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Known for their durability and high-gloss shine, our iconic porcelain enamel barn lights are handcrafted from solid steel and coated with multiple layers of porcelain enamel glass. With a variety of finish colors, accessories, and other customization options, our signature RLM shades become truly one-of-a-kind! Read More »
BLE-G-WHS
Based on designs from the early 20 th century, The Original™ is an iconic, stylish, and dependable gooseneck light. This straightforward look features a...
$255.00

BLE-W-WHS
Adopting classic influences, The Original™ is the interior and exterior wall sconce needed to elevate every residential or commercial décor. Available in...
$295.00

BLE-C-WHS
With roots in the vintage lighting styles, The Original™ celebrates iconic RLM warehouse shades. While this design dates back to the early 20 th century,...
$290.00

BLE-G-WHB
Featuring eye-catching curves and a vintage-inspired design, the Bomber captures attention in any location — indoors or out. The Bomber’s gooseneck mounting...
$320.00

BLE-G-DBW
Embracing historic manufacturing techniques and vintage designs, this modern version of deep bowl lighting is incredibly durable and indescribably stylish....
$295.00

BLE-F-WHS
Low hanging ceilings and undersized areas of homes and businesses are usually limited to track lighting or recessed can lights. But that's no longer the...
$235.00

BLE-G-WHD
As homeowners and commercial builders have discovered, the Dino is among the easiest ways to add one-of-a-kind touches of character to any project. Ranging...
$300.00

BLE-S-WHS
Originating in farms and factories in the 1930s and 40s, The Original™ offers the traditional look of warehouse shades to contemporary homes and businesses....
$245.00

BLE-C-DBW
Based on iconic warehouse shades, the Wilcox combines classic lines with modern stylings. Just like vintage lights, the Wilcox prioritizes craftsmanship and...
$250.00

BLE-S-DBW
Inspired by vintage lighting, the Wilcox feels right at home in many of today’s most popular styles: modern farmhouse, vintage industrial, coastal and...
$269.00

BLE-W-WHU10
Intended for undersized locations, this version of the Union features a limited profile and space-saving mounting. Originally designed to illuminate...
$259.00

BLE-G-RWS
Influenced by 1930s-era gas station lighting, the Seaside’s shallow, fluted shade is designed to stand out. By embracing an inherently playful shape, the...
$275.00

BLE-G-WHU
First developed in the early 20th century, the lighting once used to illuminate industrial settings remains popular to the present day. Not only does the...
$299.00

BLE-G-WHA
Thanks to its classic gooseneck charm, the Avalon finds a home in contemporary houses and businesses. To establish its timeless look, the Avalon turns to...
$285.00

BLE-S-WHA
Developed with timelessness in mind, the Avalon brings a modern sensibility to the classic look of RLM warehouse shades.  As an American made lighting...
$265.00

BLE-CN-DBW
Reminiscent of vintage designs, the Wilcox’s deep bowl shade presents a simple yet striking profile. The Wilcox’s curved lines and streamlined shape embody...
$325.00


BLE-G-SBD
This classic gooseneck fixture combines the integrity of high-quality metals with fashionable lighting designs. Originally developed to spread illumination...
$245.00

BLE-C-WHU
As indicated by its name, the Union expertly joins a decorative character with a functional purpose. To complement a wide range of styles, the versatile...
$262.00

BLE-W-WHD
This design packs the traditional look of RLM-inspired warehouse shades into a space-saving wall sconce. Installed indoors or out, the Dino delivers the...
$340.00

BLE-S-WHD
Replicating classic lighting styles for modern settings, the Dino features a durable design and timeless appearance. This combination of high-quality...
$290.00

BLE-S-WHU
Thanks to its sturdy stem mounting, the Union can deliver a classic style to interior and exterior locations. The Union features a tall, stacked neck design...
$272.00

BLE-C-WHD
Perfectly conveying timeless lighting styles, the Dino has become a favorite in today’s homes and businesses. Thanks to its simple design, this pendant...
$265.00

BLE-S-ST3-WHD12
Complementing a wide variety of décor sensibilities, the Dino fits multiple hand-crafted RLM shades to a sturdy stem mounting. The three shades spread...
$665.00
 

What is Porcelain Enamel? And why’s it used in lighting?

