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.
VICTORY! VICTORY! VICTORY!
I saw it. I could not believe my eyes. Was it real? Could it be real? How could it be real? I walked over to it, my whole body trembling with excitement. Then…I reached out…and touched it. OMG! It was real! It did exist! And it was soon mine. All mine!!!!!!!! Wanna see my miraculous…
Continue ReadingThe Search…Is Over!
A while ago, several readers wrote in asking if a SEARCH box could be added. Oh. I thought this already existed. But I belatedly realized that while I could search this blog thingy, you could not. Oops. Sorry! I contacted my web master, Tracy, from IM Design and asked for her help. Help! Tracy started…
Continue ReadingI’ve Added a Sun Porch!
OK. I am obviously not being serious! What I rigged up is a sun screen to keep the south sun from baking me while I work, and baking the paint (newly applied paint will blister in direct sun on hot days, as I have painfully learned). And today it was 84-degrees. While waiting for…
Continue ReadingA Red Delicious
My online vintage lighting store. Ages ago I purchased six matching kitchen-style ceiling lights. And they have been tucked in a corner ever since, dirty and unrestored. The issue was the steel shades. They were caked with flat white paint applied with a bad brush! I knew they would be a ton of work to…
Continue ReadingA Chimney Update
So, I recently did a post about re-pointing the towering north chimney. John wrote in and suggested I contact US Heritage, which I did. I poured over their website and watched their videos. Wow! These were the people to talk to! Thanks, John! Today, I called the company and spoke to Tai, who was working at…
Continue ReadingMore Colorful!
It will take a few weeks to restore the wood sashes and glaze the glass in. Then, the beauty of the parlor will be dazzling!
Continue ReadingA Quiet Day in a Surreal Time
Every day I leave the house I live in alone (save for 2,487 cats), drive alone to the Cross House, and spend the afternoon working alone in an almost 9,000 square foot house. Twice a week I have to go to the grocery store. Except for TP, I have been able to buy pretty much…
Continue ReadingRescaling the Great North Wall
The north chimney has settled 2-1/2-inches. It has dragged the house down with it, AND the gutter. Meaning, that the gutter no longer moves water in a channel but simply lets the water spill over its edge and down the brick. After the re-pointing is done, I will attend to the gutter….
Continue ReadingA Room With A View
After purchasing the Cross House in 2014 one item which needed attention (out of 97,648 items) was the very large first-floor curved-glass center window of the tower. In its lower corner the curved glass was diagonally cracked about 6-inches. I was not too concerned about this and planned to have a sticker made (saying something…
Continue ReadingAn Early Electric Knock-out!
My online vintage lighting store. My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingBefore. After.
My online vintage lighting store. My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingBefore. After.
My online vintage lighting store. My online vintage lighting store.
Continue Reading