presenting our work in a different way. Up until that point people had seen my products in showrooms or very engaging theatrical exhibitions. What they hadn’t seen was a representation of my work in a residential setting. Given my background as an interior designer, I thought this would be a wonderful opportunity to finally present my work within an interior that I had imagined.

We opened the Tribeca penthouse in 2021. Since then, it has let us show clients our lighting and furniture in situ and in an environment that elevates the products. The space is domestic, but also aspirational and authentically me.

The U.S. is now your largest market. Why do you think your products have resonated in the States?

I have always loved the U.S. and, in particular, New York. It has been my ambition to bring my work here and make the City a permanent part of my life, which it now is. I believe this contributes to our success here.

What advice would you give a non-U.S. brand trying to establish its first foothold here?

It truly is about showing up and not treating [an expansion here] as an extension of your existing business. I would almost say it is pertinent to treat it as a new startup. You are working in an environment where the landscape is very different even though the language might well be the same. You have to embed yourself in the fabric of the country. Authenticity is a key aspect of launching any business in a new market. It needs to be authentic, and it needs to be true.

There is a lot of emphasis on digital, social, and connecting remotely with people which I embrace. However, there is still so much benefit in connecting face-to-face.

What are you working on now?

I am finishing a new lighting collection which I plan to launch exclusively in New York this May during ICFF and NYCxDesign. We often launch new pieces during Salone del Mobile in Milan or London Design Festival, but this will be the first time we have done so here. I’m very excited.