Whether at home or at work, we usually take the ability to flick a switch and light up our surroundings for granted. Few people even realise that the UK lighting market is steadily growing and is expected to reach £3.1 billion during 2014 or that its supply chain supports 1700 companies. On a slightly less upbeat note over 62% of the demand for lighting in the UK is satisfied by imports, making companies like Dernier & Hamlyn an increasing rarity. Established in 1888, London based Dernier & Hamlyn has been manufacturing lighting for over 125 years. Its fittings can be seen in luxury homes, restaurants, hotels, palaces and cathedrals all over the world. The company holds a Royal Warrant for the manufacture and restoration of bespoke lighting and is chosen by leading lighting designers and their clients when they want lighting that is of the highest quality, is made by skilled craftsmen and is informed by Dernier & Hamlyn’s in-house lighting archive, which is believed to be one of the largest available.One such client is Corbin & King, creators of some of London’s most iconic and best-loved restaurants, who are also behind The Beaumont, the new hotel in Mayfair. Dernier & Hamlyn has produced bespoke lighting for three of Corbin & King’s properties – Brasserie Zédel, Fischer’s and The Beaumont. Each of these projects has been challenging in its own way and has resulted in fantastic lighting that is integral to the locations’ ambience, enabled by Dernier & Hamlyn’s passionate obsession for quality and attention to detail.
Brasserie Zédel was the first project where Dernier & Hamlyn manufactured lighting for a Corbin & King restaurant. Working closely with The Conservation Architects, Donald Insall Associates, they painstakingly restored and produced new historically accurate lighting. This grand Parisian brasserie was formerly the Atlantic Bar and Grill in the Regent Palace Hotel beloved of the pretty young things of the 1930s. Under the direction of the Crown Estate it was restored to its former glory as part of the Quadrant 3 development, Europe’s most sustainable building. Three large oval lights made of cast aluminium and glass and eight u-shaped fittings required extensive renovation. Over the years various glass panels had been replaced leaving a mishmash of styles and designs which were removed and replaced, although they have been stored for heritage recording purposes.
In order to replace the glass sections Dernier & Hamlyn first had to make a variety of straight and curved moulds to produce the various sizes and types of glass panels required which were then installed in the restaurant. During restoration it was also discovered that formerly beautiful mirrored columns had been plastered over. Dernier & Hamlyn’s craftsmen carefully removed this aberration and refurbished the mirrors to their original peach shading to reflect and complement the restaurant’s updated historic lighting. Therefore, when Corbin & King occupied the space the lighting was suitable for both the environment and the atmosphere. A more recent addition to Corbin & King’s portfolio is Fischer’s, in Marylebone High Street whose lighting demanded many of the varied skills that the Dernier & Hamlyn team possesses. Styled as an early 20th century Viennese café, interior design at Fischer’s was by Brady Williams who brought their unique style to this very interesting project. Bar lights integrated with shelving combined form and function in the distinctive lighting that turned designer Shayne Brady Of BradyWilliams’ initial concepts into beautiful reality.
In its most recent collaboration with Corbin & King, Dernier & Hamlyn has manufactured beautiful art deco chandeliers for The Beaumont, Jeremy King and Chris Corbin’s first hotel.
A statement, grand fitting has been produced for the hotel’s entrance. Cast in brass and finished in antique bronze, it is dressed with custom made glass rods. A smaller version has also been made at Dernier & Hamlyn’s London factory and installed in the main lobby. Throughout the main public areas, including lobbies and stairwells, Dernier & Hamlyn has also produced feature pendants that include handmade cast glass panels that feature chevrons and have been sand blasted to emulate typical art deco styling.
Jeremy King says:
“We select our suppliers carefully and seek out companies that share our values, which focus on honesty, integrity and continual improvement. Dernier & Hamlyn has a similar approach. Therefore when it comes to bespoke lighting for our properties we choose D&H primarily for its reputation for quality, attention to detail and its business ethics.”
