News

October 2018

A conversation about downlights would normally draw eye-rolls and yawns.  But folks, no more! These are exciting times as downlights break out of their square grid layouts and transform themselves into main players.  Robert has been doing some amazing things with downlights – instead of lighting your hallway, lighting your artwork using the VARANO, and instead of hiding downlights away, surface mounting the KINETIC in a contrasting colour.  Come and have a chat with him if you’re in a downlight rut.

INSPO HERE 

We know it’s only October but if that pre-Christmas spruce-up is on your mind, you’ll need to get your lighting organised tout de suite - many lights have a lead-time of up to six weeks.  If you are planning the Christmas soiree at your place this year, bring your plans and mood boards to us in October and we’ll get you organised with time to spare.

September 2018

Lighting a bedside is one of the slightly trickier decorating conundrums.  Any light needs to look good, give enough light to read by and not take up too much space on the bedside table.   You can see why it poses a problem.

A sleek task light will often do the trick but is not really decorative enough for most people, and a table lamp fits the decorative brief, but needs to be tall enough and bright enough to cast light onto whatever you’re reading, without taking up too much room.  Another option, however, is to forget a lamp all together and hang a pendant by the bedside.  It solves the space on the table issue, and the light will be overhead making it perfect for reading.  On top of all that, it can look absolutely smashing!  The Dobi, Dora, Rain, and Ling are all great options.  Have a look at them here:

August 2018

It has been a busy few weeks here at Urban.  In July we launched our very first range of lamps at Décor + Design in Melbourne.  They were received very enthusiastically so we are thrilled about that! We now have stockists in Sydney and Melbourne, including our two Urban Lighting stores of course.  Have a look at a few images of the show below.

We are adding 10 new products to the range in October so stay tuned!

August 2018

Everywhere we turn we are seeing moody hues and brass. It’s just beautiful! Sofas are in luxurious fabrics, walls are dark, and light fittings are sophisticated.

At Urban, we are loving this interior vibe. Bathrooms are more glamorous, lighting choices are more decorative and colours are more adventurous. We feel like we may have stepped back to the 1930’s.

Urban Lighting has an extensive range of brass light fittings to match your interior mood. If the 30’s isn’t quite your thing tho, pairing industrial or vintage interiors with brass lighting is heavenly also.

July 2018

Happily the days of sitting on the back veranda being blinded by the 200W floodlight are over.

We are using our outdoor spaces more than ever thanks to an explosion of design interest extending into our gardens, possibly because of the plethora of TV makeover shows, or maybe we’ve finally worked out we have the climate for it?

Many of the same principles apply to lighting outdoors as indoors – it should be practical and safe, but sometimes it’s just to show off the best features.  Subtle lighting across pathways and stairs ensures no-one tumbles, but it also creates a beautiful mood.  Washing light up or down a stone feature wall can look spectacular also!

And now that we’re no longer blinding our guests, we can shoot those powerful lights up into trees and highlight the super models in our yards. Beautiful! Or create a magical wonderland with whimsical fairy lights. The possibilities are endless.

May 2018

Our love affair with The Hamptons doesn’t look like ending any time soon. Who didn’t want to move into Meryl Streep’s house in It’s Complicated and whip up something delicious? Or even date Jack Nicholson in Something’s Gotta Give if it meant having Diane Keaton’s fabulous house? It’s not hard to see why this look is so appealing - it speaks of relaxed, family living. Nothing too precious, and effortless in style.

Lanterns, simple chandeliers and wall lights all work beautifully to create this look. There is generally a hub in these style of homes which is part of their charm – an island bench with lanterns over it, a big farmhouse style table with a signature chandelier, or both if you’re lucky.   Try and steer clear of downlights as this is the opposite of what the Hamptons is about. Think decorative wall lights in the bathroom, beautiful lamps in the bedrooms, and lamps and pendant lights in the living rooms.

Wallpaper works very well in Hamptons-style homes and at Urban we are able to incorporate your fabrics and wallpapers into your lighting fixtures with our custom made shades. You can use this service for pendant lights, table and floor lamps, or even wall lights.

Oh, and install dimmers wherever possible so your lighting can match your mood.

April 2018

Let’s talk about bathrooms.  Whereas once they were utilitarian rooms of the house (or sometimes the whole street) we now see bathrooms in a very different light.  They need to be beautiful spaces to look at, practical, and maybe even a little glamorous.  Rather than places we rush in and out of, we now like to linger there; we enjoy being there, and we want their aesthetic to reflect this.

Lighting is an important aspect of any room where we are trying to strike the balance between practical and beautiful.  Of course, once you add water to the equation, like a bathroom or kitchen, this equation becomes a little more complicated.

You will often hear the term IP rating when discussing bathroom lighting.  Simply, an IP (or Ingress Protection) rating gives you a guide on how dust proof or water proof your light is.  The higher the numbers, the more protection provided.  The first number relates to solids (or dust) and goes to a maximum rating of 6.  The second figure relates to water and moisture and goes as high as 8, meaning the fitting can be immersed in water.

In Australia and New Zealand, there are strict regulations as to where you can install lights in bathrooms and kitchens, and what voltage and IP ratings you must use.  Pinterest might have you pining for a fabulous pendant light over the bath and although a 240V pendant light without an IP rating cannot be hung over a bath, many lights can be converted to meet the Australian Standards for this application.

Lighting around the mirror is practical and also looks great.  The wrong type of light or awkward positioning can leave your face in shadow (and an ensuing awkward makeup or shaving result).  An easy rule of thumb is to position wall lights about 90cm from each other and a little above eye level, and avoid spotlights as these create glare on the mirror.  Concealing LED strip around the mirror is another great option as it provides indirect lighting onto faces, and also creates a relaxing mood for those long, lovely baths in winter.

Putting your bathroom lighting on a dimmer is also becoming more popular as our desire to make the bathroom a place to luxuriate is considered essential.

This is of course is only a general guide to lighting your bathroom.  Chat to the Urban staff for more tailored solutions for your particular design.

Welcome to the new year everybody!  We all had a fantastic break and wish our customers a relaxing start to 2018.

Our big news to start the year is the shipment of our own range of LED task lighting.  It has arrived, and is now available to purchase.  The range includes floor lamps, desk lamps, and wall lamps in a gorgeous range of colours including metallics, and of course classic black.

We have hand chosen this range because of the attention to detail in design and manufacture.  Please come in and have a look and let us know what you think!

PS ... Lizzy had a baby girl!

16 November 2017

We have farewelled Kimberley and we are now welcoming Nic and Jade.  Nic is our newest showroom team member who has a background in retail and a keen eye for design.  Come in and say hi! 

Jade is starting out in the back office as Lizzy leaves us to start her maternity leave (stay tuned for baby news!)  Jade will be helping out with accounts, website and social media.

21 October 2017

In sad news, our very lovely Kimberley has left the building.  She has been snapped up by the hospitality industry once again (and why wouldn't they?)

We are going to miss her terribly and so are our customers (we can't yet bring ourselves to take her picture off the team page).  She has been a sparkly, super-valuable team member over the last three years and will be very hard to replace, but we of course wish her all the very best with her new gig!  And this now means we are on the look out for a new team member with lighting experience ... if you know of anyone!