Fashionably Light

Why a Minnesota businessman pursued a custom lampshade venture after more than 30 years in the printing business.

Let’s talk mod lamps! From pendant lights to desk and floor lamps, Modilumi creates unique lighting with a true vintage flair.

Seven years ago,

business owner Lex Winger entered a Wisconsin bar thirsty and left illuminated with a striking business opportunity.

Lex was looking to reinvigorate Sign Rocket, the printing company he had led for 32 years, and the bar’s sparkling fi berglass pendant lampshades inspired him to start printing and selling his own shades. He created Modilumi to build and design custom lampshades with classic Midcentury Modern designs popular during Lex’s childhood, like starbursts, circles and squares.

“The Midcentury Modern style doesn’t just say, ‘ Everything’s going to be OK,’” Lex explains. “‘ It says, ‘ Everything is going to be OK, and it’s going to be really cool.’”

THE RIGHT FIT

Lex advises shoppers to embrace a little arts and crafts when customizing a lampshade. He encourages customers to either bring lamps in to Modilumi to match with the company’s hundreds of lampshades or hold a paper cutout of the shade they’re eyeing above their lamp at home. “Shape, size and proportion are so hard to simply imagine, so making a paper cutout really helps,” he says. “It’s such a visual thing— there’s no math formula.”

In addition to rockin’ shades, fi xtures and pendants, Modilumi offers lighting repair services and refurbishes antique lamps. But about two years ago, Lex and his team also began producing their own full lamps using sturdy materials like handspun metal and beautiful teak or walnut woods.

While the company’s products might be a price hike from bigbox store merchandise, Lex says Modilumi lamps are crafted with durable and elegant materials that can withstand decades of use— and won’t tip over if your cat accidentally sneaks too close. “We want our lamps and our shades to be around for generations, to be handed down, so quality is really important,” he says.

WHAT’S NEXT

Modilumi’s next project is to manufacture their own fi berglass lampshade material for a truly authentic option. “The material produced today is not the same as the material they used in the midcentury. It lacks the texture and depth that creates the unique visual interest vintage lampshades are known for,” Lex explains. “Our new fi berglass will be a much closer match and should be available this summer, and we’re very excited about it!”

MODILUMI’S PRODUCTS MORPH AND EVOLVE WEEKLY, BUT LEX SAYS HE DOES HIS BEST TO MAINTAIN THE OPTIMISTIC MIDCENTURY MODERN FEELING WITH EACH SHADE. HIS FAVORITE DESIGN IS ALWAYS THE ONE HE’S WORKING ON NEXT.

TOP LEFT: “OUR MOST POPULAR SHADES ARE REVERSE- PRINTED PATTERNS SUCH AS THIS TURQUOISE LAMPSHADE ( OUR BEST SELLER),” SAYS LEX. “OUR DIGITAL PRINTING PROCESS ALLOWS US TO USE DARKER BACKGROUND COLORS WITH LIGHT ACCENT COLORS THAT SPARKLE THROUGH THE FIBERGLASS MATERIAL, MUCH LIKE THE VINTAGE SCREEN- PRINTED PATTERNS THAT ARE NO LONGER PRODUCED.” TOP RIGHT: LEX OPENED MODILUMI’S FIRST PHYSICAL LOCATION IN ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA, ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS AGO, BUT THEIR ONLINE SALES HAVE BEEN THRIVING FOR FOUR YEARS. AND YOU CAN BUILD YOUR OWN DESIGN WITH THEIR INTERACTIVE WEBSITE. BELOW: IF YOU’RE LOOKING TO DESIGN YOUR OWN LAMP AND SHADE, LEX SAYS KEEP ONE HALF SIMPLE AND GET CREATIVE WITH THE OTHER HALF. THIS RUST- RED SHADE WILL POP IN A ROOM ON ITS OWN, BUT THE EYE- CATCHING METAL BASE ADDS AN EXTRA TOUCH OF INTRIGUE.