Take a look behind the scenes of Justice Design Group’s ceramic fixture creation process! We are proud to be the largest manufacturer of ceramic lighting in the United States. Through our comprehensive Form+Finish+Function story, Justice Design offers over 275 ceramic shapes, more than 40 finishes, and a range of indoor, outdoor, LED and ADA applications. All of our ceramic lighting is domestically manufactured in our Los Angeles factory. From the initial slip pouring to the final artisanal glaze, our ceramic fixtures are hand-cast and hand-finished by artisans – many with over 20 years of experience with ceramic – to the highest quality.
Justice Design has a slip-casting ceramic manufacturing process. Liquid ceramic, which is called slip, is poured into plaster molds and begins to solidify as moisture is absorbed into the molds. When enough moisture has been pulled into the mold and a clay body begins to form, excess slip is poured out, the mold is opened, and the clay body is removed, creating what is called greenware, or unfired clay.
Once the greenware is removed from the molds and given some time to dry, it is then taken to the Finishing Department where we remove the mold seamlines, smooth out the edges and, if needed, add texturing or carved designs. For some finish options, the texturing is meant to resemble natural materials like slate and travertine, as well as a faux concrete and hammered metals, like Hammered Bronze and Hammered Brass.
Once the final details are complete in the Finishing Department, the fixture is taken to the kiln where it is fired at up to 1800 degrees Fahrenheit for 12 hours. Fired ceramic from the kiln is called Bisque, which is ready to be installed in its natural form or can be painted at home as a fun DIY project! If you choose a finish from one of our 40+ hand-painted and hand-glazed options, the fired Bisque ceramic is then taken to our Paint Department. From glass-like glaze finishes to smooth and textured faux styles that emulate textures like marble and hammered metal, our artisans hand-finish each fixture to order.
Finished ceramic fixtures are taken to the assembly department for lamping. Most of our fixtures are available in dedicated or optional LED. After assembly, our fixtures go through a final check of the electrical and fixture quality. The fixtures are then packed and shipped en route to where they will become an integral part of the project’s design aesthetic.
– Sustainable and handmade
– Durable and stylish: will not rust or corrode in outdoor and wet environments
– Also offered in an optional marine-grade finish for coastal environment protection
– Many fixtures are Dark Sky compliant, and a range of Justice Design ceramic fixtures are now approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
