The Definitive Guide to Handmade Wooden Lights

Guide to Handmade Wooden Lights

At Steamed Studio, we take a traditional approach to crafting handmade wooden lights by steaming and bending our wood, resulting in a range of bespoke pieces with no wasted materials. It also retains the long-grain pattern in the wood, allowing you to furnish your home with a one-of-a-kind light shade.

If you’re interested in purchasing steam-bent wooden lighting, this guide will help you. Our guide includes top tips on what lights work best for certain rooms and delves deeper into the array of wooden lights on offer here at Steamed Studio.

 

Wooden Pendant Lighting

Wooden pendant lights can be mounted as a fixture in almost any space. One of our bestsellers is the Fabbri Wooden Light Shade. Handmade to order, light casts through the twists and turns of this beautiful piece, lighting up your room with a shadow unlike any other shade on the market. The three horizontal loops compliment the ash hardwood and sit to create a striking curvaceous piece set to be the centre of attention in any room.

‘Fabbri’ translates to ‘craftsman’ in Italian, which is an accurate name for a wooden pendant light so sleek and elegant. With its smooth, elongated design, the Fabbri wooden light shade is sure to add a touch of class and elegance to your home. The Fabbri is certainly the way to go for a statement piece, whether your light is on or off.

Alternatively, why not consider our Nova range? Available in four sizes, this style of wooden pendant light is created using a combination of English ash hardwood and brass fixtures. The original Nova Wooden Light Shade is ideally sized, complementing any bedroom or living room without taking centre stage. However, we have further developed this range of wooden pendant lights for customers to showcase their varying and exceptional tastes through bigger and smaller sizes.

The smallest Nova still provides the eye-catching twisted wood effect of the original Nova but in a more compact size, making it ideally suited for any boudoir needing an extra touch of style. Translated from Latin to mean ‘new’, this small wooden pendant light is seamlessly handcrafted, sanded and oiled, resulting in a statement piece that stands the test of time, no matter what trends come and go.

For a more striking piece, the large Nova is certainly the wooden light shade for you. A statement but classic piece, the hand-bent wood creates smooth contours that remain in line with the original design to create an almost ethereal take on the Nova range. Perfect for any living space, the large Nova is a crowd-pleaser amongst many, taking the limelight for all the right reasons.

Going one step even further is the Nova XL. Like its counterparts, the extra-large Nova shade is handcrafted and steam-bent to create a unique, bespoke piece. This wooden pendant light would look stunning in a cavernous space large enough to show the intricate details without swallowing the room. Maximum impact is achieved through this light shade in its homage to the original Nova our customers know and love. With added brass details, the extra-large Nova light shade is the perfect fit, no matter your décor design. Whether your home follows traditional or modern interior design, the Nova’s artistic beauty will surely add the finishing touch to any room. With a range of sizes to choose from, you can’t go wrong.

 

Wooden Ceiling Lights

Looking to give your guests something to talk about for all the right reasons? Our Vitale Wooden Ceiling Light blends aestheticism with sculpture to create a horizontal wooden light that not only acts as a statement piece for any home but as a conversation starter too.

Ideally suited to a large dining room space, the Vitale hangs beautifully in the balance over a table, providing an open-ended structure for light to flow through. Whether you place your Vitale light shade over a breakfast bar or larger table, luminosity will always be achieved. Intertwining concentrated wooden twists using our steam bending process results in a bespoke wooden light shade in a striking yet timeless design.

The Vitale includes electric materials such as a black ceiling rose, black fabric cable, and two brass lamp holders. This makes the installation process easier for you and allows you to get on with hosting and showcasing your new light as soon as possible.

Large wooden overhead ceiling lights are increasing in popularity within the realm of interior design, acting as both a bold statement and feature piece for any kind of room.

 

Wooden Wall Lighting

If you’re looking for a sculptural wooden wall light, the Vero Wall Light is sure to tick all the right boxes. Weaving sculpture with functionality, the Vero light is a handcrafted steam-bent piece worked to a high standard with our trusted ash hardwood. Creating a warm-lit look in any living or bedroom space, the Vero is a unique design that sits beautifully on any wall or flat surface.

The Vero Wall Light will add a touch of eco-consciousness to any home. With its large presence and intricate twists and turns, our Vero wooden light shade creates a pleasant presence through its appearance and the shadows cast from within.

