1. What period are your fixtures and shades from?
2. Who reintroduced hand-painted and decorated shades?
3. Do you have plans for adding new fixtures and shades?
4 . What is the standard ceiling height?
5 . How low should my dining room fixture, including shade(s), hang over my table?
6. How low should my pendant hang over my kitchen island?
7. Can I adjust the fixture length once I receive it?
8. Do your fixtures work outdoors?
9. How much light do I need in my kitchen/bathroom/bedroom/etc.?
10. Can I use a compact fluorescent bulb in your fixtures?

1. What period are your fixtures and shades from?
Our fixtures and shades represent styles and designs dating from the turn of the century through the late 1940s. All of our shades are hand-blown, one by one, in authentic antique moulds using the same methods that have been in effect for over 150 years. Our solid brass fixtures are designed and handcrafted to reflect the historical accuracy of the original styles and can be mixed and matched with our shades to create a unique look that complements the character of your home or building. If you are curious about what fixture and shade combinations are most accurate for the year of your house, feel free to call us—we would love to help.

2. Who reintroduced hand-painted and decorated shades?
We did! In addition to bringing exclusive authentic shade designs back into production, we also brought back hand-painted and decorated shades. These shades are guided by antique patterns and historically relevant colors that are at home in today’s environments. They are hand-painted or decorated by brush and appliqué, using traditional methods so that they look just like the originals. We have two lines of hand-painted shades—the Modern Color series and the Vintage Color series. All of these colors are unique and give customers an opportunity to achieve a classic style with an added twist of color and design.

3. Do you have plans for adding new fixtures and shades?
Yes. We have had a great response to the fixtures that we already offer but we plan to continually introduce new fixtures and shades in order to offer an even larger variety. We have more than a dozen new fixture and shade designs under development and are always interested in customer feedback and suggestions. Is there something you are having a hard time finding or would like to see? We would love to hear your ideas.

4 . What is the standard ceiling height?
Believe it or not, there isn’t one. Most residential ceilings are between 8 and 10 feet high. Knowing your ceiling height is very important in deciding what scale fixture will look best in your space. We encourage customers to measure their ceiling height before placing an order. If you have 8-foot ceilings, pay extra attention to the Overall Length of the fixture you choose (Fixture Length + Shade Height = Overall Length) to make sure it does not hang too low in your space. Conversely, if you have 10-foot or higher ceilings, you may want a larger scale or longer fixture that will bring the fixture and light down into the space.

5. How low should my dining room fixture, including shade(s), hang over my table?
This can be subjective according to how you use your dining room (i.e., formally or informally) and your aesthetic. More formal, traditional dining rooms often have lower hanging fixtures. Some rules of thumb we recommend are hanging the fixture 36 inches (3 feet) above your table or 72 inches (6 feet) off your floor. Many people consider these lengths too low for casual entertaining and prefer to have their fixtures hang 78 inches (6 ½ feet) or 84 inches (7 feet) off the floor. Since any pan and pendant fixture built to a specified length is considered a custom order, we strongly encourage customers to actually hang a string with a balloon or cardboard from the ceiling to help determine the overall desired length of the fixture with shades.

6. How low should my pendant hang over my kitchen island?
This can be subjective depending upon your style and lighting needs. Are your pendants accents or will they be providing general overall light in the kitchen? The Overall Fixture Length also greatly depends upon how tall the people in your household are. Ideally the bottom of the shade will not hang lower than the tallest person in your household. We recommend hanging a balloon attached to a string from your ceiling to help you determine what Overall Fixture Length will look best above your island.

7. Can I adjust the fixture length once I receive it?
Not typically. Disassembling a fixture and shortening it with a hacksaw or by some other method may seriously compromise the construction quality and safety of your fixture. We cannot guarantee any fixture that is altered in any way once it leaves our factory. We strongly encourage customers to measure their ceiling height and confirm how long the fixture should be before placing an order. If you need assistance, please give us a call so we can help you through the process of determining the proper fixture length.

8. Do your fixtures work outdoors?
Yes. Many pendant and surface mount fixtures make wonderful porch lights, and several of our sconces are appropriate as well! Many of our fixtures can be upgraded to a “UL Damp Rating” for use in covered locations where they are protected from rain and snow.

9. How much light do I need in my kitchen/bathroom/bedroom/etc.?
Determining the appropriate light level for your space is very subjective. Some of our customers believe that very bright light is better, while others feel more comfortable in rooms with less light. The level of light you need in a room depends upon the size of the room, what other light sources you use in the room, how you use the space, the room’s décor and your aesthetic. Typically kitchens, bathrooms, closets, offices and laundry rooms need more light than other rooms. Some fixtures and shade combinations are better suited for applications where you want more light and need to use high-wattage bulbs. Please give us a call if you need help determining what fixtures and glass shades will work best for your lighting level needs.

10. Can I use a compact fluorescent bulb in your fixtures?
Yes. Compact fluorescent bulbs are readily available these days. They last longer, conserve energy, and save money. Fluorescent light typically has dramatic spikes in the green and yellow sections of the color spectrum, which can distort the appearance of colors in an undesirable way. In order to avoid a yellow-green glare we recommend looking for compact fluorescent bulbs with high color rendering to ensure that they will illuminate your Schoolhouse glass shade(s) with the warm quality of an incandescent bulb. Please note that most compact fluorescent bulbs do not work with dimmers.

If you are interested in saving energy and extending the life of your incandescent bulbs, we highly recommend using dimmers and premium long-life incandescent bulbs with your fixtures. Dimmers maximize your lighting level flexibility and provide energy savings. (When lights are turned down with dimmers, they use less energy and extend the life of your incandescent bulbs.) The soft, warm glow of dimmed incandescent light also gives our fixtures added charm and beauty.