a team of experts
Patdo Light Studio began as the dream of a young, recently married couple with roots in the lighting industry. The business plan was created on a coffee stained napkin at an all night diner. With every penny in their savings and a loan from a friend, they opened for business. That was back in 1973 and while the business has experienced many changes over the years, the principles that they believed in remain at the core of our business model today; offer excellent products and unparalleled service at a fair price and stand behind each and every transaction after the sale is complete.
Patdo has evolved over the years into the Tri-state area’s premier source for high-end lighting products and excellence in lighting design. Our extensive credentials include some of the nation’s top architects, interior designers, decorators and landscape architects. We have earned the respect of these design professionals through our hard work and consistently excellent results.
Gary Novasel – Design Principal
gary@patdolight.com
Gary has been a Lighting Designer since 1985. Mr. Novasel’s award winning work has been featured in many national magazines including: Architectural Record, Architectural Digest, Metropolitan Home, Interiors, Interior Design, To The Trade, Landscape Architect & Specifier, Connecticut Cottages and Gardens, The Modern Estate, The New York Times, House Beautiful, Colonial Homes and Gardens, Better Homes and Gardens and Hospitality Design. Gary has also contributed to “The Modern Estate” magazine and teaches Landscape Lighting at the New York Botanical Garden. He has also taught Architectural Lighting at Parson’s School of Design and the University of Bridgeport. Mr. Novasel has been a guest on radio and television shows and has been a guest lecturer for: the Connecticut and New York chapters of the ASID, UCONN’s Bartlett Arboretum, the New York City chapter of the DLF and the International Furnishings Association. Mr. Novasel has a B.S. Industrial Design and an MBA.
Mari-Lou Nania – Showroom Principal
marilou@patdolight.com
Mari-Lou earned her BFA degree from Adelphi University. She began her career at Patdo in 1990, focusing on developing the showroom into the Tri-State Area’s leading design resource. Her keen eye has kept the Patdo Showroom on the cutting edge. Her knowledge of product and design with the belief in customer service has kept Patdo a step above all the others. Mari-Lou works by appointment only and specializes in upscale residential and light commercial projects.
Colleen Ammirato
Lighting has always excited Colleen and she sees it as a way to bring good design to everyone. With 40 years in the interior design field, she has a passion for textiles, fashion and woven goods and has a collection of textiles from across the globe. Remodeling and designing interiors has been a lifelong source of fun for her as well as volunteering with local theater groups costuming their productions. You’ll also find her in her Garden or at the “never-to-be-missed” NY Botanical Garden’s Annual Orchid Show.
Growing up in Hawaii, she also called Portland and Seattle home for a time and settled in New York 34 years ago. She is happily married with four children and a grand baby. She has a zest for adventure and enjoys travelling with her family to their homes in Hawaii and Long Lake, NY.
Colleen holds a B.A. in Home Economics from Western Washington University and a Master’s in Guidance and Counseling from College of New Rochelle.
Joshua Diaz
Joshua is a Port Chester Native who strives to be a 21st century renaissance man! How’s this for diversity; Josh has a degree in Paralegal studies, speaks Spanish, English, and Portuguese, worked for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and serves as a part-time assistant for a local Electrician. Now, adding to his diverse experiences he joined Patdo in 2020 where he oversees our on-line marketing programs and is a member of our inside sales, purchasing and customer service team where he strives to take excellent care of our clients.
Gianna DeMasi
Gianna is the newest member of our family here at Patdo. Gianna earned her B.A. in Economics from UConn and has experience in the worlds of antiques, commercial real estate and the construction supply chain, but her true passion is design; especially Lighting Design utilized as a medium to edit and enhance the Architectural “story”. Gianna derives inspiration from travel and has lived in places as varied as Israel, Berlin and New Orleans but if you ask, she’ll tell you that life is best lived on the beach or a desert oasis. Her kind smile and solid capabilities are sure to make you a fan of hers.
Nikeya Johnson
Nikki graduated from Berkeley College in 2001 with a degree in Office Systems Management and has been working with Patdo ever since. Nikki is our Purchasing Manager and oversees projects of all sizes. With a warm smile and years of experience, Nikki is always eager to assist clients with price quotes, factory shipping schedules, deliveries, technical questions or other project information.
Ian Morse
A jack of all trades, Ian comes to Patdo with 5 years’ experience in bookkeeping, 5 years as a bicycle mechanic, 15 years as a carpenter, 3 years of furniture making, and 5 years as a supervisor preparing displays for auto shows across the country. He likes spending time outdoors with his wife and son. A very hands-on person, Ian says, “the dirtier the better.”
Ian brings to Patdo the ability to self-manage, a sense of urgency, forwardness and dedication to one’s craft. A calm demeanor and an unbreakable pressure vessel, Ian can easily handle whatever life presents to him.
“I am not someone who likes large corporations, that’s why Patdo is such a good place. There is no division into little groups like you would see in large companies, just one happy Patdo family.”
Adrian Somm
Adrian’s background in Fine Art and Industrial Design has allowed him to fluidly work in many aspects of design over the years, gaining a diverse set of experiences along the way. His detail-oriented approach and sensitivity to clients’ needs enables a collaborative approach to finding solutions that not only function but inspire. Never one to settle, Adrian has a passion for cutting edge technologies and techniques that enhance both the results and efficiency of each project he works on. Adrian holds a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Art from Clark University in addition to a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from the University of Bridgeport.
Charlie Wares
Charlie brought over 40 years of warehouse experience with him when he joined Patdo and boy, can he run a warehouse! Always up for a challenge, Charlie has taken our warehouse to a whole new level of clean and organized and our incoming and outgoing deliveries flow seamlessly. Outside of work, Charlie has been collecting old guitars for almost as long as he’s been playing them (that’s 62 years folks!) and he’s been a musician at his church for over 25 years. Charlie is happily married and has six grandkids.
Khai Yon
Khai Yon worked in the hospitality industry before he joined Patdo. He has a degree in Accounting and is interested in all types of Business and Financial matters and he uses his accounting and financial knowledge to run Patdo’s back office efficiently. A news enthusiast, Khai starts each day catching up on the news . In his spare time, he loves to run, hike and read.
Amber Yu
Amber is a young designer with a degree in Industrial Design from Pratt Institute. She enjoys video games, travel and sports. Amber was drawn to Lighting Design because she understands that like air and water, light is a required for everyday life and even small changes in the lighting can have a profound impact on the aesthetics and function of an environment.
