February 23, 2012
Now that’s a bright idea!
It can be a very difficult decision determining just the right style of lighting fixtures for your new or remodeled home. Sometimes looking through catalogues and showrooms can be limiting and frustrating for sure, given that most of us only get to see a handful of what is actually available and most of the time the products are pre-manufactured and come straight from factories. Usually, the selection at large lighting galleries and home stores don’t reflect the uniqueness and customization you are trying to achieve throughout your home.
Today’s post is dedicated to one of our favorite lighting manufacturers – Steven Handelman Studios out of Santa Barbara, California. We have used the products from Steven Handelman for years on the homes we design for many reasons, but primarily because the Studio hand forges each customized piece and hand applies finishes made to look natural and aged – not phony like so many manufactured products we’ve all seen at big box stores.
In this video, Steven explains the breadth of fixtures that they carry and a little history of the studio. Steven also says that their lighting is like families – there are cousins, hanger-ons, distant cousins, and friends. This is important because in all homes the lighting, and other accents, should feel consistent and alike, but also discretely diversified and not be a hodgepodge of varying styles with dissimilar characteristics. Having some subtle variety is wonderful, as long as the overall feel throughout each portion of the home, including interiors and exteriors, is complementary.
Here are some images of the Studio’s work that we love:
These gorgeous chandeliers above and wall sconces are at the Granada Theater in Santa Barbara, CA.
The 3 stunning examples of Steven’s work above are from a residence in California (not one of ours), but these showcase the craftsmanship and beauty of his work.
As you can see, the Studio does not just create lighting. They also specialize in accessories, such as house numbers, mail boxes, fire screens, gates, door handles, and other accents. Accessories throughout your home, not just lighting, ought to balance and work together to complete the overall home’s expression.
Creating just the right look for each home’s style is what Steven does best! Hope you check out his website and consider each piece of lighting in your own home as jewels and punctuations on the type of design style and feelings you are trying to convey throughout.