Some good clients of mine were buying a bolt-hole by the sea and wanted to commission some special lighting that was as beautiful and relaxing as their surroundings. They had space for seven wall lights and needed nine pendant shades for all the rooms and hallways. At the time of the commission I was only making wall lights in one size. The couple were very specific about the measurements they wanted, so I phoned my metal spinner to see if he could make a back plate to fit. In the meantime, the clients paid a couple of visits to the studio to decide which finish and colour they wanted for both the wall lights and pendant shades. This took a little while and involved the clients borrowing samples to take and try in situ. Once they'd decided on the textures and colour ways they wanted, the panels were made for the new back plates. This was a long process as the panels usually have to be made a couple of times before they are exactly the right size to fit the back plates. The clay shrinks at different rates and in different ways each time. It is much more difficult to get an exact size in clay than it is, for example, cutting sheet metal or wood. Initially I made one pendant shade with Chinese lantern texture in it and one wall light with the honesty panel in it. The couple collected these to check that they were the right texture, colour and size for the space. Once I got the 'OK' I went ahead and made the full commission. The couple then picked up the finished pieces and installed them in their holiday home. A couple of months later I was then lucky enough to be able to visit their home and photograph the work.