With brass fixtures nodding to on-trend lighting and including plug, fabric cable, dimmer and more, all you need to do is buy your bulbs and plug in. As always, we recommend energy-efficient LED bulbs. Energy-efficient bulbs lower electricity bills and carbon dioxide emissions without reducing the quality of light throughout your rooms.

Deciding to purchase wooden wall lighting can add the finishing touch you’ve been searching for within your home. They provide light to darker spaces and can be used to highlight walkways or rooms of your choice, depending on where you place them. With the Vero Wall Light, ambience is in your hands.

 

Wooden Table Lamps

Continuing in the Fabbri range is this striking Fabbri Table Light. Taking inspiration from the original Fabbri light shade, the Fabbri wooden table light pays homage to the versatility of a truly beloved design. What sets it apart from other light shades in our bespoke range is that within the design, three hoops are used rather than two.

This gives a tighter and more vivid curvature making it more suitable and a solid addition to a table in your bedroom or living space. If you’re a fan of the Fabbri table light, why not use it in both rooms or on either side of your bed? Creating ambience and warmth, the Fabbri table light is a customer favourite, and like all of our products, it’s not hard to see why.

And with no installation required, all you need to do is add your bulb and turn it on. The dimmer switch helps you create the perfect atmosphere you can look forward to coming home to. Setting the correct brightness within your home can elevate the mood and transform your living space into an enviable realm of comfort.

A versatile purchase, the Fabbri Table Light can also be added to any home office, offering both functionality and aesthetic style. A wooden table lamp provides a soft light that can help you remain focused without the obtrusive brightness of an overhead light or metal lamp.

 

Summary

At Steamed Studio, we believe our approach to making wooden lighting is the future. Not only are we paving the way in sustainable home design but encouraging our customers to shop responsibly. We care about the environment, so every item is made exclusively by hand. Our steam-bending approach to woodwork allows us to create bespoke pieces whilst limiting the amount of glue needed. This eliminates waste and helps us be kinder to our planet. Steam bending is an excellent technique as it uses low energy.

Wooden lights offer not just a function but an artistic touch to any home that tells your guests more about your personality and style. Whether you’re in the market for a wooden pendant light, wall light, or ceiling light, our range of wooden lights is sure to fit the bill. For a statement piece, contact Steamed Studio today. By choosing bespoke wooden lighting, you are choosing a unique product. Each handcrafted wooden light is entirely handmade in our studio, meaning they all differ in small ways. Sanded and oiled English ash produces quality light shades that we are proud to provide to our customers.

With organic shapes, twists, turns and contours, there’s no better compliment to any living space than a wooden light shade from Steamed Studio. For more information, reach out to our team today by calling us on 01603 850 282, emailing us at hello@steamedstudio.co.uk, or contacting us through one of our many social media pages. Steamed Studio provides bespoke wooden home furnishings that are kind, not cruel, to the environment.

 

 

 

5 Reasons Why You’ll Love Wooden Lighting

Love Wooden Lighting

You’ll love wooden lighting

If you’re new to the idea of installing some wooden lighting into your home, we’ve got a few reasons why you should do it. Alternatively, you may already have some wooden lighting and may be thinking of adding to your collection. We’ve got five reasons why you should invest in some bespoke wooden lighting from Steamed Studio.

5 Reasons Why You'll Love Wooden Lighting

Here at Steamed Studio, we use an antique process called steam bending to hand make our luxurious wooden products for stunning homeware. Steam bending uses steam to make the wood pliable enough to be stretched, contorted, and bent. When the wood cools, it holds its shape and remains durable. Although it’s a fairly niche product process, it’s actually been around for centuries and even dates back to ancient Egyptian times when they used it tomake chariots. Our work is natural-looking and distinctive. The unique designs complement both contemporary and traditional homes. Thanks to the handmade process, designs are completely bespoke and a piece of art that’s to be treasured for many years.The man behind Steamed Studio is Gary Smith, a woodwork craftsman who has many years of experience under his belt. In his workshop in Norwich, he enjoys putting his own spin on the classic steam-bending process. His attention to detail and continuous improvement means that every product from Steamed Studio is always of the highest quality. Traditional lighting made from unsustainable materials such as plastic is not only harsh on our environment, but they also lack any unique design flair. With steam-bent wooden lighting,you’re guaranteed a tailor-made product that’s easier on our ecosystem too. Read on to find out five reasons why you’ll love wooden lighting from Steamed Studio.

