DESIGN Watch Blog

DESIGN Watch Blog
September 7, 2007
Written by: Lizzie Garrett

My friend Heather informed me of this really amazing Portland-based company School House Electric the other day. They've resurrected schoolhouse-style shades and light fixtures, a style that was widely popular between 1900 and 1950 in private residences as well as institutional settings. Apparently by the 1960s only a handful of designs remained in production. A few years ago, School House Electric discovered a collection of original cast-iron molds in an upstate New York warehouse, covered with layers of rust and dirt. The company restored the molds and got them into production. Their lighting collection represents some of the best examples of true American lighting design, really amazing stuff. They also sell Edison light bulbs ($10-$19 each), which I'm a huge fan of because they look like they belong in a science lab circa 1912. Check out the the website.