Lampworks

Lampworks Branches Out!

2012-01-01T18:58:00.003-05:00

LAMPWORKS' NEW SHOWROOM

These days, many businesses downsize. Lampworks recently moved into a larger space to include furniture and flooring. After all, lighting needs display space on walls and ceilings, so we have room for our new, exclusive lines at:

The New York Design Center
200 Lexington Ave, Suite 903, NYC 10016
212.750.1500

Visit Lampworks' Website and Showroom to learn about designing everything you need. We'll take you through the often confusing world of sustainable lighting choices, and show you how to integrate them into your designs.

Continuing our tradition of providing quality, custom, sustainable designs (ours or yours), so too may you customize our seating, area rugs and case goods. Just as with our lighting, you specify the finish or materials, size and design. Everything has a short foot print with fast lead-times.

Our furniture is made from the finest European leathers, fabrics from design sources - or COM. Order sofas, sectionals and modulars "by the inch" and choose the filling, legs and cushions. We also offer great dining, lounge, pull-up, and accent chairs, kitchen and bar stools.

Along with our stock design and custom area rug capabilities, Lampworks is the only source for custom, outdoor area rugs! Yes, your size, shape and design, made with custom colors.

We offer a variety of yarns and textural effects. Poms are shipped quickly for those demanding Clients who want to make decisions now!

So, stop in when you're in the NYDC, or make an appointment at: 212.750.1500 to get a preview of our fresh, innovative styles and service. And...remember our lighting too...

SM-01 Surface Mount

Surface Mounts in many sizes and shapes.
Choose the finish and lamping for your requirements.


Fiberglass Mid-20th C Shade

Custom Lampshades and

Contemporary and Classic Table and Floor Lamps

Make an appointment to learn about designing everything you need. We'll take you through the often confusing world of sustainable lighting sources and assist you with integrating them into your designs. Now Lampworks is your One Source for furniture and flooring as well as lighting!

Come! Sit! Stay! at the NYDC

2011-11-19T08:45:00.020-05:00

Usually, we write about lighting, however, Lampworks recently moved into the New York Design Center at 200 Lexington Avenue, and so our mascots want you to know how excited they are to be here!   If you've shopped at Lampworks, then you've met our Standard Poodles, Yoshi and Caniche. Caniche is the white female princess who holds court over the showroom, and Yoshi is the the male rescue with soulful eyes who greets everyone for pets.

On our first offical day, as we approached the entrance, there was Mike, one of the building staff, raising the flags of the US, NYDC, and 1stdibs. We stopped to salute and entered the lobby where we were greeted by Eileen and Louis who qualify visitors and messengers.  Eileen is in big trouble ever since the Poodles found out she keeps biscuits at her station. Now they won't continue through the lobby unless they get a treat. While we were there we also met Jordan of Apropos, with his dog.

Next, we stopped in the Cafe to pick up coffee and were pleasantly surprised to find that the Poodles were allowed to accompany me where they were offered some treats. How is a canine to keep a good figure around here?

As we rode up to the ninth floor, the Poodles, who always watch their elevator manners, sat quietly wagging their tails offering free shoe shines.   When we arrived, we met DIFFA's mascot, Spot. Gosh, this is an exciting start to the day - another member of the NYDC Kennel Club!

Ready for work, Caniche and Yoshi got into position for their nap and
waited for another chance to see Eileen on their way out for a walk.  Hmmm....maybe the guys at the Cafe will spare a little cheese they've been saving for those yummy paninis? Next time you are in the NYDC, stop into Suite 903 and have your shoes shined while you view our new lighting. Come! Sit! Stay!

7 Weeks to a New Showroom!

2011-10-14T16:11:00.009-04:00

WEEK FIVE:

It's time to freak out! ONLY TWO WEEKS LEFT! Now that each of our contractors has gotten to a running start without tripping over each other, they have all promised to take us from this...

Suite 903 (October 13, 2011)

...to a finished showroom! Although it looks like nothing is happening, the walls are being framed and almost all the piping is run for the electric wires. Then the entire space will be painted, the floor will be installed and we'll transport our "display fixtures". These have to be reinstalled to show off our sconces, table lamps and lampshades.

