History

Living in Avignon in the South of France, Jeff is inspired by dramatic night-time scenes created by exterior lighting cast onto classical French architecture. He creates specialist online shop Adorable Eclairage and begins supplying high-end exterior lighting to private residences and châteaux across France and Switzerland.

Jeff seeks British handcrafted luminaires and a full collection of indoor lights to add to his offering. As he shifts focus to collaborating with British artisans, he connects with master craftsman Gwyn Carless and launches the GCD collection.

Jeff and his family return to settle in the north west of England. The Light Yard is founded as an online store focused on delivering exceptional service, trust, integrity and the one-to-one customer relationship experience.

Working with a handful of select producers, The Light Yard grows its reputation for supplying handcrafted high-quality outdoor lighting. Jeff and Gwyn experiment with traditional Edison filament light bulbs, leading to an all new collection of luminaires. The Alchemist Collection is launched in March 2015 at the Hotel Design Summit London.

The Light Yard showroom officially opens in Leigh, Greater Manchester, its integrated Luxone automation system providing an immersive experience of sound and light. An interior and exterior lighting design service is also launched.

Due to increased demand, production of the GCD collection relocates to a new 1400 sq-ft red-brick industrial unit in Chesterfield, as Gwyn and the team build in new efficiencies which will streamline the manufacture and shipping process for quicker delivery to clients.

Positioning the business for ongoing growth, Jeff and Gwyn re-envision the brand identity in order to underscore the company’s artisanal offering and unique business model. Now Gwyn Carless at The Light Yard, all lighting is produced exclusively through Gwyn’s Chesterfield studio.

In light of the Covid 19 pandemic, the long term stability and growth of the business was assessed and the decision was made to close the Greater Manchester based showroom. This move allowed Gwyn and Jeff to retain all their staff and supplier contracts and to keep the workshop fully operational. Investment in website development was increased to create a seamless online retail experience for visitors. 

With the cancellation of this years RHS Chelsea Flower Show, more time and effort was freed up to focus on new designs and product ranges for the Winter of 2020/21