blog.castlegatelights.co.uk

Blog

  • Christmas Lighting

    It’s hard to believe, but Christmas is on its way. No sooner have we paid off the last one, than the festive period is upon us again. Christmas means so many things to so many people. For you it might mean time off from work, spending time with family and friends, eating your own bodyweight in chocolates or just relaxing in front of the fire and a good movie, Christmas is an amazing time of the year.

    Of all the iconic Christmas imagery we have to choose from, nothing says Christmas more than lights. Whether they’re on the tree, in the garden, strewn across furniture or decorating the outside of our homes, lighting plays an ever larger part in our lives and none more so than at Christmas.

    If your mind is already thinking ahead to Santa’s annual visit and are wanting to really make Christmas a time of year that lights up the faces of your loved ones, then we have everything you need to make it extra special.

    The best thing about Christmas lights is that they are so adaptive to your own style. If you have children and want to go all out to create something even Saint Nick’s grotto would be proud of, you can do that. If you prefer to remain restrained without giving out too many ‘Bah Humbug’ vibes, you can do that too. Any combination of stylish or full-on lighting designs can be used when Christmas comes around.

    Most people will have a Christmas tree as the focal point of their festive decorations. Whether you choose a real tree or an artificial one, the festive lights that adorn it provide an amazing sense of occasion.  We have some fantastic LED trees with multi-action lights already included. If you prefer to go ultra-contemporary, you could forgo the actual tree entirely and just have a wooden symbolic tree or iconic star, like those from Dar Lighting, that have the lights already built in.

    Christmas lights come in many shapes and sizes. Whichever style you’re going for we’ll have something for you. If your Christmas tree lights are sorted, then there are other ways to bring some beautiful coloured lights into your room.

    String lights offer you a level of creativity with your lighting that other forms of illumination just can’t match. Whether you want to light up your trees or shrubs in the garden or decorate windows and doors to bring festivities into every room in your house, we’ve got you covered. String lights now come in a range of styles that go way beyond typical ‘fairy lights’ including reindeers, gingerbread men (or women) or delightful polar bears. The kids are going to love them just as much as the adults.

    In recent years, the number of homes that have their decorations spilling out of the door and into the garden have increased enormously. If you’re wanting to keep up with the Joneses (or even set the bar high for them yourself) then we have some amazing acrylic animals to create your own alternative nativity scene and help light up the neighbourhood. Our range includes the classic reindeer but also a moose, a St. Bernard dog or the classic penguin. They all look incredible in the darkness, but still retain a sense of style without being tacky. No-one wants that in their nativity, even if it includes penguins.

    Whatever you might be asking Father Christmas for this year, make sure he can find his way to your home with some beautiful lighting, both inside and out. You wouldn’t want to end up on the naughty list.

  • Traditional Lighting

    Walk into most lighting showrooms these days and you’ll be amazed by the sheer range of lights you can buy. You could also be forgiven for thinking that everyone in the world is buying incredibly stylised, contemporary lighting, but that isn’t the case. Traditional lighting still has its place in any home, regardless of age.

    When you think about it, the term ‘traditional’ is entirely subjective. What might represent traditional lighting with one person, might mean something completely different for another. Whatever traditional means to you, we’ve got a range of lighting that is going to work beautifully in any room of your home.

    For most people, traditional lighting is the polar opposite of the cutting edge designs that dominate most showrooms. Sharp angles, covered in chrome or aluminium plated designs that wouldn’t look out of place in a sci-fi movie have their place, but nothing says warm, cosy and comfortable more than a traditional Tiffany table lamp or a beautiful brass-finished ceiling chandelier or pendant.

    The term ‘traditional’ doesn’t really do justice to the sheer range of styles that could be grouped under it. For many, traditional refers to the past, but that’s not a bad thing. Many of the lights we see today owe a debt to the styles, materials and manufacturing processes of history. There’s a reason why classic designs become classic.

    Don’t think of traditional lighting as something your own parents or grandparents would be interested in. There are some incredibly beautiful designs and some styles that would look perfect in your home today, whatever decor you have. Whether you’re going for an art-deco lamp or a Victorian pendant to bring some period-style lighting into your home, we’ve got something for you.

