I have been restoring vintage lights since I was a teenager in the mid-1970s. An Interstate highway was being rammed through the city where I lived, and I ran (steps ahead of the bulldozers, and with my shag haircut flying) from one incredible building to another, and from one incredible house to another, and salvaged everything I could.
My poor, bewildered parents. Their garage was soon chock-a-block with what I thought were treasures beyond compare. But which they thought was just useless flotsam. I did though once overhear my mom say: “Well, at least he’s not out doing drugs.”
However, when all their boring lights were systematically replaced with the most stunning lights they had ever seen – and all for free, rewired, and restored – they soon had second thoughts about the flotsam. (I paid for new parts by mowing lawns!)
Fast forward many decades.
One day I realized I had a pile of old lights rusting away in my basement. I hauled a few out, restored them (bringing back many old memories), and listed them on eBay.
At the time I had no idea, not a clue, that I had just radically changed my life.
Within months my life was unrecognizable, and I was working full time restoring vintage lighting and selling the fixtures across America.
My new e-commerce website is now online. Whoee! Please feel free to shop and purchase here:
My blog post are below.
A Wheel-Cut Beauty!
My online vintage lighting store. My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingBegun
The goal is to create a stunning kitchen an a $1.98 budget. Another factor is just is, well, just basic decency. Throwing away the Home Depot cabinets is environmentally irresponsible. Ditto for the old-growth T&G. Can I make cheap cabinets look good? Can I make heavily overpainted wood…
Continue ReadingA NIGHT PORTRAIT IN GRAY
This is a typical night for me. Restoring vintage lights at my desk, while something on YouTube plays on the computer (like numerous vlogs, history stuff, and Stephen Colbert). Gray enjoys spending most of the day in the fenced cat yard but around 11PM each night I bring out the wine, and bring in…
Continue ReadingThe Before
This is the kitchen of the carriage house. Remember this image. For, it might look really different in about six weeks. After much progress in the basement regarding rewiring, redoing the HVAC, and cleaning, everything just halted. Justin has been unable to work on the house for almost three weeks now. And while I…
Continue ReadingAn Anthemion Beauty!
My online vintage lighting store. My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingRoss Happy Tonight
This is a political post. If interested, please scroll down.
Continue ReadingBaby Gills
My online vintage lighting store. I just listed a pair of petite late 1930s ceiling fixtures by Gill Glass & Fixture Company. The company was located on Amber Street in Philadelphia, and occupied most of the block between East Tioga and East Venango Streets. The factory backed up against rail lines, as was common, and…
Continue ReadingA Flawed Beauty
My online vintage lighting store. I have had the fixture in storage for many years. Two years ago I hauled it out and restored it. But, it still sat, unlisted. And why? Because the shade is damaged. I looked for the same shade on eBay for years, but in undamaged condition….
Continue ReadingA Classic Set
My online vintage lighting store. My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingPrepare…TO GASP!
My online vintage lighting store. My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingMy Very Gay Day
Today, I went to a Verizon store to buy a new smartphone. I asked the quite handsome, quite young, quite hipster, bearded salesperson if they had a clear protective casing. “Yes. I’ll go get it.” He walked over to the far away wall where the cases were displayed. He returned. “Sorry, we’re all out of…
Continue ReadingA Pompeian Beauty
My online vintage lighting store. My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingA Cody Find
My online vintage lighting store. While the chandelier is ‘Colonial’ in style, it abounds with a very period touch: all the lovely scalloped edging: The edge of the frosting on the shades. The upper edge of the glass bowl on the bottom. The edges of the glass bobeches. The top edge of the stem….
Continue ReadingColorful Beauties!
My online vintage lighting store. My online vintage lighting store.
Continue Reading