The idea for the 'Kulbrick' lamp came from my longstanding admiration of glass bricks when used in both building exterior design, and on the inside as a divider or partition.  I love how this natural material lets natural light in, whilst also muting the light emitted from a bulb.  This gave me the inspiration to start the search for authentic mid century bricks - Do these even exist or can the more recent models still be bought?  This set me off on my journey to find local original vintage bricks that with any luck had some provenance locally and a 'story' to boot!
 
After finding a batch for sale in Mid Ulster I arranged to collect these and find out the history of these forgotten gems!  I was not disappointed as the seller - an ex construction worker -  delighted in telling me the tale of 'putting the bricks aside’ after demolishing some old industrial premises in Carrickfergus - not 5 miles from where i sit now typing this tale - I couldn’t believe my eyes!
 
These were from Courtaulds -  the first of the man-made fibre industries to arrive in Northern Ireland, opening a factory for the production of Rayon in Carrickfergus in 1951. By 1965 over 1,300 people were employed. Its closure in 1981 was a devastating blow to the town
 
This confirmed that the bricks now in my possession were the 'real McCoy' with the type of story that inspired me to crack on with the project in ernest. 
 
The next phase of the product design was hours of researching how to hold and illuminate the brick, to not only do this piece of history some justice, but also be practical when fulfilling its main role as a table lamp.
 
It was decided that 3d printing gave me options, for not only quality and quantity, but also in terms of colours and texture,  when trying to replicate the look and feel of a building brick.  I felt this complimented the glass block and gave a nod to its heritage here in Northern Ireland.   The combination of base and brick was then given a warm LED glow that adds class and subtly to our 1st in house lamp….. the 'Kulbrick'!
 
When considering your purchase please bear in mind these bricks are 60-70 years old.  These were carefully extracted from the factory, transported and stored but you have to allow for minor imperfections - despite best efforts all round to preserve these over the decades.
 
These lamps are unique to tangerine omi, a positive consideration for your purchasing decision.
 
All bricks have been carefully deep cleaned and buffed up to offer you the best in terms of clarity and lighting experience.
 
They measure 20 x 20 cm and sit snuggly in the bespoke base over your lighting unit.  The unit comes with a USB ready cable that slots straight into your own plug, one that is used around the home for many portable devices.