While waiting for this to happen, I took some time out with friends to attend a book signing by Ana Tzarev in her gallery on West 57th Street. Justin Warner, Director of the gallery, whisked us away for a glass of champagne and introduced us to Ana. Originally from Croatia, Ana specializes in scenes of nature; especially flowers and birds. Primary colors dominate her themes and her canvasses are of a grand scale. Ana is one of the most exuberant painters I have ever met - and so is her art!

And speak of exuberant people, in the center is our group leader, Interior Designer, Elle, of Lebeck Design Corp., and from left to right, long-time pal Sean, Courtney of B.Berger, family friend Ram, and me!

I'm cashing in all my favors and inviting everyone in town to spend the weekend packing chandeliers. Free beer and pizza for all. So far we have two brave participants. When I return to work on Monday, I will have photos with more progress. I hope.

7 Weeks to a New Showroom!

2011-09-23T07:39:00.006-04:00

WEEK TWO:
We made a lot of decisions about the electrical (whew!). Now the work begins. It involves a lot of chopping, drilling and concrete dust, so this part is done early mornings, evenings and weekends so as not to disturb the other showrooms.

This past Tuesday was the annual "What's New What's Next" event at the NYDC. Since we were not officially open, but wanted to have a presence, we set up a "construction vignette" with chandeliers on ladders, a few pieces of our new leather line and a pile of lampshades peaking from a packing box.

We displayed a chair and ottoman from Leathercraft. Their furniture is amazing. It's all made from beautiful, top-quality European leather, eight-way hand-tied construction and is custom made in 3-4 weeks!

As you can see, the choice of style runs the gamut from Contemporary to Classic. If you want to design your own styles or reinvent ours, be our guest!

We also showed our signature chandelier, the Dulce, which received a lot of attention.

The best part of our lines is that they are Made in America! So, quick lead-time for custom fabrication and a short footprint is included at no extra charge!

Now, we have to meet with the other contractors to figure out where everything else will go. Oy!

7 Week Countdown to a New Showroom!

2011-09-12T07:54:00.023-04:00

WEEK ONE:
Lampworks has begun the third incantation of it's professional life in NYC. In 1996 we opened in the D&D Building, or "979 Third" to the locals. Five years later, when we needed to expand into larger space, we moved to 58th Street in September of 2001 (good timing eh?). At that time it would have made a good location for filming "Midnight Cowboy". Just a seedy-looking street that leads to the upper roadway of the 59th Street Bridge, it has always been home to great restaurants like Felidia; but her jewel of a building was the exception, not the rule.

As more and more home furnishings merchants gentrified the side streets surrounding the D&D, A&D and Fine Arts Buildings, we improved properties. Since the values went up, property owners proceeded to raise rents. It became a win/win for landlords and a lose/lose for tenants.

So, here we are, September, 2011 and we're doing our third build-out in 15 years! We are moving into the NYDC, the New York Design Center, lovingly referred to as "200 Lex".

Our new space is a "usable" 1,677 square feet. As of today, it is a concrete box with 10'-8" ceilings, and two tall windows that look out onto Lexington Avenue and 32nd Street. Keep in mind that ceiling height is everything to a lighting showroom. We have exactly seven weeks to complete a build-out, move in and open!

Suite 903 (September 9, 2011)

The NYDC was built at the turn-of-the-century, so ceilings are composed of clay and cannot hold more than 25 pounds. For most showrooms that's not a problem, but for Lampworks... well, we will have to install steel extrusions called Kindorf that are literally bolted to the bottom of the I-beams by sawing away the concrete and plaster that surrounds them. The Kindorf is electrified and the beams must be restored. This brings our "ceiling height" down to 9'-8" - not a very comfortable height to hang large chandeliers. We have a lot to do!

We're planning everything down to the inch, but where to display large chandeliers? Yikes! And - we're making room for a new category - furniture. We'd also like to reuse as many of our existing display fixtures as possible, but don't want the space to appear crowded. It's very tempting to put ten pounds into a five pound bag -exactly the look we want to avoid! We'll let you know how this plays out when we get to Week Two. Stay posted!

