Authentage

Who is Authentage?

Authentage was founded in 2006 and makes lighting for indoors and outdoors. The lights are assembled by hand in its own workshop near Antwerp; the company is based in Wijnegem. Authentage describes itself with four concepts: Belgian design, handmade, made to measure and a patented candle effect.

The material is almost always brass, often cast. According to Authentage, brass withstands the most extreme weather conditions and does not rust, so the same lights can be used indoors and outdoors. The standard finishes are bronze, brushed nickel, chrome and polished brass with a golden sheen; polished nickel and brushed brass are available on request. Authentage also adapts shapes and sizes to order.

Which Authentage lights are there?

Some 60 lights, almost all in bronze and in a country style. Just under 40 of them cost more than €800, as this is handwork in solid metal. What you will find:

• Bellefeu: table lamps, wall lights, pendant lights and a floor lamp with LED candles, from one candle to eighteen. They are dimmable, and where the colour temperature is stated it is between 1800 and 2700 K, as warm as candlelight.
• Prefora: cylindrical brass lanterns and pendant lights, in bronze or brushed nickel, dimmable. There are versions for indoors (IP20) and for outdoors (IP43).
• Outdoor lighting: wall lights such as Balume, Elebase and Elégance, garden posts from the Vitrine line and ground spotlights from the Galed line, with IP23 to IP65.

What should you look out for with Authentage?

Atmosphere or task light. LED candles of 1800 to 2300 K give the warm, soft light of a candle, which suits a dining room or hallway. They are not made for reading or cooking; combine them with another light source for that. How colour temperature sets the mood is explained in choosing a colour temperature.

Outdoors: check the IP rating. The brass can withstand wind and weather, but the IP rating tells you how well the light keeps out water and dust. An outdoor wall light with IP23 belongs under a porch roof or canopy; a light with IP43 or IP44 can go on a façade, and the ground spotlights with IP65 sit in the border. More in outdoor lighting.

Lamp base or built-in. Most outdoor lights have an E27 or GU10 lamp base, into which you fit a bulb yourself. The Bellefeu lights and the Galed spotlights have built-in LEDs; the Prefora pendant lights work with a small G4 bulb.

Made to measure. If you want a different finish or size, Authentage can do that on request. In that case, ask about the delivery time in advance.