For years, Natalie Page has shaped the visual and emotional tone of Lostine and NPage Studio, not only as a co-founder but as a designer whose eye for detail informs every corner of her work. She also consults on RTO Lighting, contributing her creative perspective across all three brands. In this first installment of a two-part series, we turn the lens inward. Robert Ogden sits down with his wife and creative partner, Natalie, for a quiet, thoughtful conversation about her approach to lighting design, her evolving materials palette, and the beauty of nuanced choices no one ever sees.
RO: We make and have made a lot of different things. What do you like about designing lighitng?
NP: I’m drawn to lighting because it’s an everyday object. It is an opportunity to bring beauty into a space. I love that we can make something functional, sometimes ordinary, feel bespoke and considered. I also enjoy the process: designing, editing, refining. We make so many nuanced decisions before a fixture is ever presented. Most people will never know what went into it, but those details matter. I like being inside those conversations.
Lighting design has so many layers to it. First, there is a concept and a shape, then maybe a discussion about materials and light output. Design challenges are discussed, and prototyping teaches us more things. We talk about where the piece would be in a space, how it would be used, and critically, would we enjoy that? If we don’t like it, we don’t make it. Lighting takes on yet another dimension once it is illuminated because the light in one space can be totally different in another. I love seeing how these pieces get used.
RO: What, to you, is the most important thing about lighting?
NP: I’m one of those people who wants everything on a dimmer. Lighting has to do its job well. It needs to illuminate the space, but it also needs to feel intentional in the room. It can completely shift the mood. Every evening when I walk up the stairs to our second-floor landing, I see the shadows cast by our Sarah Ceiling Fixture. The light is gentle and it makes me feel calm and restful.
RO: Are there any materials you haven’t worked with yet but want to explore?
NP: Paper. Paper lanterns have always charmed me. I like the way light moves through the fibers.
RO: Is there a kind of light you’ve always wanted to design?
NP: I’d love to bring back street lights. Street lights are a huge opportunity to contribute to the architecture and beauty of the urban landscape.
RO: What’s the difference between Lostine, RTO Lighting, and NPage Studio Lighting?
NP: The same care and attention run through all three. We never take shortcuts. We’re often collaborating across brands, even on the same piece. But there are distinctions, too—in the approach, in how we push the materials, and in the aesthetic point of view. Lostine is the most collaborative between you and me. RTO and NPage are more individual, more driven by our personal visions.
RO: When you look at vintage lighting, what catches your eye?
NP: An elegant curve. Or a cast of light that feels unusually beautiful. Vintage lighting often has a certain elegance or interest. I like to be charmed by it. I find it exhilarating, in a way, when something crafted in another time still feels so compelling. Every once in a while, we’ll look at each other and say, “Wow, that is so good.” It’s that unmistakable quality that draws you in for a closer look. I love that!
RO: What do you want people to know about our lighting?
NP: We greatly care about what we do, how we do it, and who we do it with. We consider ourselves privileged to be able to do something that we love. Building these companies together has been, and continues to be, a richly personal and professionally rewarding experience.
