Meet the Collinwood: Handmade Porcelain Lighting Shade

Shaped in the same tradition as the Fonthill and built the same way everything leaves our Lancaster County shop: by hand, with patience, and with more than a little pride in getting every detail right.

When we introduced the Fonthill Collection, it quickly became one of those designs that felt like it had always belonged here. The porcelain. The handmade shape. The warm, earthy glow that happens when the light filters through the shade. It brought together so much of what we love about lighting: craftsmanship, character, and a little bit of magic in the final glow.

So naturally, we started wondering what else was possible.

Not in a “let’s reinvent the whole thing” kind of way. More like the kind of question that gets tossed around in the shop, revisited over coffee, tested in clay, abandoned, picked back up again, and eventually worked into something that feels just right.

That something became Collinwood.

Simple, slightly sloped, and quietly elegant, the Collinwood Collection is the newest addition to our handmade porcelain line that we've been collaborating on with Haley Pankratz from One Table Project, a talented local master potter. It carries the same craft tradition as Fonthill, but with a cleaner profile and a more understated presence.

We asked Bill and Haley to share a little more about how the design came together, what made it challenging, and where they picture it living best.

So, what inspired the Collinwood?

Bill: “Fonthill has been a huge success, and we wanted to expand the porcelain clay line. We toyed with options and wanted something clean, simple, yet elegant, and we finally settled on the Collinwood.”

That feels like the best way to describe it: clean, simple, elegant.

The Collinwood was designed as a natural continuation of the Fonthill, but not a copy of it. Where Fonthill has that pleated, scalloped movement, Collinwood steps back a bit. It is quieter. Softer. More restrained. The kind of light that can hold its own in a room without needing to be the loudest thing in it.

Haley: “I was looking to make a simple classic shade. The shape is less complex than the pleated Fonthill and that was compelling to me.”

That simplicity was intentional. The Collinwood shade is shallow enough that the bulb remains visible, which gives the owner another opportunity to shape the final look. Choose a bulb with a little character, or keep it clean and classic. Either way, the fixture has room to feel personal.

Haley: “It’s simple and tasteful with options. I love it.”

Was there a specific inspiration image?

Not exactly, but lots of sketching

Some designs start with an antique light, an old architectural detail, or a photograph that sends us down a rabbit trail. Collinwood was more hands-on than that.

Bill: “This was more of a trial-and-error with multiple prototypes. Haley has been deeply focused on creating the perfect shade style that can be consistently created. They are all made by hand, one at a time.”

Which means the design had to do more than look beautiful once. It had to be something that could be shaped, fired, finished, and repeated with care, while still allowing for the natural variation that makes handmade work feel alive.

That balance matters to us. We want every Collinwood shade to feel like part of the same family, while still carrying the subtle marks of the hand that made it.

The Collinwood is very much part of the porcelain story that began with Fonthill.

Like Fonthill, each Collinwood shade is slip-cast by hand using porcelain. The shades are left unglazed, allowing the natural texture of the material to remain visible. When lit, the porcelain creates a soft, warm glow that feels completely different from metal, glass, or a standard opaque shade.

Bill: “Like the Fonthill, I love how the shade glows when the lights are on. It provides such a unique glow that you just don’t see in other lighting.”

That glow is one of the reasons we keep coming back to porcelain. It has a softness to it. A warmth. A quiet kind of depth. Even in a simple shape, the material brings so much character.

And while Fonthill has a more romantic, vintage-inspired silhouette, Collinwood gives that same handmade porcelain warmth in a more versatile form.

What made this design challenging?

At first glance, Collinwood may look simple.

That is usually how you know it was not simple at all.

Haley: “Figuring out how to make the lights was a project, but that problem was solved during the Fonthill development process. Details I’ll keep to myself if you don’t mind. Partly because it would take a lot of space and partly because it’s top secret.”

Fair enough. We’ll let Haley keep the shop secrets.

But the real challenge came later, once the shades went into the kiln.

Haley: “The real challenge presented itself when we started firing them because the clay warps and changes shape in the kiln when it is fired to 2200 degrees F.”

Porcelain is beautiful, but it is not exactly easygoing. It changes in the firing process. It moves. It shrinks. It warps. And when you are creating a shade that needs to be clean and consistent, those little movements matter.

Haley: “This required us to test different clays, different shapes, and different firing supports. Lots of trial and error.”

How much trial and error?

Five different clays. Six different shade designs. Around six different custom firing supports, including domes and cradles designed specifically for this process.

And each support took weeks to make.

That is the part of handmade lighting most people never see. The testing. The waiting. The tiny adjustments. The “not quite” versions that never make it to the website. But all of it is part of the finished piece.

Haley: “It was really satisfying when we found the right combination.”

How would you describe the Collinwood style?

Bill sees a French country influence in the design.

Haley sees it as a little more flexible.

Haley: “Modern and farmhouse at the same time. It is simple and clean but can also be rustic. It’s versatile and can fit a lot of different decors.”

And that is exactly where Collinwood lands. It has the warmth and texture that work beautifully in farmhouse, cottage, and French country spaces, but the simpler profile also lets it feel at home in cleaner, more modern rooms.

It does not demand that the whole room follow one style direction. Instead, it gives you a handmade detail that can soften a kitchen, warm up a bathroom, or add character to a bedroom without overpowering the rest of the space.

Haley: “It fits everywhere but will not overpower the other elements in a room.”

That may be one of our favorite things about it.

Where do you picture Collinwood being used most?

Bill: “Kitchens are the most popular landing spot for sure.”

We can see why. The Collinwood corded pendant or downrod pendant feels right at home over a kitchen island, where the soft porcelain glow can bring warmth to one of the most-used spaces in the house.

Haley also loves the pendants in a breakfast nook, where they can add a quiet focal point without making the space feel too formal.

Haley: “I really like the pendants hanging over an island or in a breakfast nook.”

But Collinwood is not just for kitchens.

The sconces are especially versatile. Used in pairs, they can frame a bed over nightstands, bring charm to both sides of a bathroom mirror, or add a thoughtful handmade detail to a hallway, reading corner, or small entry.

Haley: “I also really like the sconces in pairs, framing up a bed over night stands or both sides of a bathroom mirror.”

Do you have a favorite version?

Bill: “That’s a toughie, but I would say the corded pendant and also the semi flush stem are my favs.”

The corded pendant is a natural favorite, especially for kitchens, breakfast nooks, and spaces where you want the porcelain shade to feel relaxed and approachable.
The stem version gives the same shade a slightly more tailored presence, making it a beautiful option when you want something that feels clean, grounded, and a little more architectural.

Haley: “One of my favorites is the arch sconce.”

And then there are the sconces, which may be the quiet overachievers of the collection. Arch, gooseneck, elbow, small gooseneck, each version gives the Collinwood shade a slightly different personality while keeping that same soft porcelain glow.

The finished piece

The Collinwood Collection is simple, but not plain. Handmade, but not fussy. Familiar, but not expected.

It is a light built through testing, patience, problem-solving, and the kind of collaboration that happens when design and craft keep meeting each other in the middle.

A little less ornate than Fonthill. A little more simplistic. Still full of warmth, texture, and story.

Just the way we like it.