1 Beautiful designs inspired by nature

Because our light fixtures are made from natural timber (mostly ash which is a hardwood),we naturally have to get closer to nature and often take inspiration from the great outdoors.Ash wood has a beautiful creamy beige colour and brightens up living spaces. It also has ahigh shock absorbency meaning it’s resistant to splitting and cracking. We’re inspired by other stunning shapes in nature too such as arched weeping trees, twisted twigs and conicalpines which all show off their natural beauty and give us inspiration to create mood boards for our product ideas. You’ll see many Mother Nature-inspired details laced through our designs for a feeling of movement despite the designs being rigid and sturdy. In terms of colour, we like to let the natural shade of the wood stand out and use sanding and oiling to help it look its best. The oil we use is a multi-certified kind called Rubio® Monocoat. In the future we are looking to expand our range to include soft colours such as white to more intense shades like black to help compliment your existing décor

2 A sustainable choice

If you want to make greener choices with your interior design, our steam-bent wooden lighting is a great choice. Looking after the planet and sustainably sourcing our materials is very important to us and we use UK-sourced hardwood for less carbon footprint–sometimes we source wood from local tree surgeons too. Our packaging is also either recyclable or biodegradable. Our actual process of steam bending is kinder to the environment because of its low-energy usage and minimal environmental wastage. To prevent heat loss and extra energy use, the steam boxes we use for crafting each piece are thoroughly insulated so that steam evenly circulates each piece of timber. In addition to being environmentally friendly, wooden lighting is a healthier option too. Even when exposed to high temperatures no toxic substances are released. The use of natural wood has apositive effect on people with chronic respiratory diseases.

3 Handmade with love

Our artisan wooden lights are handcrafted with the greatest attention to detail. Using natural timbers, we follow the wood’s arch which means that no twist or bend is the same, resulting in a bespoke product. We’re passionate about each and every detail and lovingly spend several days perfecting each piece. We also use our own unique jigs so that we can create custom-made designs.

4 Timeless flair

Our stunning designs suit both modern and traditional homes and every style of décorthanks to the natural aesthetic. Wood is a timeless material that has natural beauty. We choose to keep the finishes on our designs simplistic and bespoke.By using the Rubio® Monocoat ‘Pure’ on our wooden lighting range, its unpigmented finish slightly darkens and enriches the natural tone of the wood itself.This means you can invest in a versatile woode nlight that can be cherished for many years. It can travel with you when you move home or choose to redecorate your existing living space. 

5 Luxurious brass fixtures

We use high-quality brass fixtures in our wooden lighting as they’re very resistant to temperature changes and hardwearing. Our brass fixtures can also be filled with low-carbon LED bulbs that are long-lasting and non-toxic.So, there you have it, five reasons why you’ll love wooden lighting from Steamed Studio.View our full range of ceiling lights, table lights and wall lights online. We also have a selection of steam-bent mirrors in beautiful arc shapes.

For information on our ash wood, take a look at our blog post The Uses, History and Wonders of the Ash Tree.With Earth Day 2022 on April 22nd, it’s a better time than ever to start making more eco-friendly choices with your homeware. Wooden lighting from Steamed Studio is a great first step. All our products are handmade to order and usually dispatched within 2-3 weeks. We hope you enjoy your new products as much as we enjoy crafting them.

What Lighting Can Bring to a Home

What lighting can bring to a home

Having the right amount of light within your home can change the whole look of a space. It can make or break the design and mood of a room. With so many attractive lighting options available, there’s no reason to stick with out-dated bulbs and bland shade designs. Instead, think about opting for lighting choices that will enhance a room’s decor and brighten it in the best possible way. We believe the right lighting choices can add a lot to a room – and here’s how. 

Bring balance with layers of light. 

When it comes to lighting a room, layers can have a significant impact. As a general rule, aim for at least three light layers in a room for the best impact. For example, in a larger space, consider a beautiful large chandelier alongside a tall lamp or a decorative table lamp, or adding dimmers to set the room’s mood for different activities. There’s no reason to limit light layering to larger spaces, either. For example, in a small bathroom consider reducing the wattage of the bulb in the main light to suit the size of the room and enhance the decor. 

Create a focal point of a living area 

A bespoke handcrafted light fitting or statement lamp can become a central focal point of your interior design. Coupling these statement pieces with clever hidden or overhead lighting can achieve some stunning effects. We recommend you opt for warmer LED bulbs over cold fluorescent versions for greater energy efficiency and flexibility. 

