According to the owner of one top salvaged lighting business, the industrial-style interiors phenomenon seems to be here to stay. Hanging coloured conical or domed enamel factory lights over a dining table has been popular for many years and show no signs of becoming passé. Chunky polished aluminium lights, with or without cages around the bulbs, can be used in many ways - as wall lights, pendants, table lamps and freestanding. Many inventive people are creating lights from old commercial items that can no longer be used for their original purpose. These items can be decorative in their own right, but better still made into useful new objects.
 
There are a number of reclaimed lighting specialists in the UK. Even businesses that stick avidly to unadulterated salvaged lighting will strip out old electrical components and replace them with new fittings complying with UK and overseas electrical standards.
 
Guy Trench from Antiques By Design, shows regularly at, among others, Decorex, Battersea Fair and Salvo Fair. He sells all kinds of lamps and pendants made from an eclectic mix of old kitchenalia, sporting, garden and farming bygones. His beautifully presented fair stands are always packed full of mirrors, furniture and lights made from things like balustrades, car head lamps, trowels, soda bottle, marsh man boots, skis, antlers, colanders and mussel cages.
 
Guy said, "I am at Decorex this week. It was the first time held at Syon Park in London. The first day was busy with lots of interest across the board and some good sales. Today was very good and some large items sold. All in all a very good fair from the interior designers. I'm looking forward to Battersea Fair next week."
 
Examples on Antiques By Design website include a 1940s 40cm mussel cage light at £245, a 1920s 66cm old prosthetic arm table lamp at £395, and a 1950s aluminium colander light, which comes in many sizes or shapes, at £195.
 
Retrouvius, based in Kensal Rise, northwest London, is an architectural salvage and design company started by Adam Hills and Maria Speake in 1993. As well as reclaimed materials and old furniture it stocks a range of salvaged lighting. Coloured spun aluminium pendants, made from the shades of old desk lights by Anglepoise, come newly wired at £45+vat. Aluminium trumpet shades are unusual large trumpet or witches hat shaped shades, salvaged from a priory, with small wall mounted fittings that can also be hung as pendants at £195+vat each. Pendants made from old unused chemistry funnels of delicate rimmed glass are suspended using brightly coloured flex which Retrouvius says are ideal for use in restaurants and provide a good twinkle are priced at £35+vat.
 
Saxon Durrant from Metro Retro, whose business is 20 years old this month, has made some of the glass conical funnel lights and aluminium jelly mould lights. He is hoping that he will still have some available for his stand at Salvo Fair 2015.
 
Architectural Forum in Islington, London, has antique reclaimed and salvaged lighting on its website (with its ads automatically added to SalvoWEB) one of which is a vintage 1930s Mole Richardson polished Hollywood spotlight for £2,400. Mole Richardson is known for being a market leader in film lighting during the golden age of Hollywood, having won seven academy awards for its innovative lights.
 
Masco, in Gloucestershire, has a pair of fully refurbished original 1940s Furse stage lights at £750+vat each.
 
Architectural Decor in Bristol is selling an early 1900s blue tint helophane pendant lamp for £325.
 
James Watson, a trader in Cumbria is selling a pair of seven foot tall WWII searchlights by the maker, Francis Searchlights of Lancashire. He says in his SalvoWEB ad 'These lights have a fascinating history, having come from the Coleraine Battery in Northern Ireland. The Coleraine Battery was a light anti-aircraft unit of 200 volunteers recruited to meet the threat of the German Blitz in World War 2. Over a period of six years, the volunteers saw action in Scotland, Egypt, Libya, France, Belgium, Italy, Greece and Germany - blasting enemy aircraft out of the skies using Bofors anti-aircraft guns and (during night time) searchlights such as the two I have for sale. One of the lights still bears the name of the unit, painted onto the reverse. The lights are constructed of galvanised steel which - with some surface rust - has developed a wonderful patina and sense of history. The brass components have been stripped back and polished. The glass and mirrors are all original. The stands are a comparatively new addition and are perfectly solid - this is important, because the lights are incredibly heavy, taking two people to lift into position. The Edison-styled lights and associated wiring are modern, but mounted onto the original focussing mechanism which still is operational.' James Watson is asking £2,750 for the pair.
 
One of Lancashire and Cumbria Demolition's current projects includes the strip out and sale of much of the contents of the Manchester Corn Exchange. The items, which are advertised on SalvoWEB, include a large quantity of spot and flood lights and an exposed metal ceiling with aircon ducts and light fittings, brilliant for a designer looking to industrialise any commercial or domestic interior.
 
To find antique, reclaimed and salvaged lighting, browse through lighting for sale adverts on SalvoWEB. For ideas see our 'Lighting' and 'Industrial Design Chic' boards for SalvoWEBpins on Pinterest. On SalvoWEB there are over 550 adverts for lighting.
 
Antiques by Design, Retrouvius Reclamation and Design, The Architectural Forum are all Salvo Code members.
 
Update: Masco Salvage has since closed.