Thursday, May 17, 2012

Confessions of a Lamp Tramp

If you were to come to our house, one of the first things you might notice, besides the seemingly eternal stack of laundry that endlessly needs conquering (today it is taunting me, half folded on the couch), is that we have a lot of lamps.

But seriously, an inordinate amount.

I've been this way since I can remember, shuddering at the thought of overhead lighting. When I was in high school I purchased lamps from thrift stores to place around my room. I still have one that is so beautiful I refuse to trash it, despite the fact that it flickers every time I step on the wrong floorboard in our living room. I buy good lamps when I see them, even if it means I have to ship them home, even if it means they sit in the basement for a year before we use them. Because a good lamp is hard to find, and I am a lighting fanatic.
That's why, when I stumbled across Radiance Lighting, a little artisan lamp store in the UK, I was immediately smitten.  I have never seen so many beautiful lamps and shades in one place! It's like a junkie's paradise. Especially these shades to the left. They are these old photographs of different neighborhoods superimposed with vintage floral fabrics. Gosh, I feel like they were made just for me.
On top of simply selling unique and beautiful products, I found Radiance's story inspiring to boot. Sean and I have dreamt many times of having a store with a studio or workshop in the back like the artisans of old, and that's exactly the model that founder Hannah Nunn used when opening her own lamp store. When a storefront opened up in her town, she jumped on it and transformed it into a space where she could work in the back and sell up front. Today she has enlisted other creative lighting geniuses who sell at the store and works alongside family and friends to run the operation. In 2010 Radiance moved to a larger location, and it you're into Before and Afters, you can find the entire process chronicled here.
more on Radiance Lighting after the jump!

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Husband of mine...

This may be a bit non traditional for this blog, but my sweet husband did an interview for the high school newspaper where he works. Aside from making me smile, he also has some good insights about art and creativity, so I though I'd share with you today. Enjoy!-hil