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.
It is all Lacie’s Fault. Part 3.
Recently, I did a post about a small pile of lights which Lacie, the realtor who sold me the Cross House, left on the back porch of the house. She emailed: Was I interested? Oh, baby, yes. My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingIt is all Lacie’s Fault. Part 2.
Recently, I did a post about a small pile of lights which Lacie, the realtor who sold me the Cross House, left on the back porch of the house. Was I interested, she had emailed. Oh, baby, yes. My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingIt is all Lacie’s Fault. Part 1.
Lacie Hamlin was the realtor who sold me the Cross House. She is smart, delightful, and gorgeous, and I have greatly enjoyed getting to know her. Last week, Lacie sent me a text image: a grouping of old lights which were for sale. Was I interested, she asked? If so, how much should she pay?…
Continue ReadingEighteen Moderne Sconces!
Moderne is an aesthetic which developed after the Art Deco period. This aesthetic was relatively short lived, and reached the height of its popularity in the late 1930s. Emerald City, in the movie Wizard of Oz, is Moderne gone Hollywood. Many lighting fixtures labeled Art Deco are more accurately Moderne, such as a matched set…
Continue Reading1950 Bling!
My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingBefore. After.
My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingBefore. After.
My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingA Frankenlight! EEEEEEEEK!
A Frankenlight is, like the famous monster, made of disparate parts. I never create or sell Frankenlights. But they are common. Few buyers will even realize that they have purchased a Frankenlight. And few sellers indicate as such. …
Continue ReadingLovely porcelain & glass 1930s sconces by Porcelier!
My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingAn Amazing 1940s Vintage Lightolier Chandelier
There are cars. And there are cars. You can buy a new Ford Taurus for about $25,000. Or, you could buy a new Rolls-Royce Phantom Coupe for $400,000. Both vehicles have four wheels, are fully equipped, safe, and will get you very comfortably from A to B. But there’s still a world of difference between the…
Continue ReadingA 1920s French Gothic Wonder
My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingA Silver and Green Beauty!
My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingAn Extraordinary 1920s Pair
My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingA Lovely 1930s Chandelier!
My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingWhy fixtures by Porcelier are so stunning!
Once upon a time there existed a company called Porcelier. The unusual name derived from the fact that the company made things largely out of porcelain. And glass. Today, one can buy Porcelier toasters (made, incredibly, out of porcelain) and Porcelier coffee makers and Porcelier tea sets and Porcelier waffle makers and…Porcelier lighting fixtures. I…
Continue ReadingAn Early Electric Beauty
My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingA Rare Pair
Last year I purchased a bunch of lighting for the Cross House. Lighting which seemed correct for the house. But since then I have learned that all this lighting was NOT right for the house, which had gas/electric combination light fixtures. My purchases had included gas fixtures of the period, and electric fixtures of the period, but no gas/electric…
Continue ReadingBefore. After.
My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingBefore. After.
The fixtures are not large, and not particularly expensive, but nonetheless seem well worthy of being presented well! They will be lovely in the right home. My online vintage lighting store.
Continue ReadingA Glamorous circa-1960 Hollywood-Regency Crystal Pair!
This past Saturday, I went to my very first voting caucus. And arrived thirteen minutes late. It was then that I learned: If a voter arrives late for a caucus, they cannot vote. Geez. Poo. Having driven 1.4 hours to the caucus destination, I was quite vexed with this discovery. But there was nothing…
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