    Traditional lighting is just as modern as any other style of lighting, there’s no denying it. It bears all the hallmarks of the great designs that came before. From the very traditional brass finished lights and white shades that occupied so many homes, right through to the antique chrome desk lamps of yesteryear which all still look fantastic today.

    Vintage styles incorporating traditional materials mean that you can express your own personal taste with lights that come with a story behind them. A story you can tell has been passed down from generation to generation. Today we may have brushed aluminium, but that owes a debt to the chrome and antique brass of times gone by. Traditional lighting, however, doesn’t start and end there. The range of finishes include wood and marble right through to nickel and the matt black finishes that emerged in the 80s.

    Many of the traditional lights we sell do incorporate modern touches to bring them up-to-date. You can now get classic styling with the addition of 21st century LED, low energy or even halogen bulbs. The best of both worlds is only a visit to our showroom (or website) away.

    Whilst the designs may be classic, the materials and modern additions means that your home is going to be enhanced by the inclusion of something timeless. Traditional may be a term that’s subjective, but one thing it’s not is old-fashioned. Far from it. We’ve got hundreds of lights available that prove that beyond any doubt. Come and take a look.

  • Halloween Lighting

    With Halloween just around the corner, our newly found love for all things spooky and kooky coincides nicely with the darker nights, especially when it comes to decorating your home in Halloween-centric lighting. It’s time to bring out your scary side and find out how to light the darker corners of your room and have some fun whilst doing it.

    When it comes to Halloween, we’ve come a long way in a relatively short space of time. It’s hard to think of a time when Halloween was simply defined by knocking on a few doors with a scooped-out turnip asking for a penny. Today, we’re expected to decorate our homes, dress-up more than we would if we were going to a black-tie event and embrace all things eerie.

    Christmas used to be the only time we really did any form of additional decoration to our homes, but now we have Halloween too. We don’t have to wait for the festive period to turn our homes into something frighteningly fun. At Halloween, for every fake spider’s web we add, there are some real lights that can really enhance the ghoulish atmosphere we strive to create.

    There is far more to creating modern, yet atmospheric, Halloween lighting theme than some battery powered flickering candles. The range of lighting that is available can turn any home into an archetypal witches den. If you’re hosting a spook-tacular party or just joining in with your trick-or-treat visitors, we’ve got everything you need.

    Whether you go for a series of string lights that drape ominously across your bookcases, fire surrounds or windows, or the more specifically Halloween-themed LED fairy lights that set the mood for your party. Halloween lighting has never been easier, or more affordable, to incorporate into your home.

    Of course when it comes to colour, nothing says Halloween more than orange and purple. Orange always feel more apt when it comes to the witching hour. Whether that plays on our fondness for pumpkins or just because they look great in the darkness, orange lights seem to enchant every room. Thankfully, due to their energy efficiency and their cool-to-the-touch surroundings, LED lighting really works well when it comes to Halloween. Our range of string pumpkin lights or even our LED illuminated acrylic pumpkin that can be used outside really will set the tone.

    Don’t limit your Halloween thinking to novelty lights, any style of copper lighting will add to the atmosphere on All Hallows’ Eve, but also work just as well throughout the year. Whether you’re using copper as the finish to your table lights or bringing it through with your ceiling pendant or shade, it really lends itself very well to any home.

    On this October 31st, when Halloween is in full swing, whether you’re going for scares or not, there’s a perfect opportunity to illuminate your home that will shine a whole new light on the things that normally go bump in the night.

  • David Hunt Lighting

    You may not have heard of David Hunt Lighting, but we’re fairly certain you’ll have seen some of their incredible work, especially if you’ve dropped into our store recently. David Hunt Lighting have been producing their own distinctive range of lighting, first from their Birmingham studio, then in their current home in the Cotswolds, for over 100 years.

    Ever since they were founded back in the 1800s, David Hunt Lighting have been designing and manufacturing their original lighting designs to an incredibly high standard. They’ve lasted much longer than most other companies, let alone those who deal solely in the lighting industry. With a pedigree like that, Castlegate Lights are incredibly proud to be able to bring you a selection of their stunning lights.

