Old Ship Lights for Modern Spaces
In the world of interiors, few elements can match the rugged charm and historical allure of old ship lights. These timeless fixtures, once responsible for guiding vessels through dark waters, now serve as unique focal points in contemporary interiors. At Loomlight, we specialize in the restoration of old nautical lamps, old warehouse lights and old industrial lights offering a wide range options that blend timeless design with expert engineering. Our aim is for these fantastic fixtures to remain in use for another 50 plus years and be instrumental in creating authentic and original interiors with a lower carbon footprint.
Passageway Ship Bulkhead - £170
Brass Quadrant Bulkhead - £265
Loomlight is a small, independent business co-founded by Andy & Victoria - partners in life, crime and business. Our journey began nearly 10 years ago when we brought home two old ship bulkheads from a salvage yard. Little did we know that this would ignite a passion that would become our thriving independent business.
Large Copper Ships Ceiling Pendant - £825
Explosion Proof Old Ships Ceiling Lamp - £750
The Allure of Old Ships Lights
What draws us to old ships lights is the build quality coupled with timeless design. Having been engineered for harsh conditions, these lamps will last a lifetime in any contemporary interior setting. Old ships lights carry an allure of salt-sprayed stories of distant voyages and maritime adventures. Each ship light, whether it's a brass engine room lamp or a sturdy bulkhead wall fixture, represents not only a piece of nautical history but outstanding design engineering. Often explosion proof or flameproof and carrying IP ratings, these vintage ship fixtures are not just decorative items, but durable too.
Explosion Proof Cage Lights - £300
Restoring Maritime History
We have a small team of skilled restoration specialists that carefully restores each vintage ship light, preserving its authentic character while ensuring it meets modern safety standards. This restoration process involves a combination of traditional techniques and modern technology. Here's a glimpse into our workshop and our restoration process:
Sand Blasting: Revealing the True Surface
One of the first steps in our restoration process often involves sand blasting. This technique uses compressed air to propel a stream of abrasive material (such as sand or fine glass beads) against the surface of the light fixture. Our sand blasting machine allows us to:
- Remove layers of old paint, rust, and corrosion
- Strip away years of accumulated grime and salt deposits
- Reveal the original metal surface without damaging the underlying material
- Prepare the surface for further restoration and refinishing
The precision of our sand blasting technique ensures that we can clean even intricate details and hard-to-reach areas of complex light fixtures.
Linishing: Smoothing and Polishing
After sand blasting, many of our pieces undergo a linishing process. A linisher is a belt sanding machine that we use for smoothing and polishing metal surfaces. This technique is crucial for achieving that perfect finish on our restored lights. Here's how we use the linisher:
- Smoothing out any remaining rough spots or imperfections
- Achieving a consistent surface texture across the entire piece
- Preparing the surface for polishing or painting
- Creating a satin or brushed metal finish, if desired
The linisher allows us to work on flat surfaces as well as curved parts of the light fixtures, ensuring a uniform finish that enhances the natural beauty of the metal.
Additional Restoration Techniques
Beyond sand blasting and linishing, our restoration process includes:
- Careful disassembly and reassembly of complex fixtures
- Replacement of deteriorated parts with period-appropriate materials
- Hand polishing of metal components
- Application of bespoke finishes and protective coatings to prevent future corrosion
- Rewiring and updating of electrical components to meet modern safety standards
Each light undergoes a thorough cleaning, rewiring, and refurbishing, ensuring it's not just a beautiful piece of history, but a functional lighting solution for modern homes and businesses. We rewire each fixture for the specific country of our customers. Our commitment to quality means you're not just buying a light fixture; you're investing in a piece of maritime heritage that has been lovingly restored using both time-honoured techniques and modern technology.
2ft Caged Engine Room Strip Light - £675
Visit our online store to explore our current collection of restored ship lights, and get in touch with any questions
