When I first moved to New England I was really impressed with the area’s true commitment to historical architecture and design. As a California native I came to view anything designed before 1980 as something from “olden times” – but here the residents take their antiques very seriously – even contemporary interiors seem to have a twinkle of the colonial somewhere just near the surface.
So it’s no wonder that the country’s foremost designer and creator of faithful historical lighting is here in Yankee country.
Scofield Historic Lighting has become a “fixture” for New Englanders – creating remarkable pieces for hundreds of distinguished homes and businesses in the area.
Their designs reflect popular lighting styles of both Europe and America from the past several centuries. Each meticulously made using the same materials and tools as those created two hundred years ago – but with modern safety and savvy in the mix.
“We’re interested in a material quality proven for centuries,” John Neely of Scofield says. “The patinas we use are hand-mixed casein, applied in layers to get that buildup as if it were painted over two centuries or more. Our glass is hand-blown. The chandelier turnings are hand-turned, never mechanically duplicated.”
I’ve chosen a few of my favorites above – check out all the designs on their website.
Jean from NotCot visited Versaille this week for a black tie party. While she was wandering the halls of the gorgeous palace she took a series of photos of the chandeliers from directly below. I must say, juxtaposed against the stunning hand painted ceilings, the photos show the palace in a lovely new “light”. Here’s one – see more.
It’s not often that I get excited about a light bulb (or lamp as purists and lighting designers call them) – but these new bulbs from Zenith are truly an innovation.
Sharp is introducing nine models of LED lamps into the Japanese market that feature outstanding environmental performance, high energy efficiency, long service life, and are totally free of hazardous mercury.
Because these lamps have the same standard screw-in base and fit in the same sockets as ordinary incandescent lamps, they are simple and easy to use as replacements for ordinary lamps.
While the environmental element is good – these details make them exquisite:
1) The model DL-L60AV LED Lamp features an Adjustable Color Function that enables users to change the color of the white light emitted from the lamp using an accessory remote control, an industry first for an LED lamp. Users can select from seven different shades of white ranging from a pleasing warm white to a cooler daylight white to match the weather, the season, time of day, purpose, or other preferences.
2) This model also features a built-in Dimmer Function to adjust brightness.
Yes, I know the part about these being available only in Japan is a bit of a bummer, but look for them in the US soon. For more, visit Sharp’s website.
Ochre Designs Drama!
I absolutely adored seeing the collection of lighting and furniture that the British design team of Joanna Bibby, Solenne de la Fouchardiere, and Harriet Maxwell Macdonald brought to ICFF a few weeks ago. While the pictures I took of the floor display turned out abysmally, they were able to offer a great array of studio shots of their remarkable designs to give you an idea of their style. Their company, Ochre was launched in 1996. Since that time they’ve added a gorgeous collection of organic / modern designs to their portfolio. Here are highlights from their lighting collection.