Cool Lighting Basics - 101

2011-04-01T20:05:00.019-04:00

In our last Blog we talked about Sustainable lighting and bulbs (referred to as lamps) with which most of us are more familiar. As promised, here are some additional, newer types of lamps.

Ah - the miracle lamp - Light Emitting Diode. Better known as an LED, they've been around since 1927 (!) and were perfected in 1962 by GE. LED's have been used for a while in aviation, and in street lights and electronics, but were not used for general lighting purposes until recently. Although there are LED par-like flood lamps, Edison and candelabra based lamps for residential use, we have a long way to go in perfecting the color of the light,and being able to get the lumens we are all used to living by. Most types cannot be dimmed, may fade and can change color. Also, although manufacturers boast that LED's last for 50-80,000 hours, these lamps haven't been around long enough to know for sure! Still, it's become the cold lighting of choice for under-counter and interior cabinet lighting because of the compact size and the small amount of electricity it requires.

AIRBUS LIT w/ LED

The once industrial Metal Halide lamp has morphed into a variety of shapes and sizes that can be for commercial and residential use. The original 1960's technology has been around long enough for us to know that we can get from 50-80,000 hours from one lamp. Take a walk down Fifth Avenue and get real close to the windows that wrap around the front of Saks 5th Avenue. James Ranson, Associate Director of Visual Lighting Design for Saks, uses Metal Halide lamps to get beautiful effects on posh merchandise that has to look its best! The lamps are ideal for window display as they are cold like fluorescent. This way, the small world of a shop window won't require more energy to keep it cool like traditional incandescent and halogen lamps. Additionally, they last far longer, so they're saving money on staff time and replacement lamps.

BASEBALL FIELD LIT w/ METAL HALIDE

Less familiar to some is Cold Cathode, also known as CCFL. These lamps are actually a cousin of Neon. They are gas-filled tubes that can be bent into virtually any shape and size. We find them especially suited for illuminating coves as they have less drop-off than LED's and they can be made any length, which means they are not interrupted by dark spots like fluorescents which come in standard sizes. They are also colder than fluorescent and can be dimmed. They also last up to 25,000 hours.

Cove Lit w/ Cold Cathode

Here's my favorite... Fiber Optics. Fiber Optic Lighting does not use any "lamps" - except one for the source. It is a lighting system that transports the light through glass fibers - sort of like Fios. The series of glass fibers is protected by a flexible cable that makes it water-proof, fire-proof and may be installed where you can't use conduit because there's no electricity going through the cables! Best of all, except for the source, there are no bulbs to change - it's totally permanent! It gives off no heat at all. Even fluorescents and some LED's do give off some heat albeit less than incandescent.

STAIRWELL LIT w/ FIBER OPTICS

So, how do we sort out all these new types of lamps that we're all debating about? Sustainable lighting is still in its infancy so there's a lot to learn. The truth is, even manufacturers don't have all the answers. They come up with new products to sell but often don't offer coordinating sockets with dimmers. There are no standards for labeling; often, they each label specs differently than another company, although they are exactly the same. The answer is to be open to everything. There isn't one type of lighting that can substitute for another any more. Experiment a little and see what works for you. Not everything is worth all the hype - but you may be pleasantly surprised!

It's not easy being Green!

2011-01-16T21:45:00.099-05:00

Remember that song by Kermit the frog? "It's not easy being green" Well, many of our clients feel the same way! We've done a lot of research to sort out the differences between so many types of lighting; searched the Internet, spoken with experts who lecture at our "Breakfast Club" meetings, and joined organizations such as the Designers Lighting Forum (DLF), NYC. At these meetings, we meet with other lighting professionals with whom we can discuss types of lighting.

So where does this leave us? A bit overwhelmed by it all? I don't blame you! Here's the complaint we hear most often: "Our clients want to be more friendly toward the environment and save money, but none of us like the lighting effect of Fluorescent lighting:" I couldn't agree more. The most important thing we've learned is that there is more to Sustainable life than Fluorescents! Yes you heard it here! Common' you ask, if we can put a man on the moon, why can't anyone make a CFL look like an incandescent? For one thing, when Thomas Edison invented the light bulb, it was his goal to imitate gas light, the popular mode of lighting at the time, and just like gas, incandescent has a filament that burns and glows with a warm, yellow light. That is why they don't last as long as newer kinds of lighting. They "burn out" quickly.

