Like all good Italian tales, Astep's starts a long time ago; and is, of course, a family affair. In 1939 Gino Sarfatti (grandfather of Astep founder Alessandro Sarfatti) founded Arteluce, a company that – for the first time – introduced design to the lighting business.

In 1978 his father Riccardo went a step further: by creating Luceplan together with his mother Sandra Severi and architect Paolo Rizzatto. The company linked design with technology and envisaged a new business model – working with specialized, talented and carefully handpicked industrial craftsmen – that became synonymous with “Made in Italy” quality and innovation. Both Arteluce and Luceplan created one icon after another, luminaires not only of timeless beauty but that also embed the meaning of evolution.

Astep is a design company that brings to the domestic landscape, the experience, knowledge and the future-oriented outlook that has been nurtured in the family for three generations, and bridges it with the latest developments in digital technologies.

The name “Astep” indicates the necessary motion of a never-ending journey – the journey of evolution. It points to a natural but essential move towards the creation of something that’s better, more substantial, more worthwhile. Astep represents our admiration for timeless inventions: objects that – regardless of when they were designed or made – retain their edge, their capacity to affect our lives, advancing the manner in which we live.