    ‘Made in Great Britain’ is a term that seemingly went out of fashion in the 1970s, but it still carries a weight, still carries gravitas in many circles. It’s a sign of quality, craftsmanship and care. These three words all sum up lights from David Hunt.

    They have been building their products in the UK ever since they were formed. These are not mass-produced in China then just finished in this country. Everything they do comes direct from their Midlands base of operations. It’s a sign of quality and shows a confidence that is echoed in each and every one of their products. This is reflected not only in the design, but the quality and highest standards of electrical safety. A feature that is often overlooked, but plays a crucial part in their products.

    You can take a look at their range right here on our website. You will see straight away all of the factors we’ve talked about reflected in their lights. They all offer a quintessentially traditional aesthetic, but at the same time, convey a timeless sense of style.

    Their choice of materials, from the brass and bronze finishes right through to the pewter and copper, epitomise modern lighting design. They are one of the few lighting manufacturers for whom modern and traditional can blend seamlessly together.

    David Hunt Lighting is far from a ‘one-trick pony’ when it comes to design. Their vast range of wall lights, table or ceiling lights will give you lighting variants that many others struggle to maintain, especially over such a long period of time.

    As you can see, there isn’t a design which feels common or bland. Each one represents a facet of the company over their long history. Whichever one you choose, you can be sure you’ll be getting a piece of lighting that will be as individual and unique as you are.

    Every item that comes from their factory in Shipston has been hand-crafted and finished using traditional hand finishing techniques. Whilst most manufacturers are at the mercy of mass-production and a huge turnover of standard products, David Hunt swim against the tide in what they do.

    The fact that they use traditional hand-finishing techniques, means their lights have textures and finishes that most other similar companies can only dream of. This also means that, when you buy a David Hunt light, you know that you are getting a piece of furniture that is unique in how it looks.

    The differences may be slight, but they are there and you can buy one knowing not only your home will be gaining a beautiful piece of modern lighting, but also one that has been born of traditional techniques and values.

  • Tiffany Lamps

    Other than the humble candle, the Tiffany Lamp is probably the most well-known and most instantly recognisable piece of lighting in the world. The classic Tiffany Lamp was originally part of the Art Nouveau movement, which inspired the art world between 1980 and 1910.

    The lamp itself is symbolised by a glass shade, in often a multitude of stunning colours. It was made famous by its stained leaded glass lamp that was showcased at the World’s Columbian Expo, held in Chicago in 1893.

    Tiffany lamps originated from the work done by Louis Comfort Tiffany, an American designer and artist who was best known, at the time, for his stained glass windows. Tiffany started out as a painter, but soon became interested in glassmaking. After various careers which saw him work as an interior designer and designed wallpaper, furniture and textiles, a commission to redesign parts of the White House before President Arthur moved into office, cemented his reputation. He introduced his Tiffany glass to light fittings and windows throughout 1600 Pennsylvanian Avenue which lasted until another renovation in 1902.

    Whilst there are plenty of imitations available, a genuine Tiffany lamp simply has no comparison. To make a lamp that looks as unique as one from the Tiffany range takes incredible effort, but there is more than just one style. You might believe that they only work in older, more period styles, but that’s not the case. Even the most modern lighting and decor can be be dramatically enhanced with a classic Tiffany lamp.

    Most Tiffany lamps, or the shades at least, can be grouped into 7 different categories; upper and lower irregular borders, Favrile, Transition to Flowers, Geometric and finally both Flowered cones and globes. Each of them offers an understated, yet also distinctive, style to any home. When most people think of a classic Tiffany lamp, they will picture the Favrile design.

    Favrile means ‘handcrafted’ and identifies the very first lamps Tiffany himself made. The initial lamps even bore his initials, LCT, but they were eventually replaced by the Favrile stamp. If you can find a genuine Tiffany lamp with LCT written on it, you might be sitting on a valuable piece of lighting history.

