QUALITY
11/2016
Second Ibero-American Lighting Design Biennial - ILUMINET
"El Salar – Maras' Bar" was selected within 43 of the best lighting design projects carried out from 2012 - 2016 in Ibero-America to be part of a book celebrating the 2nd Ibero-American Lighting Design Biennial.
09/2016
PANORAMA Exhibition - Casa dos Contos. Ouro Preto, Brazil.
"El Salar – Maras' Bar" was selected to be part of the exhibition PANORAMA launched during the EILD 2016 and showcasing 30 of the best lighting design projects carried out from 2014 - 2016 in Ibero-America.
Recognitions
Publications
Talks
11/22/2014
Mara Villegas was a panelist at "Young Designers".
The panel took place during the EILD ‘Ibero-American Encounter of Lighting Design’ 2014 in Medellín, Colombia.
TESTIMONIALS
When I first met Wes my company was preparing to open the Moxy Times Square hotel. The lighting design was having both technical and aesthetic issues and we reached out to Wes for his help. He stepped in and immediately led the coordination between the electrician and Lutron technicians, ensuring that the lighting design was commissioned and functioning properly. Over the next few days, he transformed the space, setting all of the necessary scenes throughout the day and touching the right mood with the lighting. Wes was easy to work with and he understood our vision for the hotel immediately. Following the successful launch of that project, we brought him into commission the lighting for The Moxy Chelsea in addition to the full design of the interior lighting scope for the Moxy/AC in Downtown LA.
David Duvoisin - Director Hospitality Lightsone
"I met Mara working on the refurbishment of Maras' Bar in the Westin Lima Hotel. With her vision and design, Mara was able to create the ideal atmosphere that both the owners, the designer, and the chef wanted for the bar. After this gratifying experience, I called her to work with me in “Grupo Delosi” in Peru, where we worked on several F&B projects. Her creativity and technical knowledge gave life to innovative and functional lighting projects. I consider that Mara will exceed your expectations and would be a valuable part of any project she works on".
Charles Juarez - Project Director IpCorp Peru
"I have worked with Mara & Wes for the past ten years. When I send them a project, I can trust that they will give a thoughtful and creative design within the project schedule. They have designed many of the architectural lighting and decorative fixtures for my projects and even built a few. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with them and look forward to our continued collaboration. I highly recommend Within Light Studio".
Hyemin Choi - Principal Studio
"I have been fortunate enough to work with Wes since 2010 as we have collaborated on several hospitality projects together. As an Interior Designer, it's comforting to work with a lighting professional that uses their talents to enhance a project's spirit; Wes does just that. It's rare to find a lighting professional that sees a project from the Interior Designers' perspective. His design acumen allows me to engage him in the design process from the beginning, thus developing clear and practical lighting design solutions fully integrated into the design. In the end, Wes has always understood the vital role lighting plays in my projects and uses it to compliment the spirit of the overall design, not distract from it. I look forward to our continued collaboration and highly recommend Wes to help take any design project to the next level."
James J Gundy - Principal Gundy Design Studio
Five years ago I bought a house to live with my family of ten. My Interior Designer, Sergio Echeverría, contacted me with a young, studious, and hard-working lighting designer. Mara was always very friendly and receptive to my requests… I loved her disposition to hear me out and support my ideas with her knowledge because I had a clear idea of what I wanted. She was very thoughtful to find the light fixtures that would accomplish 100% of what was planned. This work requires order and effort, it’s important to test the light fixtures to make sure the light is appropriate, and I was surprised by her endeavor and tenacity to get the light just right. We started a great friendship lasting the distance. I’ve enjoyed what she created, and I can certify that whoever works with her will have an experience like mine!
Tomás Fernández - Director FFV Chile