Frequently asked questions

In-stock pieces are dispatched within 3 working days. Made-to-order shades take 4–5 weeks. Custom commissions run 6–12 weeks, and we confirm the timing in writing before you commit.

The lead time for each piece is on its product page.

Because it doesn't exist yet. Our silk, sari, raffia and leather shades are made in the colourway you choose rather than held in every combination. The alternative is a smaller range of colours held in stock, and we would rather offer the choice.

Not at the moment — we deliver within the United Kingdom only. If you are working on a project abroad, email us and we will see what is possible outside the website.

Yes. Choose Pick up at checkout, pay online as usual, and we will email you when it is ready. We are open by appointment, so reply to that email with a day that suits and we will confirm a time. There is no charge for collection.

Yes, by appointment. We are a working studio rather than a shop, so email info@studioscratch.uk and we will find a time. Suite 102-103, 36-38 Washington Street, Glasgow G3 8AZ.

It is worth the trip. How a sari shade handles light, or how far a perforated brass pattern throws across a wall, is not something a photograph can tell you.

For anything hardwired — pendants, wall lights, ceiling fixtures — yes, and it must be someone Part P registered. Several of our pieces are heavy enough to need mounting to a solid structural surface rather than plasterboard.

Installing a hardwired fixture yourself can invalidate both your warranty and your household insurance.

Table and floor lamps plug in. No electrician needed.

Yes, provided you use a dimmable LED bulb and a compatible dimmer. Not every LED bulb is dimmable even when the fitting is.

Most of our fixtures take E27. For perforated and woven shades — Halo, Kosen, Solstice — use a clear vintage-style filament LED: the point of those pieces is the pattern they throw, and a frosted bulb erases it. Bulbs are not included.

Check the maximum wattage on the product page. Nidna Table is the exception in the range, taking a bulb under 5W.

The finish is named on every product page — antique brass, antique copper, brass or natural. They are applied finishes, hand-worked, with the depth and variation already in them, and they are meant to stay as you receive them. The one thing that will damage them is metal polish, which is an abrasive. A dry cloth is all they need.

Also deliberate. Our pieces are hand-finished and the making is left visible. A perfectly uniform surface would mean a machine had made it.

Closely, but screens vary and photography is not a colour proof — particularly for the silks and the sari shades, where the colour changes depending on whether the light is on.

If an exact colour matters for a scheme, ask us about samples before you order.

No. Each is cut from a different part of a sari that was worn in the family, so no two carry the same pattern. One sari makes a few shades, and then it is finished.

Dust with a dry, soft cloth. Nothing abrasive, no solvents, and never metal polish — it is an abrasive and it takes an applied finish off. Keep silk and sari shades out of direct sunlight, and never clean them wet.

Always switch the light off and let it cool before you touch it.

Yes. You have 14 days from delivery to tell us, and another 14 to send it back — unused, uninstalled and in its original packaging. Return postage is yours unless the piece is faulty. Custom commissions cannot be returned.

Photograph it and email info@studioscratch.uk as soon as you can. Telling us quickly helps us claim against the courier, but it does not limit your rights. We will replace or refund, and we pay the return postage.

Yes. Our trade programme offers professional pricing with no minimum order, custom finishes and sizes where the piece allows, and technical support including specifications and lead times. Apply through the Trade page.

Often, yes. Several pieces are already offered in alternatives — Kosen in gold or copper, Helix in brass weaving, The Foundry in antique brass or gold — and Caldera can be made larger. Some designs adapt easily and some do not. Email us with what the project needs and we will tell you honestly.

Yes — finish and fabric samples are available on request. Email info@studioscratch.uk with the project and what you are specifying, and we will arrange them.