Enhance a space 

If you install directional lighting, focus them towards curtains, blinds or joinery so the light reflected comes back into the room and enhances the feeling of space. Light diffused by a decorative shade like our Vitale shade will bounce off the ceiling during daylight hours and create a soft glow in the darker evenings. 

A table lamp completes a sideboard. 

A sideboard can look incomplete without a stylish table lamp. A bespoke table lamp can add a little height and light up a small display of personal mementoes such as ornaments and treasured photographs. Then, add an artistic piece such as a painting or small sculpture to the other side to create a perfect balance. 

Add wall lights to show off your room’s best features. 

Do you love to hang artwork or do you want to light up a cosy reading corner? Well-chosen wall lights can illuminate your room’s best features for you to enjoy. You could even use some stunning handmade light fittings to frame your favourite piece to really make it pop. Wall lights can also make excellent task lighting, for example, in a dedicated reading nook in your living room, giving you a little extra light where you need it. 

All my lighting products are handmade and completely bespoke. No two pieces are entirely alike. So, if you are looking for some new light fittings for your room and want something a little bit different, check out my range. All of the timber used is sourced from the UK for minimal environmental impact – after all, whatever we do, whatever we make, we all need to work together to protect our planet.  

Glow Up: The Emergence of Lighting Through The Ages

The Emergence of Lighting Through The Ages

From Prometheus’ mythical gift of fire to bulbs that dim at the touch of a dial, lighting has a long – and rather eclectic – history. It’s almost inconceivable nowadays, a world without lighting. But it wasn’t too long ago that we were relying on gas lamps, and before that simple candles and fires to light our way and make the dark a little less ominous.

So how did we get here?

 

The dark ages

Otherwise reliant on only the moonlight, our enterprising ancestors most likely crafted makeshift lamps out of shells or hollow rocks stuffed with dried grass and animal fat way back in prehistory, around 70,000 BCE. Those flickering flames may not have held a candle to modern torches, but they were enough to provide a little comfort in the night, and likely ward off predators. A little later in ancient Egypt and China, saucers were fashioned out of pottery or bronze to support a central wick, which controlled how quickly the fire burnt. Later still, the Romans lit their paths with closed terracotta lamps while larger, more complicated metal designs were used in circuses and forums. Rather outsmarted by their Roman forebears, lights in Medieval England were similar to the saucers of ancient Egypt. It wasn’t truly until the 1700s that we really got our acts together!

 

Fuelling the fire

In fact, right up until the end of the 18th Century, we were burning oils for light and warmth: olive oil, tallow, beeswax and whale oil were all popular choices. But there had been a revolution by the turn of the century. Coal gas had begun to be used in lights, and though it was deemed unsafe, it quickly became the popular form of streetlight. First demonstrated on our very own Pall Mall in London in early 1807, England had lit a torch: would the rest of the world follow suit? As it turned out, they would. By 1816, Baltimore had lit up its streets, becoming the first city in the US with gas-powered street lamps. Just a year later, Paris joined them, lighting the Passage des Panoramas.

 

The lightbulb moment: making the switch from gas to electric

As fate would have it, gas lamps didn’t last all that long relative to their more basic ancestors – although you’ll still be able to find them in cities all over the world, including corners of London and Warsaw. The popularity of gas lighting took a steep turn when, in 1880, Thomas Edison established the light bulb as we know it. Now, Edison didn’t come up with the idea of electric light bulbs, though he is often credited with it. Several inventors over the decades before him had produced working prototypes, but they were often hampered by the technology of the time or the expense of the materials they were using. Edison’s invention brought together affordable materials and the longevity and brightness that would make using electric lights so much more convenient than their gas counterparts.

 

The glow up: LED lighting and the future

Though iterations of Edison’s bulb – now with a tungsten filament – are still available to this day, many people are moving towards the use of LEDs: light-emitting diodes. That’s because they’re significantly more energy-efficient than their incandescent counterparts – about 90% more, in fact. Using less electricity to light your home is not only economical but much more sustainable too. Plus, there’s no reason to worry that you have to be stuck with ugly bulbs. Their popularity means that you can find LED bulbs in all shapes and sizes, including hand-blown models that are graceful enough to be statement pieces in their own right. At Steamed Studio, we encourage the use of LED bulbs with our lighting range. Doing our bit for the planet whilst creating beautiful art for your home? We’re in.