Ralphie
FOUNDER 2005 - 2019

Ralphie is Rach and Kev's beloved Jack Russell Terrier.

Ralphie’s role started at the very beginning - apart from being the inspiration for the name! he always provided much-needed support along the way... His personal characteristics - Being way too cool for school... knowing his own mind... stubborn about doing things right... and wise beyond his years, provided the business with the core values it prides itself on today! He was always far too busy to be too involved in the day to day running of Mr Ralph - But rest assured he helped in all the key decisions, and you can trust that he knew far more than anyone else around here.

He was 14 years of age when he passed and was very spoilt, none of us will ever forget him.

9 times out of 10 we will ship items the day after you purchase them. Yay!
However, please allow 7 days for us to dispatch them as every now and then we experience massive demand which puts pressure on our incredible warehouse team.

Unfortunately we can't guarantee delivery times from 3rd party couriers but usually you will have your package within a week. It is often quicker than this if you in a main centre.

Like every company importing product into NZ we are being tested with shipping delays. We update our due dates as soon as we know them. Whilst in the current climate they sometimes change, we will keep you informed if you have pre-ordered an out of stock item.

Our LED bulbs are rated to last 15,000 hrs. Depending on how much use they get, you could get 10 years use.

LED bulbs generally won't fail suddenly like older generation filament bulbs but will slowly degrade over time.

Like any electronic product, a small percentage of bulbs fail before they are meant to. This usually occurs soon after purchase. If you feel an LED bulb has failed prematurely please return it to us and we will happily replace it.

This is subjective and is the reason we allow our customers to select their own bulbs to fit in our products. On each of our product listings we recommend a bulb that we think suits it, though you can choose a different bulb if you wish.

We generally recommend a 6 Watt LED for most of our decorative fittings. These come in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit your taste. 6 Watts gives a good amount of light for general tasks but won’t cause discomfort if viewed directly. If you require more light, we have a selection of 12 Watt LED bulbs but these can be a bit harsh on the eyes if they are exposed (in a glass shade for example).

If you are using a light for mood lighting we suggest installing a Vintage Edison Filament bulb. These look beautiful but don’t produce as much light and use more power (generally around 40 watts) than LED lights. They also generally have a shorter lifespan.

To check out our journal post on bulbs, click here.

Each of our products will give out different levels of light depending on their configuration.

A clear glass shade will disperse the light from a bulb in all directions. This also means you can directly see the bulb so could cause discomfort if you use a high wattage bulb. 

A metal or opaque shade will usually reflect and push light downwards. Be aware that some of our Black metal shades are also black inside and this will absorb light.

If you require a lot of light dispersed in a room one of our Opal glass shades is a good option. A very high wattage bulb can be used and the light will be diffused through the Opal glass so isn’t harsh on the eyes.

To check out our journal post on bulbs, please click here.

We pride ourselves on delivering great product at reasonable prices in an efficient manner. We are processing more and more orders at Mr Ralph every day and we are sorry that we don’t have the resources to allow partial payments or deposits.

We do accept PayPal and Afterpay at checkout to ease the pain on your credit card.

Some of our pendants are supplied as a shade and fittings. Whilst the shade may be out of stock we generally try to hold enough fittings of various styles and colours at all times. If the shade is out of stock we will endeavour to send you the fittings so your electrician can install them. Then when the shade arrives you can screw it on yourself.

If you require the fittings to be sent before an out of stock item is ready, please make a note on your order or contact us at info@mrralph.co.nz or 0800 677 2574.

If you are in the building industry, an electrician, designer or a developer go to our trade section of the website and fill out the form. This will then be approved by our trade manager. If you have any questions please contact our trade manager Nic at nic@mrralph.co.nz or 0800 677 2574.

We do our very best to keep our prices low and we don’t have sales so you can be sure you are getting a good deal everyday. If you are in the building trade and are considering buying in volume, you can apply for a trade account.

We might need to learn a little more about you! Please contact our team. Alternatively come in to our Gordonton Studioand we would love to help you.

We source our products from all over the world including right here in New Zealand. Most of our hand blown glass is designed by us and directly sourced from China. We have been working with our friend Joe in Shenzhen for many years now. Our Pott lighting range comes from Spain and NUD from Sweden. The Rattan is Balinese where we also design most of it ourselves and work closely with a local supplier. We source our outdoor lights from the UK. We're also expecting a few new arrivals from India any day now...

Maker Studio and Lighting Studio are two of our New Zealand suppliers who we love to promote and work with.

Hmmm, it depends. Many of our fittings fit with many of our shades but if it isn’t a combination that is listed on the website there may be a reason why.

If you have any queries about specific requirements we always love hearing from you. Please contact us at info@mrralph.co.nz or 0800 677 2574.

A ‘standard’ ceiling height of 2.4m doesn’t allow you to hang a large pendant light and still have clearance underneath it to walk under. Whilst fixing a shade directly to the ceiling can work there are a couple of situations where you can hang lights a little lower. Over a kitchen bench we suggest hanging anywhere above 900mm higher than the bench (or 1800mm off the floor). Over a dining table you can even go a little lower (1700mm from the floor) as it is very unlikely anyone is going to bump their heads on it. Anywhere that people have to walk directly under a light it should be hung above 2m.

Generally, with a 2.4m stud you will need a light that is wider rather than higher.

These are just guidelines and some rules are meant to be broken!

We find if you are clustering lights together it generally works better to use odd numbers unless you are using more than 7 lights where it doesn’t matter as much. Clustering lights is a bit of an art form, and we're currently working on a blog post that should help with any questions you may have. Watch this space!

Nope. The 3 pendants over an island bench has been a staple for a long time now but we have seen many customers use 2 oversized pendants to great effect. A single linear light is also becoming popular. This can also allow a bigger statement piece over a dining table that doesn’t compete with it.

As a general rule, 1800mm from the floor over a kitchen bench and 1700mm over a dining table. These are just guidelines though and can be broken.

To check out our journal post on hanging heights, please click here.

Maybe but we can’t guarantee it. Most of our shades that take our range of fittings have a 40mm hole so if you have an existing fitting that fits in a 40mm hole you could try it.

We don't generally sell shades without fittings so you will need to contact us to discuss your requirements.

Use one of our multiple outlet ceiling roses where the existing cable is. Loop the wires to hooks in the ceiling where you want your pendants to hang. Check out our accessories for a product that may solve your challenge.

Bathrooms and wet areas have rules governing what lights you can place where.

As a very general rule if a light is within 600mm of a sink tap, a bath or shower it needs to be IP rated. Our only IP rated lights are in our outdoor range. All our indoor lights are NOT IP rated.

Check out our article on Bathrooms here.

Short answer - no. Our indoor lights are not IP rated which means they don’t have protection or certification to be used in an area where they may be subjected to the elements.

Almost all of our lights require earthing as they contain metal elements and are NOT double insulated. If you have space in your ceiling the best option is to get your electrician to install an earth wire. This isn’t always possible so we sell a double insulated kit with a double insulated ceiling rose and plastic fittings. These aren’t quite as pretty as our normal fittings but can help in this situation.

We have heard of electricians converting our lights to 12 volts so they can be used in bathroom zones they would normally not be able to be used in. This requires a 12v transformer being fitted in the ceiling or behind the switch and using a 12 volt bulb. We don’t stock 12 Volt LED bulbs but they can be found online.

You should discuss this with your electrician.

We pride ourselves on our helpful service. Please contact us at info@mrralph.co.nz or 0800 677 2574 if you have any questions at all. We look forward to hearing from you!