The creator of OL Manufaktura,
Szymon Smerek, instead of the lesson
“Be like everyone else” from his family home, took away a different one:
“Learn about everything, but be yourself.”
From a young age, he traveled a lot, absorbing the culture, architecture, and customs of various corners of the world.
And when he returned to his Warmian home, he spent time on manual activities.
If he wasn’t assembling models, he painted the fence, fixed something, or built a shelf.
– Since childhood, I’ve liked wood. Old wood smells of resin, it’s easy to work with, and incredibly durable – he says.
Lamps
Renovations
By giving a second life to lamps and many other items produced in our manufacture, we strive to use exclusively renewable materials, primarily wood and metal. Minimal elements of plastics appear only in justified cases.
The same idea guides all actions of OL Manufaktura – we rescue from oblivion, give a second life, and restore the natural radiance.
By subjecting old elements to renovation, we combine a passion for perfect craftsmanship with respect for the history of the material. In the modern philosophy of heritage conservation, the goal is not to transform the old into the new but to bring out its timeless beauty from the old. That’s why in our wooden lamps, you’ll find natural cracks, traces of nails that resemble healed wounds, while at the same time, you’ll be enchanted by the impeccable result of artisanal workmanship.
Lamp with a history
Living in harmony with nature and accepting the passage of time is the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi. The harmony of beauty and truth. But you don’t have to reach into another culture to feel the phenomenon hidden in objects that are created from something that already existed, that have their own past and character.
Our wooden lamps come from old, noble pine beams that were originally intended for firewood due to demolitions and building renovations. But how can one without regret turn a resin-scented, ancient, mighty beam, which holds a story about a home, about people, about bygone times, into ashes?
The industrial lamp series usually consists of old antique lamps from the mid-20th century that have been renovated – combining vintage design with new technology.
Author’s lamps, unique, one-of-a-kind pieces are lamps created based on various old objects to which we give new life. An old gearbox salvaged from a lake, a mighty screw, a twisted piece of root – all of these can become elements of a new lamp with a rich history.