    Many people don’t realise that a true Tiffany lamp is unique because of the, albeit small, differences in the shade. Every lamp is prepared by a versatile manufacturing method known as ‘copper foil’ although, because of the connection to Tiffany lamps, it is also sometimes known as ‘Tiffany’. There is some debate however about who actually originated the method.

    The pattern of the Tiffany shade is initially quite low-tech, as you would expect from a design originating from the 1890s. The pattern is drawn out on a piece of heavy-duty cardboard, then a number and a glass colour are assigned to each piece. Once the pattern is complete, glass is laid over and traced into the glass. The glass piece can then be cut and ground to their correct shape before being cleaned, so that the copper foil can be applied to the edges. This foil allows the pieces to adhere to each other, creating the unique shade design that makes Tiffany lamps so distinctive.

    Like any piece of furniture, the Tiffany lamp has undergone some high peaks of popularity followed, inevitably, by the troughs when it fell out of favour.  Thankfully, we are undergoing an renaissance period at the moment, so there has never been a better time to find a lamp that will suit your home. After all, you can’t hold a candle to a beautiful one-of-a-kind Tiffany lamp.

  • Illuminati Lighting

    When it comes to modern lighting, there are few brands that exemplify contemporary elegance and stunning design more than Illuminati. Castlegate Lights are delighted to be able to showcase one of the most exclusive manufacturers in the world, and we’d be delighted to show you how you can incorporate them into your home to create a space you’ll love to live in.

    If you are looking to bring some more style and design-led lighting into your home or office, then we will have something that will suit your space, whatever your personal preferences. Whether you’re looking for table, wall or floor lights, pendants and chandeliers, Illuminati will have something for you. Their products are the epitome of luxury and their designs will stand the test of time.

    Illuminati lights aren’t mass-produced. They utilise cutting-edge manufacturing techniques and bring the very best artisan and Italian designers together to create a range of lights that will look simply stunning in your home, wherever you choose to place them. Their focus is very much design-led, meaning they concentrate on creative lighting, which gives your home a beautifully enriching environment you will want to show off.

    The Illuminati range is enormous. They must have worked incredibly hard to bring such products to market at all and there’s something for everyone. If you’re looking for a contemporary twist on crystal globe pendants, an ultra-modern ceiling fitting or awe-inspiring chandeliers that exude elegance, then our Illuminati range is exactly what you’ve been looking for.

    The lights themselves come in a range of styles that will suit your own personal taste. Whether you like your pendants shining in gold, polished chrome or clear crystal, their designs are perfectly suited to get the most from every room. If you prefer your lighting to have a much more contemporary feel, then they also do some stunning ceiling pendants and wall lights that really have to be seen to be believed.

    Don’t think for a minute that you need a huge home to get the most from Illuminati lighting. That is absolutely not the case. Their range of ceiling and table lamps, not to mention wall fittings, can be matched together beautifully, whatever size home you live in. You can be guaranteed that they will add an aesthetic to your home that simply isn’t possible with other lights.

    Whether you prefer the classic or strive for the more unusual, Illuminati will have a design that you’ll fall in love with. Modern LED technology has liberated Illuminati designers to express themselves like never before. It has allowed them to create a set of lights that will settle perfectly into your home, from a victorian terrace to a cutting edge self-build.

    This modern Italian design comes at a price. The good news is that it’s a price almost everyone can afford. Lighting of this quality tends to be prohibitively expensive, but Illuminati have made high-end lighting accessible to all, which means you can demonstrate your clean, contemporary taste without cleaning out your old-fashioned bank balance.

    If you think you know lighting, then Castlegate Lights and the new Illuminati range are ready to redefine what lighting can be in the 21st century. With the longer, darker nights slowly eating into our lives, there has never been a better time to show the world how bright your home can be.

  • Autumn Lighting

    No sooner has summer been and gone, than we start our inevitable countdown to Christmas. Before we get to those cold winter nights, we have to ease ourselves comfortably into autumn.

    Sadly, in this country, an Indian Summer is a very unusual occurrence, so most of us will have to contend with a very English Autumn. Even though the nights are pulling in, the temperatures starting to dip and it’s getting dark earlier, you can still make your home feel cosy and look amazing with some clever use of lighting. With some simple additions or small changes to your existing decor, the right amount of lighting means that your home will be perfectly suited to this time of year.

