The Charm of Old-School Lighting

By Haskell Harris | August 27, 2010 | Design

I've always admired the charm of gas lanterns. There is something mesmerizing about lighting that hints at history and contains a moving flame inside its glass and metal shell. And they sure beat the typical finds at the big box chain stores, that's for sure.

And  two of the best sources for gas lanterns are Southern.

I discovered Eloise Pickard's work by way of Georgia architect Jim Strickland and his team at Historical Concepts (stay tuned for an exciting piece on a farm they designed in the next issue). Historical Concepts is known for creating new construction that looks a hundred years old, thanks to the use of charming vernacular details. And those details include lighting.  Since the early nineties, Historical Concepts has worked with Eloise Pickard, an artisan who refurbishes simple American gaslights—which date to a period between 1870 and 1916—for many of their projects. Though hers are electrified, I love the way that they add instant patina to the architecture in question.

 

I also love the hand-crafted copper lighting from Bevelo in New Orleans. (And no, it's not just because they advertise on this Web site.) Legendary Louisiana architect A. Hays Town discovered the lighting shop decades ago and the company is now a mainstay for architects and designers.  I'm a fan of their clean-lined Williamsburg light below. 

 

For now, gorgeous gas lighting is a bit out of my range, so I've started collecting lanterns of every shape and size and putting white pilaster candles inside. Atlanta interior designer Suzanne Kasler created fabulous petite carriage lanterns for her new collection for Ballard that I have my eye on (photo below). Bringing pieces that are normally reserved for the outdoors inside and lighting them during a dinner party is an easy way to add that flickering ambience for next to nothing.  

                                  

Does anybody else love gaslights and lanterns as much as I do?

Read Comments (2)
Post Comment

as a traditioanl architect, Gas Lanterns are like great jewelry , not too much but just enough to create history and detail to a new residence or village building. Practicing in south louisiana and the gulf coast, we include this final detailin all of our projects.

By mike sullivan, AIA | August 29, 2010 at 03:47  | report | Reply

I was fortunate enough to buy my house from a fantastic carpenter and his lovely wife. They have since become good friends, which means I am privy to all of their cost-saving tricks for using traditional, vintage, and reclaimed items.

I have several authentic gas sconces and chandeliers throughout my house. Holly bought them at salvage yards and on eBay, and paid an electrician for an hour of his time to show her how to rewire them. Pre-wired pieces are easy to install and inexpensive at your local hardware store, and thanks to her, I have one-of-a-kind lighting that draws comments from everyone who sets foot in my house!

I still haven't solved the issue of my carriage lantern addiction (like the stunners above), but it's a start...

By Erin Hofmann | August 27, 2010 at 07:56  | report | Reply

0 of 350 words allowed. HTML and URLs prohibited.

User Guidelines

  • Use <!--pagebreak--> to create page breaks.
The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Image CAPTCHA
Copy the characters (respecting upper/lower case) from the image.

Rag Rug Chic

By Haskell Harris | August 18, 2010 | Design

Growing up, I spent countless weekends exploring the creeks, woods, and apple orchards near the farmhouse my dad built in Woolwine, Virginia. The house itself had all kinds of charms, from multiple sleeping lofts that you could only get to by wooden ladder, to big stone fireplaces, to banks of windows facing the Blue Ridge. But I also loved the rag rugs my Mom used throughout the house. Alive with multiple colors, the mottled, raw texture was soft underfoot and absolutely beautiful.

  

And that's certainly why I gravitated toward the work of North Carolinean Elizabeth Yarborough for our August-September New Faces of Southern Style issue. I loved the idea that her newest work was inspired by this soulful, primitive art form long tied to the South.

Yarborough took the look in a fashion forward, modern direction, weaving her own "rag yarn" from graphic Liberty of London floral prints to create fabric-covered bangles. Here's my favorite shot from the newly photographed line.

 

Aren't they great?

Does anybody else love rag rugs as much as I do? 

Read Comments (3)
Post Comment

Elizabeth's bangles are wonderful. They evoke memories of sitting on our colorful rag rugs, while playing games with my sister. Thank you!