Enclosed Wall Sconce -

Great with CFL's

Drum Pendant -

Perfect for CFL's

In an effort to create something that is reasonably priced and lasts longer, CFL's have started to dominate the market. However, it's never going to glow like a candle. The bulbs, or "lamps" as they are properly referred to, are filled with a gas. It's like trying to match the color of a your chartreuse fabric to a ready-mixed chart of paint for your walls. You'll come really close but never quite make it! The best we can do is choose the "color temperature".

Incandescents glow at 2700 Kelvin and you can buy CFL's at 2700K as well, however, it's only close. So, we recommend them for enclosed fixtures such as drum pendants, flush and semi-flush mounts, where it works especially well. And, we've also found some CFL's that can be dimmed. Sweet!

Candelabra Base
Xenon

My favorite alternative is "Xenon". Yes, just like the lamps they use in the headlights of your car! They also have a gas inside, but they also have a filament that glows. Xenon gas is whiter than Fluorescent, they are available in Edison or candelabra bases and are really small so you can get a lot of light in a small shade or fixture. They cost more than an incandescent, however, they last at least three times as long. They also dim. The reason I consider them sustainable is that they give off more light using less wattage. For instance, the 60-watt version is perceived by the human eye like a brighter, 100-watt incandescent. So, you'll use less electricity and buy fewer bulbs in the long run.

This tiny sconce has a
shallow shade - good
choice for a Xenon bulb.

Some of the "new" lamps we're using are actually old technology. For instance, Cold Cathode lighting, another lamp that has gas inside, is a cousin of Neon. Fiber Optic lighting was first developed in the 1950's. More on those, the ever-popular LED and Metal Halide next time - there is a lot to "look at!"

For more information on green lamps and lighting, visit Lampworks' Sustainable Page.

Window Dressing

2010-10-28T21:57:00.009-04:00

As the great recession takes its toll on small business owners, we find ourselves working harder and putting in longer hours in an effort to bring in more new business. To my delight, however, our business has picked up, thanks to our loyal clients from the past who are starting to get busier. This is how Customer Service is supposed to work! It may not pay off immediately, but it sure pays off in the long run. Customer Service is not just a department staffed by cheerful people who apologize for the mistakes of others, but a willingness on everyone's part to do what it takes to make everything right.

Our First Window, October 2001

Along with service, promotion is a key factor in getting your name out. Lampworks' Designer Showcase Windows have been designed and installed by well-known interior designers since their inception in 2002. Past participants have included alumni of the Kips Bay Designer Showhouse, Holiday House and the office of Albert Hadley.

Our current window was just completed by an interior designer with a fresh slant on things, Felicia Zwebner, of Art de Triomphe, LLC. Each window has a theme and Felicia, in keeping with "everything French", has installed a table and chairs on a stone patio under a canopy of branches and moss. But....the world has turned topsy-turvey! The dining area is on a wall, our entrance stairs has morphed into a waterfall and you'll walk across the sky to enter the showroom alongside a Montgolfier! So, stop by and see Felicia in Lampworksland.

The benefit of these windows is plain to see (no pun intended), but for us it is the privilege of being in on the planning and installation. My staff and I have so much fun watching and participating as the the windows come alive. Thank you Window25, Faux Time Design, Gramercy Park Flower Shop, Kravet, Pierre Deux and Inkjet Textile Printing. As Felicia states, "It's difficult to put together a great group of tradespeople like the ones I work with." Our windows are a win-win effort that brings attention to the designer, our lighting, and the furniture, fabric, flooring and accessories that are loaned to us by area merchants. Additionally, talented tradespeople get to strut their stuff where everyone can see how they use floral displays, paint clouds, and build beautiful upholstered balloons (yes balloons!).

It never ceases to amaze me how store owners neglect their best asset - their windows on the world. Lampworks has become known for ever-changing, constantly amazing, creative windows. Local shoppers, residents and other merchants tell us how they walk down 58th Street just to see what we've done with our window. It keeps people looking into our showroom, and - we've proven that interior designers love doing windows!

PS: If you can't make it to NYC, you can see the window and read all about it in the Traditional Home magazine blog!

