Owning one

Care & maintenance

Last updated: 7 August 2026

A wooden lamp is not a fragile thing, but it is a living material with wiring inside it. Almost all of this is what not to do.

Everyday

A dry, soft cloth. That is genuinely it. Dust with the grain rather than across it, and the piece will look the same in five years as it does now.

What not to use

No solvents, no alcohol, no all-purpose spray, no furniture polish containing silicone. These strip or seal a hardwax-oil finish, and once silicone is in the grain the piece cannot be re-oiled properly without sanding back. If something sticky needs lifting, a barely damp cloth and then dry it at once.

Where to put it

Out of direct sunlight, and away from an air-conditioning vent blowing straight at it. Sun bleaches the colour unevenly — you will see it first as a pale patch where nothing was standing. Dry moving air shrinks wood, and in this climate that matters more than it does elsewhere.

These are indoor pieces. Bathrooms and covered terraces are usually fine; anywhere it can be rained on or sit in sea air is not.

Re-oiling

Hardwax oil finishes are meant to be refreshed rather than stripped. Once every year or two, or when the wood starts to look dry rather than warm, a light coat of clear hardwax oil on a lint-free cloth, wiped back after ten minutes, brings it straight back. No sanding, no stripping. If you are unsure, ask us which finish your piece has before you start — we keep a record.

Bulbs

Replace like for like: an E27 amber LED filament, 4–6 W, 2200–2700 K. Warmth is not a preference here, it is the design — the wood tone was chosen against that colour, and a cool white bulb makes the same lamp look grey and cheap. Nothing over 8 W: these are LED fittings, and heat is what kills them.

Wiring

If a cord frays, a switch becomes intermittent, or a fitting gets hot, stop using it and talk to us. Do not rewire it yourself — not because it is difficult, but because we would rather do it and know it is right. Wall and ceiling pieces should only be removed and refitted by an electrician.

Small marks

Wood takes a knock and keeps it, and after a while that is character rather than damage. If a dent genuinely bothers you, tell us what happened — some lift out with steam, some do not, and we will tell you honestly which yours is.

If something goes wrong

Message us. We made it, we know how it goes back together, and a piece that can be repaired should be repaired.