Rekindled Lighting
Reclaimed · Reworked · Reimagined · Rekindled
A little nostalgia, a lot of patinaI’m a patina addict. Worn paint, aged enamel, mellowed metal and the marks of everyday use—all those details draw me in. They tell you an object has had a life long before it reached my workshop.There’s nostalgia in these pieces: a connection to bygone times, familiar shapes and things that might remind you of somewhere or someone. An object doesn’t have to come from your own past to feel meaningful in your space.When I turn an old object into a light, I want that history to remain part of it. I work with its character, preserving the details that first caught my eye while giving it an unexpected new purpose.Alongside my up-cycled work, I restore vintage lighting and customise suitable pieces for their next home.
The Treasure Archive
A collection of past finds, finished lights and favourite creations.Here you’ll find objects I’ve transformed into lighting alongside vintage lights I’ve restored. Many have already found their homes; their photographs remain here to spark ideas for what might come next.If something catches your eye, tell me what you love about it. A similar object, shape or finish could be the starting point for your own commission.
Reimagined
Every transformation begins with an object and a possibility.An enamel pan, a galvanised scoop, a piece of forgotten equipment: I look at what’s already there—the shape, the material, the signs of use—and imagine how it could become a light.These before-and-after stories show that journey, from an object’s original purpose to its unexpected next chapter.
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Extraordinary Adventures
Sometimes an idea grows beyond a single light.I’ve sourced and created lighting for family homes, hotels, restaurants, film studios and an adventure golf venue, as well as working with interior designers, construction managers and architects. Every project starts with different ideas, practical needs and personalities.These projects show how individual pieces can come together, bringing a little playfulness, a touch of whimsy and plenty of character to a space. Each collection reflects the people who choose it, the things they love and how they live and work in their spaces.
Flat Iron restaurant - Manchester / Birmingham / London Victoria · 2024 - 2026
6 vintage lamps - Interiors designed by Lights On, England
Family Home · Haugenried, Germany · 2023
Up-cycled vintage tin lamps and a patterned enamel pan pendant
Airbnb · Maine, USA · 2025
Up-cycled enamel plate wall lights and a patterned enamel fruit bowl pendant which I customised with extra long cables, plugs and switches.
Retreat Venue · Croatia · 2022
A restored vintage chandelier, up-cycled colander lamp & fish bait basket pendant
Tree Top Adventure Golf · Bristol, England · 2024
For Tree Top Adventure Golf in Bristol, I created 26 custom up-cycled lights and sourced 10 vintage lanterns, 30 baskets and 27 handled vintage pieces for the playful ‘Off the Handle’ wall. From coffee-tin pendants for the Jungle Buzz café to basket lights for the Market Place and Jungle Post, each collection was chosen to bring character and a sense of fun and discovery to its space. These visual layouts guided the project, allowing the client to explore and approve the lighting and decorative details for each area as the ideas took shape.
An apartment · Taipei City, Taiwan · 2024
A 50s Yugoslav enamel lamp shade with an extra long custom blue & white zig zag cable
IBIS Styles Hotel · Annecy, France · 2026
Commissioned to create 12 custom up-cycled bicycle wheel lights, brought together in a striking installation in the hotel foyer.
Have a project in mind?
Once Upon a Light
Hello, I’m TamaraI’m the maker and restorer behind Rekindled Lighting, based in Croatia.My work begins with objects from the past. I’m drawn to their shapes, their materials and the traces of the lives they’ve already had. Sometimes I find a vintage light ready for restoration. Other times, I find something that was never meant to be a light—and that’s where the real fun begins.Seeing the possibilitiesI reimagine objects from the past as lighting, turning history into pieces full of character. This is the heart of my work: seeing possibilities in an old object and giving it an unexpected new purpose.An ordinary, practical object can become something surprising when you look at it differently. A handle, a curved edge, an enamel interior or an industrial shape can be the detail that starts an idea.Keeping the characterI work with the object’s existing character. Depending on the piece, that might mean keeping worn paint, aged enamel or marks left by years of use.I also restore vintage lighting, deciding what work each piece needs according to its condition. Customisation brings another layer of possibility, with choices such as cable colour and length helping a light feel at home in its new setting.Making something togetherCommissioned work is where I most enjoy exploring those possibilities with someone else. You bring your space, your ideas and perhaps an object of your own. I bring my collection, practical experience and curiosity about what it could become.If you’ve ever looked at something old and thought, “Could that be a light?”—we already have a conversation to start.
Commission Something Wonderful
Have a space in mind, an unusual object with potential, or an idea you can’t quite find anywhere?I reimagine objects from the past as lighting, turning history into pieces full of character. This is the heart of my work: seeing possibilities in an old object and giving it an unexpected new purpose.I also restore vintage lighting and can customise suitable pieces to complement your space.From a single pendant for your home to a collection for a restaurant, Airbnb, hotel or creative project, I’d love to hear what you’re imagining.It starts with a conversation
Send me a few photographs of your space, any inspiration, and an idea of the quantity, dimensions, budget and timing.We’ll explore suitable pieces, finishes and practical details together. You can send or bring an object you’d like me to work with, or we can begin with pieces from my collection. Once we’ve agreed the design, price and timescale, I’ll get to work.Tell me what you have in mind
Whether you’re choosing a light for your own home or sourcing a collection for a larger project, you’re welcome to get in touch.A few photographs and a rough idea are plenty to begin with.
Rekindled Lighting · Objects with history, lights with character · Based in Croatia