Gas lanterns’ soft light returning to entryways Once common around Charleston in the 1800s, gas lanterns are making a bit of a comeback. The flickering flames are popping up all over the Lowcountry, lending warm glows to everything from private residences and historic inns to modern hotels and new subdivision entrances. The lanterns, which [...]

Everything old becomes new again. There is no doubt about that. Sometimes it can be a regrettable thing and sometimes it’s much more pleasing. But sometimes, on rare occasions, something will come back into vogue that manages to transport the essence of what was wonderful about a time long gone, and bring it into [...]

“Light Bulb Moments” According to Jan Clouse, founder and president of Carolina Lanterns and Accessories, what homeowners were doing before she opened her business five years ago was the “equivalent of getting all dressed up in formal attire with their best jewelry and then slipping on loafers as they went out the door.” “It’s [...]

Some businesses are meant to be. When Charleston native Jan Clouse wanted to add the romance and charm of Charleston-style gas lights to her new lowcountry home, not one person in a half-dozen traditional lighting stores could help her. Clearly, this frustration meant one thing: A business opportunity. Within weeks, Clouse started Carolina Lanterns [...]