Dallas lighting designer Jim Palmer creates chandeliers using exotic pieces such as a sand-cast brass frame from Egypt (right) and hand-cut and hand-polished emeraldhued prisms from Turkey (far right). Drawers (below) in his studio in Pettigrew Luxury Furnishings open to reveal vintage parts found in antiques stores over the years, while sconces line the walls (opposite).
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handeliers should be works of personal expression,” says Jim Palmer, the lighting director at Pettigrew Luxury Furnishings in Dallas. He’s speaking from experience: He once designed a chandelier using a client’s heirloom jewelry and keepsakes. “She brought me boxes of diamonds, pearl necklaces, vintage costume jewelry, watches and even dog tags to incorporate into a fixture,” he recalls. Through Palmer’s expert eye for layering, the piece became a beautiful homage to the client’s family and wound up as a focal point in the dining room as a regular reminder of her loved ones, as if they were joining her for dinner. Palmer compares his style of layering in lighting design to arranging flowers in a bouquet. And for good reason—before his transition into lighting 30 years ago, he spent a decade as a floral designer. “As with arranging flowers, I choose which crystals are most prominent and start building backwards,” he says, noting he often builds around the client’s favorite prisms. For Palmer, who refers to his creations as “nonperishable flower arrangements,” this process is both intuitive and meditative. “If I went blind, I think I could put a chandelier together by touch alone,” he laughs. “My hands never get tired. When I work, I slip into a warm and fuzzy place.” Of course, in many cases, clients don’t provide Palmer with materials to use, so he has perfected the art of sourcing crystal and glass both locally— including from the studios of Dallas glass artists
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