I'm sure Howard is trying to bring back his business since his brother passed (may he rest in pieces, he was very troubled man). I hope his record keeping is improving. After more than a year of nothing being done to our lamp, we find out about Howard's brother. We got an apology about the delay and a date when the work would be done. There was more time than expected for a call from Ensler that the work was finally done. I had enough and decided to personally confront Howard and demand the lamp back. Come to find out, he lost the tag and I had to describe the lamp for Howard to find the damn thing. Work was not finished. Again I gave him another chance to make good and when I finally got the finished lamp, I expected a break on the charge for the huge hassle. Not to be and I was not even going to suggest it. I wish Howard luck but not with my business ever again. read more

I am extremely pleased with the repairs Ed did on the 5 lamps that I brought in. He went above and beyond in every way (ordered special parts without complaint, came up with creative solutions, charged me great price, etc) and I walked away feeling super lucky that I found this place. Thank you Ed, I am now a loyal customer for life! read more

Ensler Lighting on Solano Avenue is absolutely essential for anyone with older or unique light fixtures. They have the parts in stock and the skills to diagnose and repair virtually any problem. The new kid on the block, Tyler, is maintaining the high quality tradition of this venerable store. Can't say enough good about the experience. read more

This is a wonderful independent lighting and repair store. You can tell how much they care about what they do. Beautiful collection of lamps, shades and unique fixtures. read more

A lot of hard to find items and helpful staff. I like seeing a lot of the vintage designs and it's helped a lot in matching things to my 50's decor. read more

I came here seeking an outdoor light fixture for my front porch. Tyler was very helpful and spent time with me until I found one that I liked. This place has some reasonably priced and unusual salvage fixtures. I ended up with an interesting vintage globe, which looks great (and probably cost me less than a piece of modern crap from a big box store.) Buy local! read more

It doesn't get any better than this for customer service. Today I stopped in with a lamp that needed to be fixed. I walked out about 5 minutes later with a working lamp and just $8 lighter. Howard could not have been more attentive and helpful. I had shopped here when his brother ran the store and the difference is huge. If you have not been in since Howard took over it is certainly worth a visit. Refurbish a lamp or choose a new shade - he will even order something if you can't find what you want in stock. If more business had this old fashioned attention to customers we would all be happier shoppers. read more

Well, I brought a little lamp in to be rewired and I'm thrilled with the result. Howard helped me choose a shade that 's perfect for it. I had prompt, polite service and for that I'm grateful...I did have a run-in with the last fellow, and whoa! I'm happy to have the opportunity to give my business to Howard. read more

Ensler Lighting repaired a hard-to-repair vintage floor lamp for me and did an excellent job.

The guys at Ensler lighting were friendly, knowledgeable, and fixed my Pottery Barn designer lamp for a reasonable price. When the lamp turned out to take less time than quoted to be fixed, they charged me only for the time it took. That was very honest and good of them. I would definitely go to them again. read more

Someone had given me a really nice brass halogen desk lamp that didn't work and I wanted to know if it was worth fixing. A friend told me about Ensler. I brought it in, they checked it out and told me approximately how much & when. Both sounded OK. I picked up today and for a mere $50 - I got a cool lamp fixed; some great advice on caring for the lamp; ideas for a shade for different lamp -- and I was thoroughly entertained in the process. Such a deal... read more

New owner Howard was very helpful and instantly found the right replacement part for my antique lamp. They fixed it while I waited and took about 15 minutes. I was also pleasantly surprised at the low cost of the repair. They know their stuff, and I would highly recommend them for lamp repair. They are a long-standing local Berkeley business with excellent service, so deserve our continued support. I wish their opening hours were longer, though. Hint: Call ahead before going there to check if they're open. Their hours can be a little flexible, apparently. read more

Took in my vintage lamp when it stopped working and had it back home within the hour, good as new. Immediate and personal service from the owner, no less! Howard had everything he needed to repair it in stock and even threw in 4 new light bulbs! Highly recommend this family business. read more

Old, established Berkeley business. The owner went out of his way to help my mother with the lamp she had brought in for repair. He obviously cares about his business, meaning that this is the place you probably want to take your lamp. A lot of nice lamps in the store as well, should you be in the market for one. read more

Recently inherited an old, bronze desk lamp with frayed wiring. Attempted to replace the wiring myself, resulting in one tripped circuit and the pleasant aroma of burnt wiring. Took the lamp to Ensler, were it was promptly rewired and Howard recommended the proper light bulb (existing bulb was not well suited for the lamp). read more

I brought in 2 lamps that needed new wiring. They told me it would take them about 2 weeks, but then I got a call the same day telling me they were done! Price was very reasonable. read more

What?!?! Can't find that vintage lamp part at Home Depot?? Well maybe try this place. Cool store, staff know what they're talking about, and they carry all sorts of hard to find parts. Highly recommended! read more

Great place for lamp parts and lamp repair. He sent me to an online store for what he couldn't offer me at a competitive price.

