United Kingdom

Duncan McKean Money for Nothing, Lighting designer

Duncan McKean Biography – Duncan McKean Wiki

Duncan McKean is a lighting designer and owner of Albert & Edward, a lighting store in Whitstable, England. Duncan had a fascination for quirky old items from a very young age. As a child, he was always intrigued by the odds and ends in his grandad’s workshop. After he left school, he started an apprenticeship as a carpenter/joiner. He could buy his tools from a local boot fairs in Canterbury as the quality of steel and the workmanship on the tools was far superior. Whilst at these boot fairs, he started picking up old oil cans, wooden boxes and anything which caught his eye.

Duncan went onto university to study Interior Architecture and became Interior Designer for many years. He also became a design technology teacher. He started creating lighting from his collection of antiques in his dad’s workshop, which he made purely for his own pleasure but his partner encouraged me to sell some of the items and that is where it all began.

In 2017, Duncan gave up teaching to run his lighting and design business full time, creating unique pieces from a whole host of relics. He especially loves producing commissions for clients and preserving their memories in special ways. Upcycled lighting designers Albert & Edward have gone from selling at local fairs to selling at Greenwich Market, appearing on BBC 1 and Channel 4, and now supplying various retail outlets and shipping worldwide.

Duncan McKean Family

Is lighting designer Duncan McKean married? He is married with children, including his youngest son Nelson.

Duncan McKean Money for Nothing

Duncan McKean is a designer on BBC’s Money for Nothing. He got to be on the Show, “After meeting talented Ray Clarke at The Grand Designs show London 2019 who is Upcycler on the TV show Money for Nothing, he put my name forward to the production Team of the show. It was a sunny Wednesday when I received a phone call from the production team to arrange a Skype screening and interview with the idea of appearing on the show. I was welcomed to the Money for Nothing family by Jay Blades, Sarah Moore and the production team with items to Upcycle.”

On Working with Jay Blades:

“My first project for Jay was a relic of a stereo unit. When we started filming it was a hot day and I quickly realised that the task that I had taken on was a monster of a job, it turned more into a rebuild that an Upcycled project. The result was a steampunk Bluetooth stereo unit, and the result was so good that I got a hats off from Jay. My second project for Jay was two Technic records players which I promptly painted and illuminated in my own special way. Again, I got a hat off from the legendary Jay.”

On Working with Sarah Moore:

“Sarah Moore has presented me with several different projects for Upcycling. My first project for Sarah was a pair of 1960’s Glass Bobble lampshades. I turned these into two funky table lamps with colour changing LED bulbs inside and out. Sarah was so impressed with the result and these were quickly sold. My second project Sarah was a pair of candy twist chairs. I was perplexed to what I was going to do with them and my design skills where truly tested. I made a floor standard Lamp, and Sarah was utterly amazed.”

Duncan McKean Instagram

Duncan McKean’s Instagram is @albertandedward.