Established in 1990, Original BTC manufactures relaxed, familiar lighting for domestic and contract interiors. Hand-assembled in Oxford from the finest aluminium, chrome and bone china, the essential collection of table, floor, wall and pendant lights is instantly comfortable, unassumingly elegant and accessibly priced.

One of the forerunners of industrial style, founder Peter Bowles’ updated classics and original designs are inspired by traditional factory fittings and iconic 1940s design. Four UK production facilities – all owned by Original BTC - are dedicated to constructing the beautifully unprocessed lights. Aluminium shades and bases are hand-spun from sheet metal in the heart of the country’s metal-working industry, glass shades are mouth-blown in Birmingham while bone china shades and ceiling roses are hand-cast in Stoke-on-Trent.

Quality, detail and mix of materials is key: metallic painted, glass or china shades are paired with polished, satin or chromed bases, offset by matching cotton braided flex. Functional and practical, stems can be raised and lowered and shades angled to create the perfect ambience.

Classic ranges include the iconic bone china Hector, available as a table, pendant, wall and floor light. Launched twenty five years ago, the simple yet effective dome-shaped Hector is a British design classic. Further key ranges include the industrial style Titan pendant, available in polished aluminium and a range of powder-coated colours, as well as the Task collection of table, floor, wall and pendant lights. More recently, the Stanley collection of pendants, available in brass, nickel, copper and black nickel, has become one of the brand’s most popular designs. The Globe collection of mouth-blown glass pendants marked a new direction for Original BTC. The brand’s first in-house manufactured glass collection, Globe pendants are free-blown at its Birmingham-based glassworks using artisanal techniques first developed in the twelfth century. Capturing Original BTC’s simple elegance and attention to detail, each pendant features a chrome or brass fitting with a matching chrome or brass wire suspension and bulb holder, plus trademark braided cable.

New for 2016

Launched at Maison et Objet this year, Hatton is Original BTC’s largest and most technically challenging collection yet. With the aim of pushing bone china to its very limits, the Hatton collection uses highly skilled, labour-intensive processes to create multi-faceted forms which explore, maximise and celebrate the material’s translucency, luminosity and versatility. “From the designing and making of the mould to the complicated production process of the shades themselves, we’ve taken bone china to its absolute limit in size and form. It’s a tremendous accomplishment for all involved and we’re proud to show how technically brilliant British manufacturing can be,” says Bowles, recent winner of a Queen’s Award for Enterprise in honour of his international success. 

Also launched for 2016, the 1960s inspired Walter exudes retro glamour. With a striking combination of brushed satin copper or brass and a choice of anthracite or opal glass, the clean-lined table light features a beautifully integrated on-off switch and twistable dimmer, while the glass shade sits on copper or brass gallery screws, secured to the base with matching copper finials.

The new Christie Rise & Fall pendant, hand slip-cast at Original BTC’s Stoke-on-Trent bone china factory, features a moulded, fluted shade which creates hypnotic shadow-play, each organic fold echoing the movement and flow found in nature, from the rise and fall of ocean waves and rolling hills to the gentle corrugation of washed-out shells. The Christie offers perfect solution for combined eating, cooking and entertaining spaces; simply lower to create intimate, atmospheric dining zones and raise for a broad spread of shadow-free task lighting for food preparation and daytime meals. Effortless and elegant, the delicate bone china pendant will soften the clean lines of contemporary kitchens while blending beautifully with more traditional schemes.