Top notch service. Very, very accomodating staff/owner. This kind of service is unheard of these days. If you are looking for a shade for an existing lamp, bring the entire lamp in. Picking out a new shade invoves many esthetic judgments, and these require seeing the entire thing at once. read more

It's great to find a lamp repair shop that is reasonably priced, fast, and with a friendly and helpful staff. I brought in a table lamp that belonged to my grandmother and hadn't worked for years. The owner went over options for switches and cords with me, and when I came back to pick up the fixed lamp 3 days later, helped me choose a great shade. read more

Friendly and helpful staff counteract the crowded space to make this shop a good option for creating and repairing home lighting. The selection of lamp shades and stands is extensive, so if you have an old lamp that needs for stylistic updating, you'll surely find something here that meets your needs. read more

I love a family owned business! Ed and Ro are a dynamite pair. Wish the shop were closer to home!

It is so satisfying to enter a store with a glass shade and be allowed the opportunity to dig through parts, piecing together the perfect sconce. Eight years I searched for this glass shade, not knowing what it was I was looking for. Ensler Lighting is a special resource that brought it together for less money than what I saw on line. read more

Needed to replace some lamp shades and this place has the best selection. I found this shop very helpful and a great find! I had a special size shade for an old art deco floor lamp and he even gave me a source to contact to have one made. Great customer service. read more

Dropped off my product display light for repair yesterday. Wow! Got a call today that it's fixed and ready to pick up. I'm impressed. Fast and efficient, all done within 24 hours. Great customer service! read more

I love finding a repair shop where they really understand why you are even bothering to spend time, thought, and money on an old, broken item. This is the spot for your perfect, though non-functioning, lamp. Reasonable, fast, incredible selection of shades. Didn't blink an eye when I said, yes, I want to retain the old chipped (beautiful) finish. Also helpful advice about bulb and shade shapes and sizes, though I wasn't purchasing a bulb or shade. Nice people. (Added on 3-17-13:) I just checked my review and was surprised to see some negative ones in the past. They seemed to be about the behavior of Howard, the previous owner. The new owner is Ed Mahl, who is the person who helped me. read more

A friend had given me a gorgeous semi-flush mount pendant that wasn't going to work for my dining room, as it needed to be extended. I know nothing about lighting but thought I'd stop by Ensler and see if they would be able to do anything. From the moment I walked in, I knew I was in good hands. Ro first examined it and then brought Ed over to get his thoughts. They went over with me what they were going to do, discussed pricing, and told me it would be two weeks. It took less than two weeks, the pricing was less than I was told (and was very reasonable) and they were able to match the painted metal and keep the swivel in the lamp, both of which they had a concern about. They are the nicest guys! If you need to have any lighting fixtures fixed (or want to buy any lamps or shades), this is the place. read more

These guys are very helpful and patient and give great service to each of their customers. I know this because both times I went there were others before me. They maintain the quality of service one could have expected long ago before the retail world was overrun with the scourge of big box stores employed largely by under-qualified (and correspondingly under-paid) clerks most of whom who couldn't care less and it shows. If you need very conventional lamp parts you may be able to find them at a chain store, but don't count on getting good DIY advice. And if its anything out of the ordinary, then Ensler is the only game in town. And they won't rip you off. They will talk you out of spending more money in their store than you need to. These guys are gold. read more

There's nothing like a small neighborhood store. This is only the second time I've been in Ensler's though it's right down the block form my home. I will certainly return if the need ever arises.The service and quality of work here are superior. The owner saved me the money of going to an expensive lighting store and walked my husband and I through how to remove a bathroom light fixture so he could rewire it. I saved on an electrician and didn't require a new light. Today he charged me meter money ($1.00) to replace a switch that had broken off in my hand. I'm impressed and happy to have Enslers nearby. read more

