handierman's Profile

Here’s a (kinda) DIY resource for a relevantly studly combination of metal furniture/task lighting:

I grew up with my dad, a landscape designer, who had an office full of drafting tools and ample functional lighting, including these beautiful orange metal utility lights. They might have actually been ugly, but the nostalgic haze of my childhood made me want to recreate them.

I bought a few metal utility clamp lights from Home Depot and spray-painted the exterior of the shade with engine enamel paint (which withstands high temperatures), leaving the clamp bare metal. The enamel fortuitously came in that brilliant safety orange color so often seen both on highly visible tools at the hardware store and highly visible accent pieces at IKEA. The color makes the lamps more unique and attractive without diminishing their functionality (which seems to be what most people refer to when they speak of a “masculine” style anyway). As you can see in Duncan’s home, that mega-manly exposed metal with orange accents is a comely match.

The lamps are also multi-functional in that they provide swell mood lighting when pointed at the wall or ceiling, and impeccable task lighting when swiveled to point directly at the job in question. Thus you can go from taking a splinter out of somebody’s toe to mackin on em with the flick of a wrist, should you so desire. Plus, you can clip them just about anywhere.

I have received many compliments on these lights from visitors. I recommend them heartily to those looking to make some handsome lighting on a shoestring.