Porcelain enamel is a glass coating used in the manufacturing of innumerable household products. Also referred to as vitreous enamel, porcelain’s appeal primarily centers on its inherent ability to strengthen and protect these items from everyday wear and tear.

Due to its unmatched durability and resiliency, porcelain was an industry standard for historic lighting manufacturers. The shades once installed in factories, warehouses, and agricultural settings were ensconced with layers of porcelain enamel to help them withstand the sometimes taxing conditions they faced in these locations.

What are some aesthetic benefits to porcelain?

Unlike other finishes which can gradually fade with age, porcelain has demonstrated the ability to retain its color even after decades of use. Along with this color retention, porcelain possesses high-gloss properties that beautifully render colors and let the shades glisten in the sunlight.

What is RLM lighting?

Porcelain enamel is most commonly used on traditional RLM lighting shades—that stands for Reflective Luminaire Manufacturer. RLM lights are designed to direct light downward onto floors, sidewalks, and other surfaces, filling homes and businesses with illumination. These lights originated to brighten industrial and outdoor settings, but they eventually found their way into the interior spaces of businesses and homes.

RLM designs have remained consistent throughout the 20th century. Because they feature nostalgic character without feeling outdated or antiquated, RLM lights are still prominently featured in contemporary homes and businesses. As new preferences and styles have emerged, slight variations on these classic designs, like rounded lines and subtle playfulness, let RLM shades remain relevant to modern spaces.

How is porcelain enamel lighting constructed?

Historically, porcelain light fixtures were manufactured exclusively by hand, but eventually mass production replaced this “hands on” approach. However, manufacturers like Barn Light Electric, who revived the art of porcelain enamel lighting in the United States, honor the legacies of traditional lighting companies by producing American made lights and RLM shades by hand.

At Barn Light Electric, the process of creating porcelain enamel lights begins as round disks are stamped out of flat pieces of steel. The steel disks are then spun on a lathe and carefully worked around a mold by hand until it assumes the traditional shape. Holding the shades in their hands let our talented artisans pay meticulous attention to detail as they create each light.

Multiple layers of porcelain enamel are then applied to the shade to give them their distinctive appearance and ingrained durability. To permanently fuse the porcelain and steel together, the shades are fired in an oven capable of reaching temperatures of 1,600 degrees. After that, the shades are outfitted with sockets, mountings, and other customization options and shipped to homes and businesses throughout the country!

What the most common mountings for porcelain light fixtures? Where is porcelain enamel lighting typically installed?

Because porcelain light shades are capable of interior and exterior installation, they’re available with nearly every mounting imaginable. This lets every space embrace the nostalgic look of RLM porcelain lighting.

  • With a look evocative of the fixtures found on classic barns, porcelain gooseneck lights offer a grounded character to contemporary décors. This mounting protects the fixture’s wires, allowing installation in outdoor spaces and high volume commercial settings. Multiple angles of curved gooseneck arms further determine the light’s aesthetic while providing distance from the wall.
  • As pendant lighting, porcelain shades carry a traditional style to the various rooms of homes and businesses. Cord hung porcelain pendants are frequently installed above tables, both in kitchens and restaurants, to give spaces a defining aesthetic and establish its mood. Porcelain pendants with chain mountings function similarly, but with an enhanced industrial character. Because they protect the fixture’s wires, stem mounted pendants can be included in indoor and outdoor locations.
  • Mounted squarely against the wall, porcelain-coated sconces offer RLM styles with a more compact profile. With their wiring tucked away, wall sconces can greet guests outdoors on front porches or carry style into hallways.
  • Porcelain chandeliers unite multiple RLM shades with a single mounting. Used to make a statement in both homes and businesses, these lights function as the eye-catching focal points that define a room’s aesthetic.
  • For lights exclusively for outdoor spaces, porcelain post mount lights contribute security and style to settings like parking lots, public parks, and sidewalks.

With a vast selection of porcelain colors, wire cages and cast guards, and other options, all porcelain lighting can be fully customized to meet any space’s particular needs.

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