    Having the option to incorporate subtle variations in your lighting can suit not only your ever-changing mood, but the gentle ebb and flow of the new season. It is a brilliant way to set the scene and get your home ready for the onset of those darker, colder nights.

    Lighting variations can often be overlooked, but can really alter the atmosphere and aura of a room.  The long summer days mean that lighting is often unnecessary until late, but as the autumnal nights draw in and the temperatures start to drop, lighting begins to take centre stage in many homes.

    If you want to keep the winter at bay, lighting is a fantastic way to do that. Nothing says warm and cosy like the clever use of lamps. Modern lighting lends itself very well to lamps in all sorts of guises. They are very affordable, come in all shapes and sizes and, by using different wattage bulbs, become an incredibly versatile and cost-effective way to create a lovely warm feeling in your home.

    Whether you want to go for floor lamps to uplight corners or highlight features of your room that get missed, floor-standing lamps will help you do that. This idea shouldn’t be restricted to your living room lighting. They work just as well in the hallway, dining room and even the kitchen. You can also pair them together to add interesting lighting features to your existing decor.

    Floor lamps, just like tabletop lighting, come in a huge range of styles to suit every decor. Autumn textures on the base or stand also lend themselves to modern lighting designs. Whether you choose the more contemporary urban materials like antique chrome or brushed aluminum, or stick with the classics like marble or wood, you can be sure that autumn will become remembered for its warmth, rather than the onset of winter.

    If table lamps are more your style, then you won’t be disappointed by the options available. Autumn lends itself very well to lighting that finds the perfect balance between lighting and style, and lamps, especially table lamps, do that brilliantly. In autumn, we would always recommend subtle colours that reflect the season and lighting that offers a soft, warm hue. This creates a warm feeling inside, regardless of the cooler temperatures outside.

    Recently, we’ve seen the trend for copper string lighting increase in popularity. This deep metallic, highly reflective colour lends itself very well to the autumn leaves falling from the trees. They can be used to create lighting that is both easy on the eye and subtly stylish, whether they are stretched over furniture, around door frames or intertwined with plants. It doesn’t have to be Christmas for string lights to find their way into your home.

    So, as the leaves begin to fall and anticipation of Christmas begins to grow, make sure you make the most of what autumn has to offer, both inside your home and out.

  • Facts About LED Lighting You Never Knew

    In an attempt to reduce our carbon footprint and make our home much greener, many have already made the transition to LED lighting; but what advantages does it really have? Is it worth switching your entire home to LED? To help you decide, here’s just a handful of interesting facts about LED and other low energy bulbs.

    If each household in the UK installed one energy saving bulb, the CO2 saved could fill the Royal Albert Hall 2,000 times over.

    1

    On average, lighting accounts for 20% of a household’s electricity bill.

    2

    £1.8 billion per year is spent on electricity to power UK households.

    3

    If you change all your bulbs to energy saving bulbs in your home, you’ll save around 100KG of CO2 per year.

    5

    Energy saving bulbs use around 80% less energy than traditional bulbs.

    4

    If every UK household installed a single energy saving bulb, the amount of CO2 saved would be equal to taking 100,000 cars off UK roads.

    6

    LED bulbs last around 10x longer than traditional bulbs.

    7

    Each LED bulb could save you around £390 over its lifespan.

    8

    Traditional incandescent bulbs are only 9-10% efficient.

    9

    LED bulbs attract less bugs than traditional, UV emitting bulbs.

    10

  • Garden Party Lighting

    As we’re in the midst of spring, it won’t be long before we’re dusting off the garden furniture and spending our spare time erecting gazebos and trimming the foliage. That’s right – it’s almost garden party season! Whilst us Brits certainly know how to throw a party at the slightest hint of sun breaking through the clouds, what happens when the night rolls in and you’re not ready to retire into the comfort of your home? Garden and outdoor lighting should never be overlooked, as they allow you to party the night away with family and friends in the space of your garden.

    So what types of lighting will you need to ensure the lack of lights puts a dampener on your party plans? We’ve picked out some of our favourites from the latest collections of lights from Castlegate Lights.  

