Good lighting showrooms in Kent/Est Sussex

I need a whole bunch of new lighting for a self-build. I have been to Heaven alone knows how many showrooms, but most are rubbish.

We are near Tunbridge Wells/Tonbridge/Sevenoaks/Maidstone area of Kent

- I have been to Classic Lighting in TW (not bad) and many wholesalers, but they have little on display.

I specifically need a nice kitchen adjustable ceiling up/down table light - the Ikea ones are horrible. Also, a black iron or similar not-too-ornate chandelier/candelabra and matching single wall lights... House style is modern Oast (round).

Thanks for any help!

Mike

Reply to
Mike
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wholesalers,

lights...

Search for a "Christopher Wray's Lighting Emporium" - they started in the early '70's just up the road from where I lived at the time on the King's Road SW10 but they are sprouting up all over the place. There is even one in Bromley though some folk here don't think that is Kent - contary to the Post Office

AWEM

Reply to
Andrew Mawson

I was going to suggest them too, but I haven't been there for a long time. Cheap they aren't, but they did at least seem to have some people doing real lighting design. They also did genuine old light fittings in the Kings Road store, and repros in all the stores. Occasionally, I have found some good designs in BHS's lighting departments, but they all shrunk to half the size some years back and even that's much rarer nowadays. Habitat might also be worth a look, but I haven't done so for over 10 years so I might be out of date there too.

More recently, they seem to have been closing stores.

I also have been extremely disapointed in the range of light fittings available in recent years, and have often resorted to making my own. Fittings from IKEA, Homebase, BHS, etc can be useful to obtain glass and other parts from which you can make your own. The lack of decent fittings actually designed to use energy efficient lamps is also one of my gripes. I've got a few 1960's lighting catalogues from the likes of "Rotaflex" which are stuffed full of imaginative and functional designs. I guess these companies were all killed off by cheap imports along the way.

Reply to
Andrew Gabriel

How about online stores

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people appear to do a decent range

Andy

Reply to
Andy Cap

Went to John Lewis at Bluewater in the end. Not a bad selection, and NO tat - all good stuff.

Thanks

Reply to
Mike Deblis

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