Insist on Good Lighting Wherever You Go!

2010-08-16T22:10:00.060-04:00

If you ask any designer why they do what they do, most likely they will say that they want to make the world a more beautiful or perfect place. It's not easy to go through life noticing what is right as well as what is askew. We notice what clashes and try to make it harmonize. We find something that isn't as it should be and try to fix it. As a kid I'd see a frame hanging crookedly on a wall and straighten it - even if it wasn't my house! It upsets me to see things out of balance.

This summer my husband and I spent some long weekends visiting with friends and relatives while staying in high-end hotels, budget motels and B&B's. They all have different features, however, they have one thing in common; a lack of attention to how their guests use lighting. As a matter of fact, even if a guest room has been well planned, after a while it often deteriorates ...no one checks them again. We all bemoan the fact that lighting is so important, yet we're willing to accept substandard lighting elsewhere. Here are a few of my pet peeves....

1 - Missing finials. The lampshade falls off when reach over to turn it on.
Solution: Routinely check that they are tight or not missing.
2 - Low wattage bulbs for reading at bedside or on the desk.
Solution: Supply high-wattage bulbs with dimmers.
3 - Bedside lamps are centered on the nightstand but are too far away to be useful.
Solution: Give us slack on the cord so we can move it closer if necessary.
4 - Missing or blown-out bulbs and there are no replacements available.
Solution: Leave extra bulbs in the closet labeled with where they go.
5 - Incorrect or insufficient bulbs. Housekeeping could care less what they've stuck in any socket.
Solution: Label or color-code replacement bulbs for the staff.
6 - A lamp is unplugged and the cord cord or receptacle is stuck behind a piece of furniture.
Solution: Check daily that everything is working!
7 - Two and three-way switches that never seem to coordinate with each other.
Solution: Label all unusual or multi-ganged switches.
8 - Full length mirrors and mirrors over dressers that are in the dark.

Solution: Install a light above the mirror.

Lamps centered on nightstands look good but

are too far to reach and don't give adequate light.

A good example of lighting above a mirror and

cove lighting adds ambient warmth to the room.

Also, it's so tempting to leave the lights on when we don't have to foot the bill. So where is our sense of sustainability as consumers? US hoteliers should install the systems used by Europeans which automatically sense that you have left the room, and turn everything off.

Now that there are mandates for hotels to use CFL's, it would be great if housekeeping staffs replaced each bulb with the same kind. It is sickening to apply makeup or read in green light, knowing that there are fluorescents available in the same color temperature as incandescents.

It surprises me that housekeeping supervisors and hotel managers do not review room lighting on a regular basis. Perhaps they should spend a night in one of their own rooms. What do you think?

Where is our Catalogue?

2010-03-29T19:50:00.013-04:00

Two weeks ago I turned on our main computer and tried to check email. A message appeared in the bottom right hand corner of the screen telling me our (brand new) machine had lost it's internet and networking connections. So, for the past two weeks we have been in Computer Hell. This is where you are guaranteed to spend an inordinate amount of time if you think you know enough to outwit tech support. Taking matters into your own hands, however, is better than getting stuck in Computer Limbo where you wait for your brother-in-law to show up to fix it for free, and hope that he doesn't make it worse. If you're lucky, you'll go directly to Computer Heaven because you can afford a professional. I won't bore you with the gorey details, suffice it to say that we thank our clients for bearing with us!

While I spent my time with installation wizards ("watching paint dry"), I picked up a lot of sales calls from design firms who are reviewing their libraries. They were inquiring about a catalogue. We explained that our best sellers are on our site , but what we do best is create good-looking lighting the way you need it. An example is our work with store development designers. Years ago, when I worked for Bloomingdale's and Macy*s, I observed how important these often oversized, overscaled visual cues can be to the allure of the store and bottom line. Sometines the most subtle design element can make a difference in the buyer's mood or perception of the product it was meant to enhance.

We love a challenge! One of our clients, exclusive British childrens' wear designer, Marie Chantal, opted for drum shades wrapped in a special white tape with floating linen diffusers. We engineered them so that they would meet UL code in their US stores yet look the same as the original UK version.

