It all started when a two-toned lightbulb went off in his head…
The rustic-chic creations by Alan Shields may be a relatively new offering for Quebec’s interior design world, but the cowboy-hat-sporting lightsmith and ‘steampunk inventor’ couldn’t help but get noticed fast for his quirky, industrial-style works. When he’s not in his workshop, Shields scouts around for old pieces: pulleys and other industrial objects for his creations. He finds them at flea markets, estate sales or on the web.
Shields says he’s surprised by the attention his work has garnered in the past year. “It was just something I really enjoy doing,” he says. “It lets me tap into my creative side and I always wanted my own workshop… but before this took off, my cousin and I were planning on opening a restaurant in Mexico.”
Shields says he had “about 100 different jobs” before he began lighting up interiors with his creations last year. The easygoing inventor says he initially started tinkering with electronics at the age of seven in his father’s Radio Shack.
“My father was pretty handy, so I got the bug and started taking apart everything at home just to put it back together again,” he says. “It drove my parents nuts.”
Eventually, he created and patented a two-toned lightbulb in the early ’00s and that was it. The light switched on. After a few more bulbs, which naturally led to creating lamps, he founded AES Mobile Studios.
His two-toned lightbulbs alternate from white to amber light with the flick of a switch. But he’s is not limiting himself to lights; his line also includes custom-made coffee tables, furniture and shelving units, crafted from industrial components.
Creating for private and commercial projects, Shields is responsible for the renovated lighting behind the bars at the Commission des Liqueurs locations in Montreal, Granby, Boucherville and Sherbrooke, for example. He’s already lined up contracts for the new year with other restaurants and designers.
But Shields’ business is so new, he doesn’t yet have his own website. His products are currently available exclusively at Sueno in Boisbriand, Quebec or in an online photo gallery here.
