"UL" Made Simple!

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!!

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!

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!

Photography by Dwight B. Tobin © 2009

The Heart of an Artist

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".