"Wood is universally beautiful to man. It is the most humanly intimate of all materials". Frank Lloyd Wright
We often get calls from people saying they have vintage industrial lighting they’re looking to sell and would we be interested, but these calls rarely result in an actual buy for us - it has to be something that is first and foremost interesting, also of high-quality and of course in good original condition.
But very occasionally we get a golden nugget - a call that tickles the taste buds and gets us excited. This is followed by a flurry of emails and a series of photographs that get oooh-ed and ahhh-ed over. If all that goes well, one of the team will jump in the van to go and collect the latest members of Trainspotters’ vintage stock.
Enter, Wooden Chandeliers
Chandeliers, although they are the ultimate in pendant lighting, are a bit of a departure for us. Normally we’re dazzled by big industrial hunks of steel, enamel and glass but these beautiful circa 1960s (we think Danish) pieces were irresistible
We could not ignore the skillful dual timber construction (iroko and beech we believe), the precision angular layout (there’s not a gap to be seen) or the sublime simplicity of the Scandi/ alpine-esque inspired design (well who doesn’t love a ski lodge?) so we snapped them up.
They were salvaged from a 60s building that housed, until very recently the Lambeth Methodist Mission on the Lambeth Road in East London where they hung over the pews and provided no-nonsense practical lighting for the congregation below. But we don’t think this did them justice really - they deserve a bit of limelight and so we’ve tweaked them to look their absolute best and looking forward to seeing who snaps them up. We’re excited to see the kinds of applications they’ll be used in this time around.
“Wood is only a one-syllable word, but behind it lies a world full of beauty and wonder.” Theodor Heuss
Best Of The Best
These beauties are now available on the website soon and this time, we’re selling them with bulbs. These particular ones are from Tala - the creme de la creme of bulbs. We think it’s important to ensure the integrity of the final piece and that’s why we’ve chosen Tala’s Porcelain III model to complement the scale of the chandeliers and to cast out a dramatic but not overpowering light.
More is More
A big buying factor for us is quantity - having a large series makes a big difference as it means more of our customers get to have something special. Or it can also allow us to meet the needs of some of our larger commercial customers who deal with hotels, restaurants and chains, to buy volume. A series of identical lights creates a focal point, and provides a point of difference by adding unique drama to a space and we think that having the opportunity to do this with wood is an exciting proposition.
If you have a large series of lights you’re interested in selling please do get in touch with us here at the Trainspotters office and we’ll be happy to discuss.
“Wood is a natural material that has marked human culture - not only in the 'Wood Age' of the past but right down to the present day.” Joachim Radkau
