I just scored a 1968 Moe Lighting catalog, and it is 102 pages of sheer beauty. Peoples: If you are not keeping your eyes open and wallets stocked with just a little extra something for the most fabuloso vintage lighting that you can get your hands on, well, then, I feel bad. Because there is probably no feature that can have the biggest impact on the sparkly-ness of a home than lighting. I myself am guilty: The light in my dining room is a piece of inexpensive whatever that we hung in there when we first bought the house 10 years ago. I am ashamed of myself. This is going on The List tout suit. Today, from my 1968 catalog: Moe’s complete Honeycomb line, including the new-for-’68 cranberry-pink … and 5 rooms shots sure to make you smile bright as a tangerine-gold pendant.
I do not know when Moe introduced this style — perhaps reader Greg can tell us, I first saw this lighting in his Los Angeles house:
Here’s how the catalog describes the line:
Vivid honeycomb … Moe Light’s exclusive expression of creative lighting at its finest.
The photo above: From a fantastic time capsule house first chronicled on Vintage Las Vegas.
In 1968, the catalog says, the Cranberry-pink was introduced. The blue is called “Emerald-blue”. The gold: Tangerine-gold.
Here’s the room shot — a hallway, it appears. It’s … interesting … to see this light paired with rustic furniture, wall paneling, and look: the door has wrought iron. I think we are seeing seeds of the Mediterranean Casa de la Torquemada look. Not a scene in which we might expect to see this thoroughly modern light — just goes to show that they mixed it up plenty back in the day. Or else, the Moe interior designers were doing magic mushrooms. 1968 and all.
Meanwhile, back in suburbia on the planet Earth, this is the Mrs.’ blue sewing room. Yes, this room would tempt even me to give it all up for a band of gold. There’s a lot going on, so don’t lose the lights: There’s a blue honeycomb pull-down in the foreground, and honeycomb-trimmed can lights in the ceiling near the stairs. The catalog says:
Every homemaker’s dream… the woman’s studio … smartly designed and accented with emerald-blue honeycomb lighting styles.
You gotta love this. Does anyone recognize the artwork?
These photos are always such a gas: Look closely, the bed is set into a nook; the nook is upholstered in the same fabric as the bedspread. There also is a light bar back there.
The wall sconces are particularly snappy, don’t you think?
The pendants, too. And these are so NOW. I can imagine many a lighting company introducing them today — with fanfare like they were their idea.
These “celing tracks” are wicked cool. They “let you move fixtures up to six feet.” You could use them like a swag, or there was hardware included to hard wire them.
Remember: I have been told that pull down lighting is no longer to code; consult with a professional, please. And: Vintage lighting should be rewired.
Now here’s some 70s going on. These lights are insane. Luv.
There are a bunch of other drop-dead gorgeous lights in my 1968 catalog. I’ll try to get them up soon. But you know me. Always distracted by the next little pretty.
52PostnBeam says
I have the largest, pyramid shape one seen at the bottom of the catalog page of the emerald blue collection (the pic w/blk background in this story), w/the little teak knob underneath. It was shipped badly from the eBay seller I got it from and the glass disk cracked as did the lamp shell. I glued the shell back together and finally found a replacement disk the right size. The honeycomb effect is achieved with brown paper on the inside which is quite fragile. It’s literally just paper, sprayed or lightly coated with shellack. The light has a three way switch & three bulbs. I have nowhere to put it really, but can’t let it go because it’s too cool!
Karen says
my church has similar lights in hallways in 1960s built ‘the new church’. : ) a real blast from the past, not replaced since they are in out of the way hallway behind sanctuary. Yes, dust catchers!
Pauline Simpson says
I want these……correction I need these.
Sarah says
Ceiling tracks are not always so cool when you have them. I hate hate hate mine but mainly cause I think it looks like something straight out of Pizza Hut 1987, maybe I need to save up and get one of these suckers.
Deb says
Totally flashes back to days ala “Courtship of Eddie’s Father.”
Amy says
My grandmother had an Emerald-Blue pull down lamp over her kitchen table for years. This brought back memories!
Robyn says
My grandmother, too. The house was originally built and occupied by my Aunt & Uncle so I guess they had the fine taste first. Wish I’d taken it out when she sold the house (I also lost out on a Nelson bubble lamp which my cousin trashed during his college years. Ouch.)
Ann-Marie Meyers says
Oh, Lowes! Are you listening, here? We want!
Jay says
I think you threw that last picture in just to see if everyone was awake and paying attention. Eww, ick! I was getting flashbacks to the hideous chandelier that hung in my dining room when i bought the house – the curlicues and swirling sculptured light arms. Thanks for sharing, old catalogs and ads are neat!
pam kueber says
I just LUV it because it’s SO RIDICULOUS
gavin hastings says
Walking on ice here, but:
I think Jeannie (as in,I Dream of…) had those pendants hanging in her bottle….
pam kueber says
woah, good one. someone needs to watch some episodes and grab a screen shot!
NINA462 says
That pull down lamp is exactly what I’m looking for! And I love the sewing room – I have a sewing room/office that I wish would look so neat & put together!
gavin hastings says
Note the pattern pieces as wall art!!!!!
Nina462 says
I did notice that – but thought it wasn’t wall art…she’s probably working on a sewing project and didn’t want to lose part of the pattern. 🙂
Becky P S says
I love the sewing room too!!! I use odd/old pattern covers and pieces as art AND pin up pieces I am sewing as a guide!
The lights are fantastic!
pam kueber says
Wow! Great story!