Sputnik lights are one of those classic midcentury decor items that seems to have made its way into the mainstream — which is good news because it means they keep getting easier to come by. We recently discovered another source for affordable sputniks — Brooklyn Bulb Co.. Brooklyn Bulb Co. offers the popular style in three sizes and two finishes at what seems to be a pretty affordable prices — from $135 for the small guy… to $240 for Papa Bear.
The news release (edited) puts a sort of industrial steam punk spin on this evolution of the sputnik design:
Introducing Brooklyn Bulb Co. – Vintage Style Lighting …
Whether you make your home in downtown Brooklyn, downtown Los Angeles or somewhere in between, you can electrify your space with the ultra-cool (and ultra-affordable!) vintage inspired lighting from the Brooklyn Bulb Co. …
A take on a timeless fixture, these Sputnik pendants play homage to Gino Sarfatti’s classic 1954 design. Remaining a staple for the modernist movement of the time, this silhouette adds dimension and texture to any space, featuring twenty black-painted steel or chrome-plated stainless steel stems and matching canopy. Shown here with Brooklyn Bulb Co. vintage bulbs. Available in a small, medium, and large version. Similar fixtures can be found for hundreds of dollars more elsewhere!
- Looking for more sizes, shapes and colors of Sputnik lights? See our story about Practical Props sputnik chandeliers — which makes most of its products in-house, in California, it says. Note, we took a quick look and their baby Sputniks seem pretty comparably priced to those by Brooklyn Bulb. Shop and compare.
I asked Aimee Majoros, PR rep for the line, for more information on the bulbs.
Aimee writes:
What is really special about the Sputnik Chandeliers that Lights.com offers I think, is the quality for the price. Sputnik lights (as I am sure you know!) are very pricy and the same style and quality can be found for hundreds of dollars elsewhere.
Lights.com also offers Brooklyn Bulb Co. Edison-style bulbs which are super fun to use with the Sputniks – the bulb used in the above Sputnik photo is the Midwood bulb.
So if you add on the cost of these fancy bulbs — which really can make or break a fixture like this — the total cost would be $195 — offset somewhat by the fact that Lights.com offers free shipping on all orders over $150.
Where to get these sputnik lights:
- Brooklyn Bulb vintage-style lighting at Lights.com (affiliate link)
Afternoon and 12/9 updates: The company clarified that these fixtures are not made in the USA; they are made in China. Also, they specify their own designs, they said — so this is not the same as the Lowe’s light (which also has a different number of arms). The story has been updated accordingly. Lights.com and Brooklyn Bulb have the same owners, we also were able to clarify.