Boulanger Counterbalance Floor Lamp
Materials: Black painted metal (iron) cross base. Black rod. Adjustable chrome rod with a counterweight. Chrome joint & handle. Adjustable black painted round lampshade with a cone on top. Painted white inside. Some metal parts. White painted Bakelite E27 socket.
Height: 105 cm / 41.33” – adjustable
Chrome Rod: 110 cm / 43.30”
Lampshade: ∅ 25 cm / 9.84”
Base: ∅ 50 cm / 19.68”
Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 75 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb with an E27 screw base can be used, not a specific one preferred.
Period: 1980s.
Designer: To be appraised.
Manufacturer: Les Ateliers Boulanger NV, Eedstraat 56, 1070 Anderlecht (Brussels). Martelarenlaan 155, 3010 Kessel-Lo, Belgium.
Other versions: This Boulanger counterbalance floor lamp exists also as a table lamp. Made in several variations.
S.A. Boulanger
S.A. Boulanger was founded in Anderlecht, Belgium in 1945. The company is famous for the large amount of lights it produced that were designed by Gaetano Sciolari. At some point in the 1980s the company changed their name in Les Ateliers Boulanger NV.
It has long been thought that they were two different companies, but that is because a trader from Liège, Belgium persisted that the lamps came from Herstal, near Liège.
In 1996 the company had 11 employees. The firm moved in 1998 to the Martelarenlaan 155 in 3010 Kessel-Lo, near Leuven. In the period 1995 – 2001 Jean-Philippe Spalart was the CEO. He did a feasibility study for the transfer of the company to China, Eastern Europe and Africa. Relocation of the manufacture in Zimbabwe.
Boulanger was specialised in metal processing and manufacturers high-end lamps and lighting fixtures. Les Ateliers Boulanger ended business in 2006.
Massive & Boulanger
Massive sold several Boulanger models over the years. The only difference is the typical Massive canopy/ceiling cap and some other parts.
Old text from the 1990s
“Boulanger sells mainly in the high-end lighting markets in Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg. The growing sales in the US and in South Africa are of growing importance to the company. Due to the highly competitive market, having product with a high added value is very important. The intelligent lamp is an important advantage, compared to our competitors, and will increase our market share in an important way.
The most important local competitors are Massive, a Belgian company, market leader in Europe (turnover of 100 MEUR), Deknudt at Deerlijk (turnover 2.5 MEUR) and some 10 other Belgian competitors of its own size. There is important competition from southern European and Asian competitors. The market share of Boulanger is only a few percent of the share of the Belgian companies. It is a small company with a turnover of about 300 k EURO.”
“Most Boulanger lamps are low voltage and halogen lamps (220V up to 300W or 12V up to 50W).
The products are sold to retail shops. In Belgium, about 300 retail shops sell its products. There are around 40 retail shops abroad: Luxembourg, Germany, France and South Africa.”
Many thanks to Christophe from STAT in Aalst, Belgium for the photos and enthusiasm.