Behind the design

The making of our Montgomery

We feel it only natural to embrace our British heritage when it comes to our products. We are known for our hand crafted lighting and hand finished detailing, and we wanted to create a product where we could truly showcase the standard of our craftmanship. Our largest light to date, the grand proportions of our ten armed Montgomery Pendant creates a dramatic focal point in open plan living spaces

Perfect for high or vaulted ceilings in either a town or country home, our largest pendant enhances a period interior with its dramatic but delicately made qualities. With its beautiful Rococo style scrolled ironwork and delicate acanthus leaf design finished in old gold, its beauty is a testament to the skills of our Suffolk craftsmen. ⁠

Named after the town of Montgomery in Wales, this Baroque design was influenced by the nearby Powis Castle, a medieval castle, fortress and country house now cared for by the National Trust. Housing an extensive and magnificent collection of paintings, sculpture, furniture and tapestries, there is a wealth of inspiration for all interior lovers.

Powis is one of the few Baroque gardens to survive almost intact since the 1680s. Lavish and expansive, we wanted to reflect these qualities in our own design. Wandering the halls of the castle itself you will uncover many treasures, notably the 16th century Roman Table inlaid with lapis lazuli and other semi-precious stones: the Pietre dure table. Golden-hued acanthus leaf unfurls across the stone and the gilded legs demonstrate stunning workmanship.

The Baroque style followed the Renaissance period of art, embracing exuberant detail and grandeur to guarantee a sense of awe. Many of our British stately homes feature baroque art and architecture, inspiring us right through to the modern age and encouraging us to enjoy elements of opulence in the every day.

Our workshop Technical Lead Lee Saxby says the Montgomery is his favourite light to make. “It’s a challenge”, he says, “but it’s far more interesting to work on than a light with a simpler design. I love welding the component parts together. The detail is beautiful, and it feels great building all the parts so that it comes together.

It takes around 14 hours to make the Montgomery from scratch. First, the ten shade arms and all the intricate scrolled metalwork is bent and hammered into shape in the forge by our blacksmith, Tom. Then it is collected with all the separate leaf details and given to the welders to put together. Using their technical drawings as a guide, the welders use a series of numbered ‘jigs or braces to hold the leaves and scrollwork in place so they can be welded together.

Working from the bottom up, they assemble the light arm by arm, piece by piece, building it into larger and larger sections until finally, the whole thing is complete. “The most difficult part is the middle section where the shape of the light suddenly becomes a lot smaller,” says Lee. “We spend a lot of time walking around it to make sure the shape is right and in proportion.”

When finished in the workshop, the Montgomery is put into a blasting machine to clean it up for the paint line where it is powder coated in matt black. The paint team then build up the old gold finish in layers; first, hand spraying it with wet, old gold paint; then dusting it with a layer of wet matt black paint that is wiped back with paint thinner leaving just the black that settles into the grooves and crevices of the detail so that it enhances the relief.

Finally, it is hand sprayed with another dusting and flecks of matt black to mimic the aged, slightly mottled look of old gold. This is a very ‘painterly’ process that involves building up layers of paint and hand touching the embossed details to make them stand out.

To find out more about our painting process read our inteview with our Painting Team.

If you like the Montgomery then you’ll love these.

For chandeliers on a smaller scale than the Montgomery but still creating an elegant statement, the Romana is an obvious choice. A beautifully handmade eight-arm pendant light with an intricate design of gently curled fronds, this light is beautiful paired with our Classic Empire Candle Clip Shades.

Likewise, our stunning Sussex Pendant Light, with its sister Sussex Wall Light, incorporate beautiful wheat sheaf detailing inspired by the floral motifs of Regency decor, that will create a talking point in your home. Both have a luxurious, but modern, appeal that makes them perfect for creating a statement in any setting.

For something daintier that still packs a punch, our popular Queensbury Pendant with its reflective glass droplets, will bring a twinkly sense of opulance to a room, while our Rococo Pendant, the smallest of our chandeliers, might be prefect for you. With a lightly antiqued finish, it is a beautiful ceiling pendant for over the dining table or in any bedroom, perfect for creating the wow factor in a modest space.

Romana Pendant

Sussex Pendant

Queensbury Pendant

Rococo Pendant

Why choose a chandelier?

Create a stand-out space with our collection of luxury chandeliers – a sure way to invite an ornamental interest into your home. The chandelier has a long history, but it was during the 18th century where developments in glass manufacturing meant that lead glass was able to be made fairly cheaply, leading to the expansion in popularity of the crystal chandelier that is delicately draped in droplets of glass to reflect and cast a magical glow around your home.

Browse the Jim Lawrence website to see all of our hand forged and finished lighting and homeware.

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INTERIOR IDEAS | BEAUTIFUL HOMES | STYLE GUIDES | MADE BY US

Behind the design

The making of our Montgomery

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