Custom Furnishings Business Still Booming

Custom Furnishings Business Still Booming Shawn Carling’s business model is a beacon of light, quite literally. In an age when young and middle-aged people scoff at their parents’ antique furniture, lighting and household décor, Machine Age Lamps has created and sold thousands of handmade steampunk lamps and other items over the past 15 years. The unique furnishings are crafted using salvaged steam gauges along with parts from farm implements, ships, planes and industrial equipment. Farm Show first featured Carling when he was working out of his Lakeville, Minn., garage. An article appeared in Vol. 37, No. 3, with follow-ups in Vol. 38, No. 3, and Vol. 40, No. 6. “A lot has happened in 15 years. We’re always busy and have done more than 5,000 one-off designs,” Carling says. “About 68% of our business is repeat.” Since the FARM SHOW 2016 update, steampunk builds by Carling and his team have gained international recognition. Their work is now featured in James Boags Bar in Tasmania, Gordon Ramsey’s Bread Street Kitchen in Hong Kong, and Walt Disney’s Tropical Hideaway. They handled all the lighting in Dierks Bentley’s Nashville bar and created lighting and tables for Epic’s Galactic Headquarters in Madison, Wis. Carling’s designs are all one-of-a-kind, uniquely crafted, signed and numbered with a copper ID plate. “We’re now up to design number 4,700, and we probably made 500 prior to numbering them,” he says. All lighting has industrial-grade UL electrical components. Several years ago, he began creating casual tables, bars, wall décor and other clever furnishings with the same distinctive character. Parts and pieces represent agriculture, firefighting, nautical and automotive themes. He’s licensed to sell designs at Barrett-Jackson Auctions and also produces one-off automotive designs for Carroll Shelby licensing. Several of those designs are displayed at the Shelby Heritage Center in Las Vegas. Nearly all of his items have some type of steam gauges, piping, metalwork and rugged wood that are carefully assembled and finished like fine furniture. “I find most of the components at estate sales and auctions, and people also call and offer different items,” Carling says. “Right now, our warehouse is full.” The success of Machine Age Lamps relies on quality designs, word-of-mouth advertising, and appearances at art shows, the Minnesota State Fair, and other events. Carling says he’s never spent much on advertising besides sending out a periodic newsletter and keeping his website updated with studio-quality photographs. His displays have earned numerous awards, and he’s been featured on several TV shows and news segments. “I worked in the corporate world for several years and never had this much fun. Now, every day is like a Saturday with an endless stream of creativity and exciting ideas.” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Shawn Carling, Machine Age Lamps, Farmington, Minn. (ph 612-804-2247; www.machineagelamps.com).

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