    Wall Lights

    As far as outdoor lighting goes, wall lights are a great all rounder and should be considered first. This is because wall lights come in handy all-year-round, not just for the summer and your parties. Providing light on the perimeters of your home, wall lights can be installed anywhere from your porch to your garden shed. They not only add curb appeal to your home, they also act a security feature as they’ll deter thieves who can normally remain unnoticed in the darkness.

    We’ve chosen this example by Konstsmide. Not only does it feature 2 lights to provide light both above and beneath the fitting, it’s finished in galvanised steel; which makes it suitable for both contemporary and traditional properties.

    Post Lights

    As with any garden party, there’ll be people making frequent trips to the house for use of the toilet, so it’s essential that all the footpaths and walkways are clear of debris and illuminated properly. A great way to achieve this is by using post lights – they take up a minimal amount of room and can be dotted around winding paths or placed on patios.

    This post light by Franklite offers excellent value for money and, even better, it’s low energy! So it won’t send your electricity bills through the roof.

    If you’re wanting to light up a larger area, such as decking or sitting areas with a post light, you could opt for a lamp post. They offer a good deal of light output and also add plenty of character to your outdoor space.

    Make it fun! 

    Finally, it’s time to make your garden more fun; it is a party after all! In typical garden party fashion, we’ll first look at adding some festoon lighting. Festoon lights are used in beer gardens and outdoor events for their ease of installation and their ability to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere. This set of 20 will be more than enough to light up your gazebo or walkway.

     

    Now it’s time to add a bit of colour. The last thing you want when placing lights around your garden are cables – they’re messy and make the whole installation process more time consuming. Instead, choose some good quality solar-powered lights to add around your garden. They don’t have any wires and they don’t require any batteries, so you can just put them in and forget about them! They’ll turn on automatically when the light diminishes – easy!


  • Lighting Your Home: Conservatory

    There is an irony when looking at lighting for a conservatory as generally it is the brightest room in the home, flooded with light during the daytime. However, at night when the room doesn’t benefit from the natural light of the sun, it is important to choose the correct lighting. Conservatories in the evening are often used to relax – here at Castlegate Lights we firmly believe lighting can be used to alter the mood or ambience of a room, and that the right lighting could help your conservatory become a relaxing sanctuary. Here we take a look at various styles of lighting we think are ideally suited to conservatories.

    Pendant Lighting

    Pendant lighting is fantastic for bringing a contemporary feel to your conservatory. This attractive style of lighting can be hung from a central beam and acts as a centrepiece to your room, making a visual focus that will look great even when switched off during the day. Many pendant lights, like this offering from Searchlight can be used to create that very eye catching look.

    1456160225-33820100

    Spotlights

    Often a conservatory isn’t the largest of rooms, so it is vital to utilise your space accordingly. For the smaller conservatories out there, try saving some room by installing stylish spotlights, such as these Forum Lighting Singles. These can be installed along the beams or even along the top of the walls, creating a space saving lighting solution that will add a modern touch to your conservatory.

    1393256866-94079200

    Lamps

    A classic yet effective way of adding soft, relaxing lighting to any room is with lamps. Lamps are great for adding ambience and the fact that they come in a huge range of styles means there’s always going to be one to suit you. Try placing a floor lamp in the corner of your conservatory, or next to a cosy sofa to add some depth to the room. Whatever the decor of your conservatory, from traditional to modern, our huge range of lamps here at Castlegate lights is bound to have something you’ll love.

    1457442518-86071100

    Wall Lighting

    Another great space saving option for the more compact conservatories out there, a wall light is ideal for conservatories with a lack of ceiling space. A wall light from Castlegate Lights will not only provide great lighting but also make an attractive feature for your wall – try placing an eye catching piece on a back wall to bring style and a subtle glow to your room.

    1446204646-36785100

    No matter your style or your conservatory, there are a multitude of designs here at Castlegate Lights that are fantastic for adding an extra bit of style to your space. Once you’ve found your perfect light, why not also check out our homewares section to add some extra little finishing touches to your conservatory?