Light Restoration

A longtime designer creates one-of-a-kind chandeliers

If you can take your eyes off the case full of delectable treats at Amelie’s French Bakery for just a minute, look up. There you’ll find hanging from the NoDa spot’s rafters eclectic chandeliers made from rustic birdcages, pots and pans, and even lampshades. The pieces were designed and constructed by Amelie’s co-owner Brenda Ische. A longtime designer, Ische salvaged many of the oversize chandeliers while volunteering at the Habitat ReStore. The result: fifty-plus chandeliers ($800-$1,200), including one that Maya Angelou commissioned for her garden birthday party last year. “It’s about not seeing something for what it is, but for what it can be,” she says.