Went in to order a custom lampshade. Worked with Ed Mahl, super nice, professional, and helpful man who ended up not even selling me the shade because he thought I would be happier with something ordered online. Told me if I didn't find what I was looking for to come back. Highly recommend Ed at Ensler - very honest guy. Thank you Ed! read more

Excellent and quick repair work on an antique light fixture -- went above and beyond what was quoted and replaced some wiring and a new screw to match the brass finish. Will return again with any future repair needs. read more

Wonderful family store. The owner is really friendly and knowledgeable. He has lots of unique pieces and it's worth coming in, even if you find the window too classic. He was very helpful in helping me choose the right shade. Best part is you have 2 weeks to try out your lamp at home for a full money return. Quality lamps, good prices and great service. read more

These guys rock! I have brought in vintage and contemporary light fixtures to be repaired or rewired. Very knowledgable staff, the shop has a stash of vintage and reproduction parts that can be considered for your fixture. Today I dropped off a a new lamp to be rewired....I explained what and why I needed it done a specific way. They took it apart right then and there and did the work. 15 minutes and $30.00 later, I am a very happy customer. read more

This is a great store. Reminds me of my granddad's jewelry store in Nebraska in the middle of the last century: worn wooden floors, casual atmosphere, excellent stock, friendly and competent repairs. Ed, the owner, is knowledgeable and alert. The 2 lamps I bought are great, exactly what I needed. And I saved a lot of money! The prices at this place are excellent. Great value. I recommend this place: top of the list! read more

This shop did a wonderful job repairing and restoring a floor lamp my husband inherited from his great grandfather. The shop owner also taught us how to clean and preserve the lamp, and helped us pick the perfect shade for it. It is so nice to be able to use the lamp in our home. Very reasonable price too. We couldn't be happier. read more

Like others who reviewed this store I, too, have had difficult experiences with the store in the past. Having seen the new owner's note, I decided to try once again, and was very pleased to find the owner both patient and helpful. As one who lives in this neighborhood, I think we should all give this store another chance. read more

Got there on a Sunday (called first to make sure they were open), with several lighting-related needs. I had some shades but not the actual lights as I should have had. Non-the-less, I got great service! both shades replaced and a tricky lighting situation resolved just from my own description - could not bring wall scones! He showed me several different options and explained the pro's and cons of each. And a little tutorial on the difference between products that looked the same to me at first. I came away with good shades and an elegant solution to a tricky problem. Customer service was excellent, very patient and thorough for a novice such as myself - it was the high point of my day! read more

I have gone to this place atleast 4 different occasions and was always pleased and overjoyed to have Mr. Ensler help me. Mr. Howard Ensler has helped me with some pretty complicated projects and loves to teach his customers all about the art of lamp building and will not sell you anything that you do not need....He has a wonderful assistant named Jorge who is also very pleasant and helpful....I highly recommend that you take your precious lamps to Ensler Lighting as they are the most resourceful, knowledgable, helpful and affordable lighting repair shop in the Bay Area. It's hard to find businesses that still operate the "old-school way", Mr. Ensler takes his time to show you hands-on how to properly put your lamp together and takes pride and joy in doing so....Kudos to Ensler Lighting, I love this place!!!!! read more

The owner of this store is excellent at fixing lamps but horrible at customer service. We brought in a lamp with a damaged lamp shade three months ago. After toaking to Howard we decided to order a new shade. We were told it would be 3-4 weeks. After 4 weeks I called and got the technician who said he couldn't help me but would have Howard call me back. Four phone calls and no return calls later, (despite repeated promises) my husband went in to the store (this is at 8 weeks); Howard said it would be ready in another ten days. Today I went in and Howard indicated he hadn't ordered it "yet". The store also does not keep the hours it has posted on the door. If you have indefinite patience and want an old lamp fixed, it's not bad. Also, he talks a blue streak and there are often incredibly long lines. read more

I had no idea there were so many kinds of lampshades in the world, let alone in one little store. Not just lampshades--they have all kinds of cool lighting options, and they'll help you figure out what you're looking for. Last time I was there I saw a gorgeous chandelier dripping with crystals--I mean, just jaw-dropping. It wasn't for sale--someone had brought it in for a repair, but I liked the idea that the person who helped me find a carved wooden musical bear lamp for my one-year old daughter had been entrusted with such a beautiful piece. I also like that the shop is locally-owned--dealing with folks who obviously love what they do makes for a pleasant experience. The owner, Ed, is definitely one of those people. read more