Born-and-bred Clevelander Kevin Pritchett is no stranger to the demands of owning a small business. Fortunately, Pritchett - who owns Sanity in Chagrin Falls with his wife, Isabel - is also finding time for his creative pursuits: he's the imagination behind Junkyard Lighting, a residential and industrial lighting design business.
"I have actually only been creating my light pieces for about five months now, but it's been an idea in my head for about a year," says Pritchett, whose designs feature salvaged and otherwise unconventional materials. "I started more as a hobby and just to see what I could come up with, and it's just evolved from there."
As a concession to unpredictable winter and spring weather, Pritchett has been finding most of the objects used in his lighting from online sources. With the forecast improving, estate sales and garage sales will become his hunting grounds. Certain hard-to-find objects are always on his shopping list, but many times, a piece stands out. Pritchett says there's really no limit to what can be refashioned into a lighting piece. "Most pieces, as soon as I see it, I think - I might be able to use that for a light."
While Sanity commands much of his time, Pritchett is committed to growing Junkyard Lighting. "I am starting to put a lot more time into it, and hopefully in the near future it will be my full-time job." Though Junkyard Lighting may turn into full-time work, Pritchett finds the creative process of lighting design relaxing. "I've always loved to work with my hands and create and modify things; I love to see the finished product, to take either some vintage item, or just a bunch of lamp parts, and when it's done, have something that looks finished and unique."
