Photograph by Caroline C. Kilgore
The Urban Electric Co.’s subtle signage, a clever logo of lowercase letters, might make you confuse its new showroom with the hidden “underground” tavern Ormsby’s, located just down the walk in the Westside’s White Provision building. But with all the national press this small company has been getting, it’s hardly a secret. Celebrity designers such as Darryl Carter, Tom Scheerer, and, most recently, Richard Mishaan have teamed up with the Urban Electric Co., which has created more than 200 types of lanterns and ceiling, wall, table, and floor fixtures. Stylistic influences range from historical to pop to industrial, but all are fresh interpretations of classic forms. All fixtures are also bench-crafted at the firm’s headquarters in Charleston, South Carolina. Because everything is made to order by hand, product delivery ranges from two weeks for some “Quick Ship” items to several months for fully bespoke projects. However, since customization is the norm, clients enjoy a wide range of colors, designs, and other options. 1170 Howell Mill Road, Suite P-14, 404-815-8066, urbanelectricco.com
This article originally appeared in our May 2010 issue.
