Like Lights is managed by Guerilla X who are passionate design junkies who love cool lamps & lighting.
We got into the lighting and design business when we started to renovate out own homes in 2009. Taking advantage of the network from our creative director Jonas [who has rich experience in Hardware supplies and co-own a factory in China], we got some really good lamps [mid-century styles then] at very reasonable prices 50% lower than local retailers.
This value lamps started to be the centre of conversations in house warming parties and Friends [Inspiring Entrepreneur in mid-life crisis, who decide to abandon their 9-5 jobs to open cafes & restaurants, LOL] start to purchase such lamps while saving loads of cash.
Since then, the cafe scene boom and each cafe is trying to outdo each other with fiercer decor and furnishing.
"Cafe and restaurants today are looking for unique and even customise fixtures which primarily outdo their peers while making it harder to copy"
With Vintage and Industrial theme growing in demand early 2013. We started buying parts out of China then and receive stocks from USA, UK, Germany and Australia. While we custom design some lamps with our Chinese factory.
Learning it the hard way, we had our design ripped off by the manufacturer and those lamps we custom or designed were sold cheaply on Taobao using lower quality materials.
"We realised that there is no copyrights laws nor design protection in China."
In early 2014, we rented a small space in China and started our assembly line. Buying wires, bulb holder and parts from local manufacturers and installing them later in our private space. This ensures the following:
1. Individual components complies to our requirement - CE, UL or ROHS standards.
Its harder to QC once lamps that was assembled, and its common that Chinese factory cut corners at parts that we can't see.
2. Design Protection
Now that we are buying parts from factory and off market. We do not show our drawing and specs to factory and thus they are not able to ripped off our designs "immediately". Sometimes, experts can pick up the details from just pictures and copy off proportions. That's why our lamps are only on Facebook & Instagram [banned in China]
3. Control of Lead-time
With parts and labour under our control, we are not at mercy of the factories to control the delivery process. We can get our lamps delivered 3-6weeks once deposit is collected.
Why do Commercial clients buy lamps from us?
We provide Consultation, Design & Customs for Cafes, Restaurants, Offices, Retails & Hotels project. If quantities are larger, we offer shorter lead-time, quality and unique designs that are not available along mainstream lighting shop.
"We are able to custom lamps exactly to your prefer theme, paint lamps to your cooperate color to complete the Branding image of your firm."
We have then expanded our client base from Singapore to Jakarta, Bandung, Kuala Lumpur, Perth, Adelaide, Guangzhou and HongKong.
"However, in reality and many cases, most F&B owners buy lamps very last minute"
Lucky for them, we indent 20% surplus for each orders to buffer for last minute additions, breakage, misplacement and theft of site. This means Home-owners and Smaller F&B establishment can purchase them once the principle client had handover and agreed that such design is allowed for public sales.
Do we sell to home owners?
The 20% spares had grew over the year and we realised that we need to get rid of them. With commercial orders growing, we need to sell the spares as fast as we can order. To ensure that we do not need to rent a larger warehouse we open our doors to home-owners.
"Home-owners looking for Odd end and unique lamps loves our Project Surplus. Earning bragging rights for having a one-off commercial duty lamps and a fraction of the cost of regular lighting shop!"
Also, we do stock some popular in stock, commonly requested by home owners. prices will be similar to project prices for these lamps while project surplus are price at project rates or possible markdown lower than cost to clear.
So just feel free to drop us a email guerillax@yahoo.com
or call Jonas 9698 4977
