Vanessa Kordich of Hamptons Landscape Lighting. (Photo credit: Hamptons Landscape Lighting)

As senior lighting designer for Hamptons Landscape Lighting, Vanessa Kordich is one of the creative forces behind the company’s residential landscape lighting services. Educated as an architect and trained in electrical systems, she brings a not only a vision for how lighting systems can work with a home or in a landscape, she actually knows how they work.

She is a rarity in a field dominated by men, says her boss, Alex Karoussos, president of Hamptons Landscape Lighting and Home Technology Experts.

“Combined with her background in architecture and innate sense of lighting, she creates unique and stunning scenes for her clients. As a young female designer in a male-dominated field, she is already surpassing industry standards,” he says.

She says being female in a male line of work is not a disadvantage. “If anything, it’s part of what makes my perspective unique. Design thrives on diversity of thought and vision, and I embrace the opportunity to bring a different lens to the work.”

The 34-year old, who grew up in West Islip, received her bachelor’s degree in architecture from New York Institute of Technology, but has spent more of her career thus far on designing lighting systems, not floor plans. Kordich has a certification from the Association of Outdoor Lighting Professionals (“COLD” certification).

Kordich lives in Aquebogue, with her wife Jessie, mini dachshund Melvin, and two cats, Frankie and Oliver, but has traveled all over the East End working on site to light up the lives of homeowners throughout the Hamptons.

Southforker: How did you transition from architecture to lighting design?

Vanessa Kordich:  After graduating, I began working at Unity Electric, where I became fascinated by the power of lighting to shape and elevate a space. I began to understand how systems are used in an intricate manner.  I’ve always been interested since my young years in how to build things and put things together … What are the tiny bits and pieces that you need to really make things work? That experience sparked my passion for lighting design and set me on the path I’m on today.

SF: What are some of the more creative aspects of the job that attracted you?

VK: I like creating outdoor moods and environments for people … being involved in the personal feel of it. I like how lighting can create different kinds of spaces and how it can really form space. I think of myself as an artist of light.

SF: How do you approach a project with a client?

VK: I really embark on a conversation about how people like to experience their outdoor space and I ask a lot of questions. Do they like to be a little bit more flashy? Do they like things bright or do they like it dim? Do they entertain a lot? Do they have landscapers there all the time? These are all things going on in my head that I’m not always communicating to the client but what I see immediately. How they you use their space—that’s the first thing and then it is about identifying any features on the property such as sculptures, beautiful trees, columns, or if they want to highlight the façade of the house.

SF: As an architect, do you have a blueprint, so to speak, for the projects?

VK: Not really, but I like to have a point source like a beautiful garden or a pergola or some other kind of element, create a scene and eliminate a lot of dark spots. I like to create scenes with levels of light—some up high, some are low and creating some depth to the property so that people can look out to the distance and it doesn’t feel like something is lurking back there.

SF: What do you like doing in your spare time?

VK: In my spare time, I’m deeply involved with two nonprofit organizations that mean a lot to me. One is Queerli, which creates safe, inclusive spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community across Eastern Long Island through events, education and support initiatives. The other is Spirit’s Promise Equine Rescue, which provides loving homes for abused or neglected animals. They also offer equine therapy. Outside of volunteering, I cherish time with my friends. Any excuse to get together, I’ll take it!

SF: Favorite places?

VK: For a great smash burger, I love Barrow Food House on the North Fork, and for a special dinner, Little Fish is a go-to. Some of my favorite evenings are spent in our own backyard, gathered around the firepit and watching movies on the projector screen. We love heading to Greenport to admire the boats, browse the shops, and grab a bite at places like First and South.

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