If only I had shown the foresight to take pictures of these lamps before Steve worked his magic on them.  They were the saddest, most forlorn pair of lamps you can imagine…and just look at them now!

We found them last year at a flea market in Raleigh, NC.  They had the same beautiful form, and pretty clear and white Venetian glass bodies as they do now, but that is where the similarity ends.  They had been painted silver on the inside of the glass, but had then spent too much time in some damp basement or overheated attic, and the interior paint was cracked and peeling down like a symptom of some possibly contagious skin disorder.  The metal bases had an antiqued gold finish that time had not improved, and they sat atop unattractive water-damaged alabaster blocks.  They looked like hell, really.

But they had this gorgeous sexy shape, and Steve believed they were worth a try.  He took them apart and painstakingly removed the scabrous peeling paint, revealing the beautiful handblown glass.  He painted the bases and collars a rich black.  The alabaster was gotten rid of altogether.  He got them new fixtures and wire, and new finials that he painted to match the bases.

They are now ready to be the perfect complement to a pair of bedside tables, or to make a classy statement at each end of a pretty sofa.   At the moment they are in the window of our shop, Warren Street Antiques in Hudson NY.

And they mark the beginnings of Steven’s long-planned lighting venture – SAE Lighting.   A collection of new-from-old in more than one way — original found object lamps designed from scratch, and vintage lamps with promise that need refurbishing.   Steve has wanted to work in lighting design for a long time, and has stockpiled an intriguing collection of elements, as well as quite a few “lamps with promise.”   (Really, quite a few.)

I must give credit where it is due.  Many years back, as Steve and I got our start in antiques in Hudson NY, we were friends with a shop-owner named Bob Graham.   An antiques dealer with a terrific eye, he is also a very talented lamp and lighting designer.  Bob’s ability to see objects and their potential has been an inspiration for Steve over the years.  Take a look at some of Bob’s work here.

There will be more about SAE Lamps here soon…so stay tuned!