Store design projects allow us to collaborate with top professionals such as the Store Development team of Polo Ralph Lauren where they design some of the most creative store fixtures in the world. Currently, they are installing a store in Kuwait and recently completed one in Dubais. For the Childrens' departments of these stores we created hand-sewn lampshade pendants on steriods!

Carolina Herrera commissioned a hand-blown chandelier in smokey brown crystal to match her dress satin and Bergdorf Goodman requested five original miniature chandeliers for their Celine windows on Fifth Avenue.

Sak's Fifth Avenue asked us to reproduce lamps for their Cosmetics Department that were originally made in France in the 1920's. The assignment was to make an acryllic shade that would look like the original Lalique glass.

We enjoy seeing how beautifully everything turns out - the challenging part is the deadlines. Yes, it's a scary world out there but no longer do you have to worry about whether your design will work. You design it and we'll make it work. That's our job.

"UL" Made Simple!

2010-02-06T12:37:00.009-05:00

Many of our clients looked puzzled when we mention that

our lighting is UL. So, let's set the record straight.

Underwriters Laboratories® Inc. (UL), is an independent product safety certification organization. UL does not “approve” products, rather a manufacturer of a UL-certified product must demonstrate compliance with the appropriate safety requirements, many of which are developed and updated yearly by UL. A manufacturer must also demonstrate that it has a program in place to ensure that each copy of the product complies as well. Some lighting manufacturers refer to their product as "built with UL parts", or having "UL components". That's a good start of course - but their fixtures are not necessarily fabricated to UL specifications in a licensed UL shop.

So what's the difference? Safety standards mandate that you not only use safer parts, but that you construct and configure lighting fixtures in a prescribed way. For instance, floor lamps must be weighted to pass a "tilt test" and enclosed surface mount fixtures must withstand a "heat test". Many European products have their own version of UL, however, their standards are different and do not comply with ours. Some Chinese fixtures with a UL label may be questionable (See our 01/17 Blog).

All fixtures used for commercial, public spaces such as lobbies and hotel rooms must meet the most stringent UL standards. This is particularly important for hard-wired fixtures; ceiling mounts and wall lights. An example is the Park Lane Lobby. Standards for residential lighting have become more strict in recent years as well. One area to be more cautious about is "portable lighting"; plug in floor and table lamps, as they are often cheap imports that will ignore UL standards. Look for a UL label on the socket or base. On hard-wired fixtures it will be inside the canopy or backplate.

We work with a shop that has an "Open UL" license. This allows us to rewire imported, one-of-a-kind, custom and antique fixtures so that they are compliant and safe. It also makes sense to update an old table lamp with a UL grounded plug and heavier UL wire and socket. In the event that there is an electrical fire and an insurance claim is made, one of the first things an adjuster will look for is the UL label.

Would you buy a toaster that didn't have the UL label? Keep in mind that lighting is not just a work of art - it has to function and be safe too!

Lamps Last? I Think Not!!

2010-01-17T13:11:00.000-05:00

I've spent over 30 years in the Interior Design industry; half of that specializing in lighting. With the new year, I have decided it's time to speak out in defense of decorative fixtures made in the West!

Many of Lampworks' clients are residential designers who bring their clients in at the end of a project. Although our designers try to convince the end-users that lighting is an important part of the overall scheme, some consumers think they can get away with inexpensive Chinese knock-offs. To make matter worse, there's little left in the budget. Then, they apologize that their clients expect to find quality fixtures at Chinese prices! Lampworks offers a beautiful assortment of original chandeliers made in the US, Canada, Italy, France and the Czech Republic. Yes, they do cost more than Asian imports. Here's why....

Our authentic Versaille style chandeliers
are true to the originals, wired safely and
will be the antiques of tomorrow!

Chinese imports often have long lead-times because retailers cannot afford to stock large quantities. We can fabricate every fixture to order. The price is much lower because quality is poor. We make everything by hand and stand behind the quality. Instead of cast brass that's hand-finished, it's made in white metal and poorly finished and assembled. They won't last very long, and like cheap costume jewelry the finish wears out quickly. Our fixtures will last forever. In addition, they have minimal wattage capacity, the UL can be questionable, and more importantly the scale and proportion is not correct to the design it pretends to be.

