PENDANT LIGHTING

Posted onMarch 9, 2020May 23, 2025AuthorSue Matthews

Pendant light fittings hang down from the ceiling and direct light in a downward direction. They are usually suspended on a chain, rod or cord cable and hang like pendants on a necklace – not surprisingly, this is where they get their name. By bringing the light down from the ceiling they put illumination where it is needed. There are many different types of ceiling pendants to choose from and it is not hard to see why they are so popular. Pendant lighting can be used in all rooms of the home, for hospitality lighting too and even in certain outdoor situations.

TOP TIPS FOR CHOOSING THE PERFECT STANDARD LAMP

Posted onJanuary 23, 2020June 4, 2025AuthorSue Matthews

The brilliant thing about standard lamps is that they can be placed anywhere you have a little spare floor space. Floor standing lamps can be practical, versatile and decorative additions to a room. They have a unique role to play when it comes to lighting as they can provide both ambient, task and accent lighting, something that few other light fittings can do. But before you rush off and explore Bespoke Lights collection of standard lamps, take a look at our top tips to help you make the right choice

EDWARDIAN LIGHTING

Posted onAugust 31, 2019February 25, 2021AuthorSue Matthews

The hugely popular ‘Downton Abbey’ TV series ran from 2010 to 2015. Viewers eagerly tuned in to watch the lives of the aristocratic Crawley family and their domestic servants unfold in Edwardian and post Edwardian Britain. This era also saw great advances in the world of lighting with the introduction of new electric lighting. Homes gradually moved away from oil lamps and gas lighting to embrace this new, cleaner electric light. However, at the time, not everyone was initially convinced by electric lighting. This wonderful quote from Downton Abbey’s Dowager Duchess, played so brilliantly by Dame Maggie Smith, shows there were some misgivings – ‘I couldn’t have electricity in the house. I wouldn’t sleep a wink. All those vapours floating about.’

A LITTLE LIGHT READING

Posted onFebruary 26, 2019May 15, 2025AuthorSue Matthews

To celebrate World Book Day, this blog takes a look at how to provide the right lighting for reading at home.World Book Day is marked in over 100 countries around the world and is a celebration of books and reading. Its mission is to install a love of reading in young people which will hopefully last a lifetime. In the UK children are given book tokens which they can exchange for a book of their choice. Schools have special events often with the children dressing up as a character from their favourite book. Now in its 22nd year, World Book Day this year falls on 7 March 2019.

CRYSTAL BATHROOM CHANDELIERS

Posted onDecember 30, 2018February 25, 2021AuthorSue Matthews

Bespoke Lights latest lighting blog showcases some stunning new crystal bathroom lights from Marquis by Waterford. This collection includes chandeliers, ceiling pendants and wall lights.

ORIENTAL GINGER JAR TABLE LAMPS

Posted onOctober 19, 2018March 24, 2021AuthorSue Matthews

Oriental ginger jar and temple jar table lamps are instantly recognisable with their distinctive shape and beautiful patterns depicted on glazed ceramic or porcelain. They make an attractive feature in a room and are often seen in traditional settings.

RIGHT LIGHTS, RIGHT MOVE

Posted onAugust 24, 2018February 25, 2021AuthorSue Matthews

Looking to move home and about to put your house on the market? Here are some top tips for selling your home and choosing the right lighting from Bespoke Lights.

BANKERS LAMPS

Posted onJanuary 26, 2018February 25, 2021AuthorSue Matthews

When we visualise bankers lamps, most of us would probably think of dimly lit offices in Victorian and Edwardian times. Picture, if you will, a clerk bent over, dipping his pen into his ink bottle and scribing into a large leather-bound ledger using only the light of a candle or oil lamp. It is not hard to see why there was such a need for better lighting and, with the introduction of electric light in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s, the bankers lamp was born.

LIGHTING FOR TRADITIONAL BATHROOMS

Posted onAugust 2, 2017February 26, 2021AuthorSue Matthews

We tend to think of bathrooms today as being a modern invention and in many ways they are. Bathing during Roman times was a communal affair but during the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries the use of public baths began to decline and private spaces were preferred which paved the way for the modern bathrooms we are familiar with today. Wealthy households in Victorian and Edwardian Britain had splendid bathrooms but the vast majority of the people did not have that luxury, and the ‘old tin bath’ in front of the fire was the order of the day (but not necessarily every day!).

PUSH ME, PULL ME – THE FALL & RISE OF THE PENDANT LIGHTS

Posted onJune 8, 2017August 1, 2022AuthorSue Matthews

Rise and fall ceiling pendants, or pull up and down lights, offer super flexible lighting by putting you directly in charge. These versatile self-adjustable pendants do exactly what they say – simply pull them down for a focused downward light or push them back up for a brighter ambient spread of light.