Designed to serve a purpose better

Everything I make is designed to serve beyond its primary function. The folding mechanism which brings the legs of the base together has evolved since I first began making the lamp but the reason it does this has not; by allowing the legs to be pulled towards each other makes the lamp much easier to move, store and position where space might be constricted. It does something else too.

The moving parts extend the lamp’s usefulness but also give it its sense of humour. Form might follow function but in doing so it needn’t lose sight of fun.

Making the RKO

The RKO lamp is a batch-made product. The volume of units made in each batch varies but as most of the constituent parts are small, they can be made from material which might be considered as waste by higher volume manufacturers.  The number of lamps I make at a time really depends on being able to keep a close eye on maintaining visual consistency in the wood grain pattern, or figure, between the different elements which make up the tripod base.

The hexagonal block forming the junction between the three pivoting arms is made from three parts which are then joined together. The ‘point’ of each part must be cut to exactly 120 degrees to ensure it will align correctly with its neighbours.

An equally important element to get right is the level of tolerance between the moving parts. Too tight hinders usage, too loose and the overall feel is dissatisfying. The goal is to achieve a ‘Goldilocks’ level of fit - in other words, just right. It is this which makes the lamp such a pleasure to use and describes much of the satisfaction of making altogether.

Customers say...

"We bought my father one of George's lamps for his 80th birthday, and he absolutely loves it. Having always made small pieces out of wood himself, he really appreciates the quality of craftsmanship and the clever design. In fact he loves it so much, he changed all the other lampshades in the room to match this piece. Excellent service from George too, friendly and efficient."

–  Choral leader and songwriter

“George made me a lamp to give my husband as a very special present… it is a standard lamp but anything but standard, it is absolutely beautiful. The quality of design, exquisite detail and craftsmanship has made it by far our most valued piece. It is a real treat and lights up a new kitchen and living room. We love it.”

–  Frances Toynbee, Ampleforth

Cable colour options

Our cables are available in more than 150 colour options. Choose from our most popular colours (below) or we can order your bespoke colour from our supplier.