Sisters Guillane and Gwendolyn Kerschbaumer have a special feel for aesthetic sophistication in their genes: They grew up surrounded by design and art – their mother was a designer. What connects the pair is their shared interest in elegant designs that are destined to outlast short-lived trends. They did not make a conscious choice to set up their own studio, Gwendolyn Kerschbaumer explains. As it is, the sisters have been designing and marketing luminaires under the Areti Leuchten moniker since 2008. The reason: Luminaires offer far greater design freedom than does furniture – and they regard their output as being closer to art than product design. Which hasn’t stopped them launching a furniture collection in time for this year’s London Design Festival, however.