Nothing illuminates a room more definably than the yellow light of a proper lamp. The manufacture may be of endless material and varied expression but whatever it is made of and however it is exhibited it is certain to lend its dynamic to the room. My preference is the subdued color of yellow light. It perhaps reflects a waning era of book reading and instead allegiance to the iPad or other technological wonder for transporting electronic copies of literature upon a whim to the visible computer screens of diverse range.

The featured image of this particular blog is from Charles Edwards, London, UK. It is a company of indisputable celebrity. The especial appeal is that the productions capture what in most similar circumstances are confined to vintage items only. It will however come as no surprise to discover a company such as this in Britain where the preservation of history is notorious.  Yet the re-enactment of that legacy is not often rendered with such modern creativity.

Coincidentally the unfolding of the parameters of Charles Edwards disclosed a further antiquity; namely, door furniture.  I believe you will confess that door furniture is not a genre which becomes readily apparent. Indeed it almost resembles an invention or even a mockery.  Strangely enough one of my earliest memories upon awakening to the world of household retail was a door knocker on Martha’s Vineyard.  I was at the time visiting Cape Cod following Labour Day Weekend one early September. As the trip to Martha’s Vineyard was short, I succumbed to a trolley bus tour of the island to acquaint myself as quickly as possible with local intelligence. It was a highly profitable adventure. As we began our venture along the ancient cobblestone paths of the island, the bus conductor pointed to the local homes which he remarked were each noticeably only painted at the front. Because of the ruinous salt sea air, preserving a painted front of the house was considered an expression of luxury. Additionally he noted the door knockers which adorned many of the homes.  Often the knockers (which customarily expressed a nautical theme such as whales) were made of sterling silver, once again a manifestation of social dignity.

Charles Edwards door furniture

The next occasion on which I encountered a collection of door furniture was in Outremont, Montréal, PQ at a hardware store.

Outremont is a residential area known for its stately Victorian homes and tree-lined streets. Upscale clothing boutiques dot Avenue Laurier Ouest, while Avenue Bernard has cafés and chic laid-back restaurants. The art deco Théâtre Outremont presents concerts, films and comedy. On Mount Royal’s north slope, leafy Mount Royal Cemetery has paths and striking statuary.

Much of the hardware was devoted not merely to the front door of a house but included the limitless number of doors and drawers within a house, including naturally its furnishings.

I mention this queer subject of lamps and door furniture because today I am confined indoors, listening to drippy melodies by the Johnny Douglas Strings, sipping coffee (and of course recovering from Trail Mix muffins and butter) while glancing wistfully out the 9′ high dripping wet windows onto the barren farm fields and gloomy river in the distance. Although today is a Saturday it has all the sensibilities of a Sunday afternoon so I imagine tomorrow will be another of modest confusion. Nonetheless the wet weather is on the heels of what has been a spectacularly brilliant number of days. Time to test the yellow light for some nutritious reading!