Spotted At: The Custom Chandelier at Bar Carnation

There’s a lot to catch your eye at Bar Carnation: a bar of rich dark timber running the length of the room, stainless steel accents, a monumental Gian Manik painting, the vase of sweet carnations at the door. But it’s a row of lights set neatly into the wall and casting a honeyed glow that I found most intriguing. My mind returned to their Akari-like warmth long after I’d left the bar.

The 12 cream-coloured lamps read as a single statement. “It acts as a quiet beacon, saying yes, come in,” says chef-owner, and former architect, Audrey Shaw. With its air of ’70s Italian Murano glass, you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s a rare vintage find. But the chandelier is the work of local lighting designer and Bar Carnation kitchen porter, Charlie White. 

“It came together through a few hurried conversations between Charlie and me in the dish pit during service,” Shaw says. The brief was simple: “Audrey showed me a photo of the demolished room, drew a big rectangle in the centre and said, ‘I want a light there – four-and-a-half metres’,” White recalls.

The idea came to him mid-flight. “I’d been playing with Japanese patterns for paper boxes for fun. As I was folding little boxes on my tray table, it occurred to me that the box could be the diffuser with LEDs inside.”

Resin-soaked paper boxes give the chandelier a translucency similar to alabaster or onyx.

“There’s a special moment at golden hour, where the sunlight outside is fading and the lamp starts to glow, both in equal measure,” Shaw says.

The fixture feels as though it’s always been part of the architecture. “We wanted the space to reflect the brilliant design community around us,” Shaw says. “The idea is to keep building on this – continuing to work with friends and celebrate local talent.”

White, who studied architecture, is now developing single wall sconce versions of the lights, which will soon be available made to order.

Spotted At is Broadsheet’s new series spotlighting the design details adorning our favourite venues. It’s a love letter to the fixtures, artworks and furniture pieces we can’t stop thinking about.