MoD Must Haves
craft, tactile, novel
for lighting lovers
I love the idea that things are made in the United States and are made by hand...by highly skilled artisans who craft unbelievable things..... pure artisanal making ....can you hear the hammer, hammer of metal?; A recognized contributor to American manufacturing is the Urban Electric Co., a creative company that prides itself on uncompromising craftsmanship, original design and impeccable service. With a collection of over 300 fixtures, this unique lighting/design/manufacturing company based in Charleston, South Carolina is not only passionate about what they do but strive for extraordinary quality. That is attainable because Urban Electric Co. has pure control over their own manufacturing.
the 'L' fixture
Their own original designs can simply be described as imaginative, classic and unique.
With a background in fashion design, visual merchandising and interiors, Creative Director Michael Amato leads the overall design direction and works closely with outside designers who introduce new collections. Mr. Amato's own collection is very original with simplistic, clean lines. One of my faves is the Cosy fixture:
I love Cosy's pure geometry and how the light bulb is connected and suspended within its elegant volume. The yellow and blue colors are fab too. All of Urban Electric's fixtures are constructed with the finest materials of metal and glass. You can customize each design with different type of metals (antique brass, black, white, hewn brass, painted, bronze, polished. Glass nickel) and glass (clear, colored glass, etched, german new antique, ice, seeded, translucent antique). The design possibilities are endless....Take a look of more of Amato's designs:
I'm loving the Urban Smokebell that comes in clear, antiqued or etched antiqued mirror...the proportions are perfect over a kitchen island..
Punch
Malplaquet
The punch fixture comes as a sconce or a pendant. Love the texture and curve of the glass. What a fabulous fixture for a makeup area for the queen bee...
Malplaquet
Are you lovin the Malplaquet pendant..ahhh! This past year NYC based designer Steven Gambrel has collaborated with the Urban Electric Co team to create custom fixtures inspired by the American vernacular. Mr. Gambrell's collection honestly brings attention to the joints and connections... I relish the heftiness of his fixtures and the strong industrial nod to the utility for ships and factories. The Malplaquet is my favorite. The aluminum body can be powder coated in an endless array of colors. How fun! The fitting detail at the top is quite beautiful too!
1- West Wycombe
2- Houghton
3- Erddig Table
I didn't realize at first but there is a lot going on in Gambrel's collection of fixtures. The intricate detailing over a large scale is quite complex and I would assume difficult to manufacture. The Houghton and West Wycombe are stunners!. Bravo, Urban Electric Co for amazing craftsmanship!
To connect with Urban Electric Co.,
(all images courtesy of Urban Electric co.)
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