With their roots back in industrial, and particularly maritime history, bulkhead lights have a rugged appeal. Developed in the early part of the twentieth century for use on ships and in marine settings the rigorous demands of these environments have lead to common features – robust cast metal casings, galvanised finishes, watertight seals and protective metal cages all serve to give them a robust, solid and utilitarian feel that looks great and serves well in interiors that have an emphasis on the raw materials of their build.
As a point of interest, bulkhead lights get their name from the upright partitions dividing the hull of a ship into compartments and serving to add structural rigidity and to prevent the spread of leakage, fire or in the event of a collision to contain water flooding into a hold. To seal these partitions doors hang higher than usual to leave an upstanding section to step over and through into the next partition. Traditionally, bulkhead lights were fixed on each partition to light the tripping hazard and the compartment. Lights like these had to be really robust and completely waterproof.
The bulkhead light fittings supplied by Tinsmiths all have an IP44 or higher rating which make them ideal for exterior use, however they can work well in bathroom or utility environments and interior designers specializing in restaurant and bar interiors often use them to very good effect in interior schemes with a strong ‘factory’ feel. We have made a whole section for industrial lighting on our site and are always looking out for lights that are designed and made to last.