What Inspired Me to Create a Lighting Collection

and a look at Authentic Designs's charming Vermont lighting workshop and the incredible people who run it

Jun 07, 2024

Light fixtures were my first love and continue to be one of my favorite design elements of a home. Textiles and wallpapers are really fun, but in my heart, because I think I’m a bit more architecturally minded, lighting speaks to my soul. Lighting fixtures can be incredibly interesting, and and worth investing in, if possible. Light fixtures, like art and rugs, can actually gain in value over time, they tell a story, and can be used for years and years to come (if they are quality fixtures to begin with and artisan designed).

In 2019 we were designing our Dutch Fields Project and my co-designer, Katie Holloman found these really beautiful, handmade, antique-ish lights from Authentic Designs (a sconce for the oven range, one in the powder bath, and one flanking the TV in the primary bedroom). I loved the unique vibe of the fixtures and thought - what if I modernized them just a bit, they would be perfect for me, so I reached out to them via Instagram (in fall of 2021!) asking if they’d ever do a custom fixture and even potentially create a lighting collection together. Lucas kindly responded and put us in touch with his father Michael and we instantly hit it off.

From the first call with the Michael, Maria, and Lucas I knew we had the same values - supporting artisans, creating architecturally relevant fixtures, made in the U.S. and keeping old traditions alive - it truly was a perfect fit.

We first started with creating a custom fixture for our client’s dining room. I wanted a linear shaded chandelier that would add softness to the hard finishes of the wood table and wood chairs we often select for dining rooms. Authentic Designs typically uses just brass, glass, and/or wood for their own fixtures so finding a source for the linen shades was a bit tricky. Michael knows all of the people in the handmade lighting business and was able to connect with a shade maker in Alabama who could create the large scale mushroom pleat shade we were needing. After some back and forth to make sure it was exactly how I’d hoped, the Newbury Chandelier was born. Creating this fixture was what ultimately sparked the idea for our lighting collection and the process that followed.

The Newbury Chandelier in our Oak Hill Drive Project

More about Authentic Designs

Authentic Designs and the family that runs it is the real deal. They are a family owned company, passed down since 1966 and currently run by Michael, Maria, and their son Lucas. The company started by doing reproductions of 18th and 19th century lighting and they specialize in custom pieces, especially for historic homes. Their lights have an overarching traditional feeling but they also feel very relevant to today.

Their small staff is housed in a restored wood factory and uses only raw materials to produce each of their light fixtures. They create truly timeless pieces that are made by hand and meant to be passed down over generations.

From the initial stages of designing our lighting collection, to visiting their shop in Vermont a couple of times, making revisions, too many Zoom meetings to count, refining our metal finishes, and all of their hard work hand-making these pieces, this is has been such an involved and creative process and we are so excited for you to see the finished pieces.

I’m nervous about our launch, and not sure how successful the collection will be, but truly, in my heart of hearts, I am so proud of what we have created. Just going through this creative process has been worth the money, the risk, and the time. I believe in creating, and although I wish I could make our line more affordable while maintaining our values, we really aimed to make something for everyone and I hope the collection speaks to you and even better, one of our pieces will make it into your homes - it would be the greatest honor.