A private client that had just build a fantastic new house at the Noordereiland in Rotterdam came to me with an order for a custom made design for a chandelier to put in the entrance hall of their new home.
The assignment was to create a lampshade that both looks like a classic chandelier and at the same time has a industrial look and feel. You had to be able to see the lightbulbs, the chandelier had to have a 360 degrees lightoutput and the client liked my "Bulb"lampshades ( a earlier design I made using old stable lamps) so he gave me the assigment to use recognisable "ready made" elements in the chandelier that you could find in a regular home depot store, but use it in a extra ordinary way.
A real nice challenge and actually kind of a wish coming true for me as a designer, because designing a chandelier was still a to do point on my list and here the opportunity arose!
Keeping the whishes of the client in mind and looking at the room where the lamp should be hung and the surroundings of the house I started sketching. I didn't have to think long to know what "ready made" elements from the home depot store I would use because I had the glass caps of a bulls-eye fixture (a well known basement wall lamp) laying around for quite some time to do something with, but I hadn't got to it yet.
The assignment was to create a lampshade that both looks like a classic chandelier and at the same time has a industrial look and feel. You had to be able to see the lightbulbs, the chandelier had to have a 360 degrees lightoutput and the client liked my "Bulb"lampshades ( a earlier design I made using old stable lamps) so he gave me the assigment to use recognisable "ready made" elements in the chandelier that you could find in a regular home depot store, but use it in a extra ordinary way.
A real nice challenge and actually kind of a wish coming true for me as a designer, because designing a chandelier was still a to do point on my list and here the opportunity arose!
Keeping the whishes of the client in mind and looking at the room where the lamp should be hung and the surroundings of the house I started sketching. I didn't have to think long to know what "ready made" elements from the home depot store I would use because I had the glass caps of a bulls-eye fixture (a well known basement wall lamp) laying around for quite some time to do something with, but I hadn't got to it yet.
Looking at different classic chandelier shapes I started to form my idea.
I based the measurements of the chandelier on the room and windows in the hall where it would be hung and started to draw. The chandelier would have a diameter of approx. 120cm and a hight of 100cm.
A quite big lampshade and through experience I know these giant shades aren't easy to produce, so I fell back to a tactic that I had used many times before when designing a bigger lampshade; deviding the volume into loose elements!
So I designed a steel frame that would be build up out of 3 rings fixed on a large stud in the centre of the lamp.
Off course I wanted the shade to be spectacular so I think I got a bit carried away in the number of elements I used for the chandelier....
I based the measurements of the chandelier on the room and windows in the hall where it would be hung and started to draw. The chandelier would have a diameter of approx. 120cm and a hight of 100cm.
A quite big lampshade and through experience I know these giant shades aren't easy to produce, so I fell back to a tactic that I had used many times before when designing a bigger lampshade; deviding the volume into loose elements!
So I designed a steel frame that would be build up out of 3 rings fixed on a large stud in the centre of the lamp.
Off course I wanted the shade to be spectacular so I think I got a bit carried away in the number of elements I used for the chandelier....
It turned out to be 399 elements to be precise, from electrical cord to bolts and nuts. And from steel frame ring to glass cap. When I got my materials It turned out to be a huge collection of parts. This would be quite a puzzle...
But the collection of parts already looked so beautiful to me I couldn't resist laying it all out and taking these pictures.
But the collection of parts already looked so beautiful to me I couldn't resist laying it all out and taking these pictures.
But then it was time to start assembling!
The first glass cap is mounted a double check to see if every detail I designed and thought of really fits. And it did! In the picture above you see the first detail! One glass fixed so one down, 20 more to go!
All the lampholders and textile electrical cords are mounted. Next step, put the glass caps in the frame rings and fix them by screwing on the lampholder parts...
The glasses have been fixed, a lot of work, but easy to do. This is where the hard part begins. The rings with the mounted glasses are quite heavy. I have to lift them up to fix them on to the stud (dutch word is draadeind) that kind of forms the "spine"of the chandelier.
On the picture above you see the stud or as I like to call it; The Spine/backbone of the chandelier!
The assembly of the definite chandelier has begun, the first ring is in place!
All the rings are mounted to the spine, that means electrical installation time: 42 electrical cords come together at the top of the chandelier, now they'll have to be pared, joined and put into the wire nuts.
A job that requiers patience, but... Almost done!
And then there's the moment of truth: Will it work?
And there was light!!! The assembling is done and the electrics are working!
The "Bullseye Chandelier" by Romy Kühne Design is Born!
The "Bullseye Chandelier" by Romy Kühne Design is Born!
399 parts, 21 lightbulbs, 46 pounds (21 kilogram) in weight and the first chandelier in the collection of Romy Kühne Design!
Hanging the chandelier
And finally; The result!
And there it is, you can see the chandelier hanging through the front door of it's new owner!
Would you also like to have a custom designed lampshade for your house, the office or restaurant? Or interested to have more information on this lampshade? Please feel free to contact me: info@romykuhne.nl
Would you also like to have a custom designed lampshade for your house, the office or restaurant? Or interested to have more information on this lampshade? Please feel free to contact me: info@romykuhne.nl
