Lighting

Electric Confetti

Electric Confetti is a new Melbourne business that creates a range of fun, contemporary neon lights that have the look of traditional neon signage, reimagined as artwork for the home or workspace.

Founded in late 2015 after three years of research, design and development, Electric Confetti is the brainchild of local designer and illustrator Natalie Jarvis. What a GENIUS! Seriously.

Written
by
Lucy Feagins

Electric Confetti neon banana lamp for Kip & Co. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.

Natalie Jarvis of Electric Confetti. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.

Details from Natalie’s home studio in Melbourne. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.

Natalie at work in her studio looking at neon samples. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.

Studio details. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.

Natalie’s hand drawn type concepts. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.

A corner of Natalie’s studio, featuring her small neon eye light. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.

Electric Confetti custom neon light. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.

Details from Natalie’s home studio. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.

Writer
Lucy Feagins
6th of April 2016

Natalie Jarvis grew up in Invercargill, the southern most city of New Zealand. Her childhood years were spent pottering around her Dad’s antique shop, which sparked a love for ‘old stuff’. After studying design and art history at Uni in New Zealand, she crossed the Tasman in 2007 to live in Melbourne.

Natalie started out with a career in publishing, as a book designer. A few years on, and after a bit of travel, she began working freelance as a designer and illustrator. A love of typography and vintage signs led to a fascination with neon… and before long Natalie found herself dreaming up the concept for Electric Confetti!

Real neon turned out to be logistically hard to transport, so Natalie was excited to discover a relatively new product called ‘LED neon flex’ which allowed her to create all kinds of neon designs on a relatively small scale, for decorative use at home. ‘LED neon flex has all the brightness of the traditional stuff, but no mercury, low wattage, and is also safe for kids spaces as it can’t shatter!’ Natalie says.

Electronic Confetti has a brilliant range of ‘off the shelf’ pieces which can be purchased online, including our personal fave, a bright yellow unpeeled banana, created in collaboration with local bedlinen label Kip & Co! Natalie also often works with clients on custom pieces.

‘I love working closely with each client. I’ll ask them the style they’re drawn to, and produce concepts based on those conversations’ Natalie explains. ‘I either hand draw the lettering, or choose a typeface that will work, based on the client’s preferences and the constraints of neon when it’s hand made. We would never just pump out a concept in Lucida handwriting if the client requested a ‘script font’!’ Once approved, Natalie’s designs are sent to an offshore manufacturer, where each custom sign is handmade to order.

Having been in operation for less than a year, Natalie is still super excited about the possibilties for her fledgling brand, and is brimming with new product and collaboration ideas. ‘I hope to keep challenging myself in the area of design, and the possibilities of this product’ she says. ‘I also hope to not necessarily follow what’s ‘on trend’ right now, but bring people designs they didn’t know they needed!’.

WELL I didn’t know I needed a giant neon BANANA until now, so I think we can safely say – mission accomplished!

Natalie Jarvis of Electric Confetti in her home studio. Photo – Annette O’Brien for The Design Files.

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