This Versaille style chandelier found on the internet,
bears no resemblance to the classic design,
and the quality is questionable.

Surely everything, including the lighting, should be considered part of the overall design scheme. Lighting is as important as the HVAC, the kitchen appliances, and the upholstery. After all - if it isn't just right, we won't be comfortable. The right lighting will affect how we read, use computers, watch television, eat, cook, entertain and distinguish the navy blue from the black suit in our closet! I remember growing up with beautiful, glass lamps at my parent's bedside, cast brass sconces in the living room and a crystal chandelier in the dining room that today sell as antiques and vintage pieces. They were not fancy "designer" lights but quality, made-in-America products that served our family well for over fifty years, and were classically designed so they never went out of style. Will anything we buy today be worth something tomorrow? Are we only putting good money after bad?

One cannot notice that the world has changed, however, there will come a time when the economy will improve and there will be nothing to choose from but junk. Small fabricators pride ourselves on offering the "antiques of tomorrow".

So - before you run into that big box store for just any old lamp, or take a chance on that crystal chandelier you found on the internet, consider that "good enough" ends up in yard sales. Lighting is a quality "appliance" that should work well to fulfill a need and at the same time be a beautiful work of art that you will enjoy for a very long time to come.

The Designers Lighting Forum has a Kid's Night Out!

2009-12-06T21:29:00.000-05:00

I'm always looking for inspiration for my lighting designs. What better way than to visit places that are beautifully lit? And - when my husband, Dwight Tobin, hears that anything has to do with theater, well, he always comes along. Dwight is a producer/director who spent his youth working in the Public Theater with Joe Papp.

So, this past Friday, there we were, together in front of an LED video screen that is 40 feet high and 90 feet wide as we stood on top of the stage where the Rockettes have been kicking off the Radio City Christmas Spectacular since 1932! Imagine what it's like to stand behind that curved, velvet curtain that looks out over one of the largest venues built to accommodate both film and live theater.

We were greeted by a tall, curly-haired fellow named Charles, waving a handfull of blinking Christmas lights. He led us up the dramatic stairway, through the quintessential Deco lobby and into the theater. The show boasts a 3-D opening which is worth the ticket.

Afterward, we followed him again through the crushing crowds back in to meet the legendary theater's lighting designer, David Agress, who explained that until last year the LED screen was the largest in the world. We were led past the control station of the hydraulic lifts that bring the scenery and actors up and down. The dials, knobs and buttons are original and reminded us of a 1930's submarine!

It was arranged by our friend Charles Pavarini III, an active member of the DLF (Designers Lighting Forum), a group of lighting professionals. A portion of the evening's proceeds was donated to the Nukoll's Fund for Lighting Education.

It's all very impressive - but gosh - when we put on those 3-D glasses, everything seemed so real - and it was really cool to reach out as Santa flew by and grab for those gifts!

The Heart of an Artist

2009-11-15T21:36:00.000-05:00

Charles Pavarini III, whom we are featuring in our window, invited us to join him and his partner Randall to attend a benefit concert last week given by Bernadette Peters to raise money for Broadway Barks. It was a spectacular evening of show tunes and ballads, glamorous Broadway legends and TV personalities. (Here I am at the cast party with Ugly Betty star Michael Urie) The music and performance was superb but what left me with chills was when Ms. Peters paraded dozens of shelter animals on stage, introducing each one and asking that we take them home. Ms. Peters is known to drive around the City picking up dogs from kill shelters and dropping them off to no kill shelters. And our friend, Charles Pavarini, is known to be on hand to enlist anyone who will participate in a good cause.

In that spirit, if our clients choose to forgo using credit cards, Lampworks will donate $25 on every invoice paid to underwrite Pet Rox. Pet Rox is a volunteer musical performance group of animal care professionals who donate their time and talent to raise money on behalf of NYC's animal causes. Projects include raising funds for shelters, adoption initiatives, and a retirement fund for NYC's Ground Zero search and rescue dogs.

So many pets have been abandoned and given away for adoption, now more than ever because of the economy, that our shelters are overburdened. Anything you can do to make the life of a dog or cat feel more at home, more loved or just plain easier is what art is all about. After all "art" is half of the word "heart".