With graphic designer and painter on art, interiors and light
Dublin-based painter and graphic designer Joyce Li approaches both her creative practice and her home with a thoughtful eye for balance, texture, and atmosphere. In this conversation, we explore the relationship between art, functionality, and personal expression.
Can you tell us a little about your work as a painter and graphic designer and how your creative practice plays a role in the atmosphere you create for your home?
I think my graphic design background naturally makes me focus on the logic of a room, things like layout, balance, and making sure a space has proper flow.
My painting practice is much more about the mood. The textures and tones I use in my artwork naturally find their way into our home through things like warm woods, layered textiles, and ambient lighting.
Your home feels carefully considered yet personal. How do you strike a balance between functionality and self-expression?
For me, functionality and self-expression are completely symbiotic. I start with functionality as the foundation, keeping the layout clean and intentional to ensure proper flow and visual breathing room. Self-expression then enters through the tactile and visual details.
By selecting everyday pieces that double as art, like sculptural lighting or rich wood furniture, the space becomes deeply personal without ever losing its utility.
What role does light play in your daily life both in your creative practice and in the way you experience your home?
I treat light as an essential physical material. Crisp daylight acts as a tool for focus, giving me the visual clarity needed for work.
When evening comes, by layering warm, indirect light, the atmosphere instantly relaxes, emphasising the natural textures of the room and inviting everyone to slow down.
“By selecting everyday pieces that double as art, the space becomes deeply personal without ever losing its utility.”
How has the VETRO lamp changed the atmosphere in your home? Do you see it primarily as a source of light, a design object, or something closer to a piece of art?
The VETRO lamp has completely shifted the visual weight of my room. The Murano glass introduces a beautiful organic texture, making it a sculptural art piece even before it is turned on. In the evening, the way the artisan glass diffuses a warm, ambient glow instantly softens the room, transforming a physical space into an emotional sanctuary.
Is there a particular object, artwork, or piece of furniture in your home that holds special meaning to you? What is the story behind it?
The vinyl record collection holds a special place in our home. My husband and I both started collecting as kids, long before we met, and it eventually became the shared passion that brought us together.
Today, it functions as a living timeline of our lives - a tactile, analog element in our space that continues to grow with us.
