Huey Lightshop’s Artful Approach to Canadian-Made Lighting
Bright ideas.
In the midst of the pandemic, Bret Williams, a former product designer for a the popular department store line GlucksteinHome, found herself in search of the perfect light fixture to put the finishing touch on the renovation of her first home. “I realized there was a huge gap in the Canadian market for handmade and artisanal pieces at an accessible price point,” she says. She went to work designing the Cherub, a porcelain flush-mount with retro curves and minimalist appeal. From there, she figured out the manufacturing process, learned more about the intricacies of wiring than she ever thought she would, and launched Huey Lightshop.
Despite a cult following, a collaboration with Oregon-based interior design firm Light and Dwell, and several hospitality projects on the go, Huey retains its artisanal small-batch feel. Its sculptural pieces, from sconces to pendants to table lamps, are made in its studio in Ontario’s Blue Mountains, where ceramic is fired in the on-site kiln and glazed in earthy tones. Recent collections incorporate brass, wood, and fabric. The materials are sourced from local artisans, many of whom live minutes away. “It was important to me to have everything made in Canada and locally sourced,” says Williams, who relocated from Toronto to Thornbury, where she grew up, to embrace a slower way of life.
Photography by Sophie Kirk.