By Rosie Campbell | August 31, 2010 at 04:53  | report | Reply

I do -- my grandparents made rag rugs and sold them at craft fairs -- they always had a large loom set up in the basement. When I was old enough, they let me make some -- I have a stockpile in my linen closet that will (soon!) be deployed in my newly renovated Virginia farmhouse.

My favorites are -- and were -- blue denim rag rugs. Great color & texture.

By Sara | August 18, 2010 at 07:56  | report | Reply

Rag rugs speak of home to me as well, though that means the prairie of western Iowa, not the lovely South, where I now live. What beautiful objects they are: recycled (or upcycled?), useful, colorful, and part a material vernacular, of sorts. Thanks so much for bringing them to mind again and for cluing me in to Ms. Yarborough's work.

By Jacqueline | August 18, 2010 at 04:39  | report | Reply

0 of 350 words allowed. HTML and URLs prohibited.

User Guidelines

  • Use <!--pagebreak--> to create page breaks.
The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Image CAPTCHA
Copy the characters (respecting upper/lower case) from the image.

Eco Friendly Southern Shopping

By Haskell Harris | August 6, 2010 | Design

 I love the idea that more and more environmentally friendly shops are starting to open up down south. 

Recently, I stumbled on the Web site for Spruce Nola, a new home and full service interior design boutique in New Orleans with a green angle. I'm a big believer in the fact that green design doesn't necessarily have to look like pop art and I was glad to see they carried hand-made  classic things in addition to slick modern goods. 

Here are a few of my favorite finds from the online shop:

1) Studiomake Flawed Bowls. A technique called slip-casting gives these each of these designs one-of-a-kind charm. And they make everyday cereal look pretty good too.

 

2) Eco Coasters. I really dig the black, white, and gold letterpress print on these recycled chipboard coasters. 

3) Madeline Weinrib and Les Indiennes Fabrics. Both of these fabric houses are known for knock-out fabrics that are all printed by hand. 

 

 

And if you're lucky enough to live in New Orleans, the duo that started the shop also offer a full-service array of interior design services and provide access to every cutting edge, eco-friendly building material on the market.

What other cool Southern shops fall into this genre? 

 

Read Comments (3)
Post Comment

Hey Haskell! Enjoyed your product suggestions in the Aug/Sept 2010 G&G. Your name caught me first. I am another Haskell with SC connections via Beaufort. I am of the male persuasion and find it interesting to see such a cute face with my first name. (I know that must sound terribly old fashioned. It is unusual ... you must admit.) Please keep up the good work and we will keep reading at my house. All the best from Wilmington.

By Haskell Rhett | August 19, 2010 at 11:15  | report | Reply

Haberdashery Eco Fashion Supply is a Savannah Georgia based company that has amazing, unique and rare vintage and sustainably produced products- They have an awesome green labeling system, which lets you know how and why each item falls under the "green" umbrella. The two owners are two born and bred southern girls who have a penchant for the unusual- and are both designers and Savannah College of Art and Design grads- so their textile taste is up to par. Everything is available online but the selection changes often, so you have to check in often. If you are planning to be in Savannah, you can call ahead and sign up to take one of their eco-friendly workshops ranging from subjects like making a voodoo doll pincushion stuffed with plastic grocery bags to drinking and sewing custom lingerie for a bachelorette weekend. They have a great blog with info on "do it yourself" design and sustainable fashion too with a witty southern style. Definitely worth a look- www.habsav.com

By Visitor | August 07, 2010 at 06:38  | report | Reply

Come visit us at the Jackson County Green Energy Park in Dillsboro, NC. We forge steel, blow glass, and cast metals using methane from the old Dillsboro landfill. We have some beautiful items for the home for sale in our gallery.

doubleU doubleU doubleU.jcgep.org/

By JCGEP | August 06, 2010 at 09:43  | report | Reply

0 of 350 words allowed. HTML and URLs prohibited.

User Guidelines

  • Use <!--pagebreak--> to create page breaks.
The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Image CAPTCHA
Copy the characters (respecting upper/lower case) from the image.
BLOGGERS

Haskell Harris

View Bio

Jessica Mischner

View Bio