Handcrafted clay shades and bases paired with a modern silhouette makes our Abigail Lighting Collection a study in materiality that celebrates our hometown, Portland.

About Abigail

Inspired by the beauty of raw, natural clay, our Abigail Lighting Collection is a special collaboration between three Portland brands. Designed by Richard Koehler, the owner of FOLK, a Portland-based lighting and home goods company—each clay component is skillfully hand-thrown and finished at Mudshark Studios, a local ceramic studio. From there, Abigail is engineered by our team with the pieces hand-assembled by the expert craftspeople at our Portland factory. Featuring four distinct styles—a pendant, wall light, semi-flush mount, and table lamp—Abigail adds an elevated, organic look and warm, welcoming glow to any space.

Our Abigail Pendants look great in multiples, especially over kitchen islands where they add focused, downward illumination.

One of our favorite collections to date—and one that stands out among our lighting collections—what makes the Abigail Collection unique is the fact that ceramics are an uncommon material for shades. And it’s even more rare for ceramic shades to be left unglazed. “I find it adds a natural materiality to something that is typically painted metal. It creates the warmth you get with something natural, like wood, but in shapes that are only possible with clay,” explains Koehler. For Abigail, the result is a series of shades and bases that showcase the beautiful rich and deep texture that is inherent to stoneware when fired without a glaze.

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The first step in creating the Abigail shades and bases is pouring the clay. Clay is poured into ceramic molds unique to each shade shape and size.

BlogUpdate_Abigail4 Joining the two halves of the soft cone shade.

To further play up the textural details of the clay, Koehler chose soft, simple shapes—organic designs that will never go out of style. For the Abigail Ball and Soft Cone Pendants, the shade starts out as two clay halves, which the ceramicists at Mudshark Studios join on a wheel, hand trim, and then finish to expose the rich clay aggregate and color within the form.

BlogUpdate_Abigail5 Each shade is hand trimmed by ceramicists at Mudshark Studios.

The malleability of clay means it can be a delicate material to work with, so understanding its limitations was paramount to bringing the collection to life. Abigail combines the engineered precision of a hydraulic press with the process of hand-thrown ceramics—a vision Koehler and Mudshark worked closely together on to achieve. “At the heart of the design is its ability to make natural stoneware look effortlessly precise combined with the marks and finish of something handmade,” says Koehler.

The process of joining two halves is the same for the base of the Abigail Ball Table Lamp, which features a sleek, round clay base topped with an elegant, white linen shade. It’s perfect for bedsides or as an additional source of support lighting in your kitchen or dining room.

Depending on the fixture style, Abigail is available in four, earthy unglazed finishes that add an elevated, natural feel to any interior. Unglazed Vanilla, a warm cream, and Unglazed Toast, a vibrant, reddish terracotta, complement solid white oak furniture and leather upholstered pieces. While Unglazed Chocolate, a beautiful, muted brown and classic matte Black Glaze add a textural dimension when paired with walnut furniture—and other earthy tones like the dark green and navy blue of kitchen cabinetry.

Abigail features a variety of fixture styles, making the collection a great way to add layers of light—from overhead to support lighting—and a cohesive look throughout your home.

Customizing Your Abigail

Since the Abigail Lighting Collection is assembled to order by hand at our Portland, Oregon factory, you can create a customized look for your light. The shades of our Abigail Pendant come in a range of sizes, from six inches up to 15 inches—and four different shade shapes: cone, soft cone, cylinder, or ball. And pendant lengths are customizable, so it’s easy to configure the drop of your light to fit the specifications of the spot where it will hang.

Our Abigail Sconce is also customizable. The metal arm and backplate are available in two unique finishes: our best-selling Oil-Rubbed Bronze or cool and sophisticated Tumbled Steel. For your sconce shade, you can choose between three shade colors and three elegant shapes.

Start customizing your Abigail today—and if you need help, get free one-on-one advice from our Design Crew.