Hollis Semi-Flush Ceiling Light - 5 Lights - Black Elstead

Hollis is a semi-flush ceiling light from Hinkley, distributed in Europe by Elstead Lighting. A short rod drops from a round ceiling canopy, and five flat black arms radiate from it; each ends in a globe of clear seeded glass held by a black band. The whole fitting is steel in a black finish.

Size and where to fit it

The light is 81.3 cm across and only 30.5 cm high. The manufacturer intends it for rooms with lower ceilings: take 30.5 cm off your ceiling height and you have the level of the bottom of the globes. Compare the 81 cm span with the width of the table, the bed or the free space beneath — in a small room the arms will come close to the walls.

At 4.2 kg it needs fixing into the structure on a suspended ceiling. It is a Class I fitting and must be connected to an earth conductor; supply voltage is 220–240 V.

Bulbs and light

Each globe holds an E14 socket, five in all, for bulbs of up to 40 W each. No bulbs are included — you need five, ideally candle-shaped, as they are visible from every side through the clear glass. Five sources spread across 81 cm light the whole room rather than one bright patch under the centre. With a dimmer in the circuit, the fitting works with dimmable bulbs.

Bathroom and other rooms

Hollis is rated IP44, meaning protection against splashing water from any direction, and the manufacturer designs it for bathrooms; it works just as well in a bedroom, dining room or living room. The globes on arms refer back to the mid-20th century, hence the vintage style. The Hollis collection also includes this fitting in heritage brass (HK-HOLLIS-5-C-HB) and bathroom wall lights with one, two and three globes in clear or opal glass.