As any interior designer knows light is one of the most important variables in any room. From the soft glow of a candle held in a simple brass candlestick, to a pair of carefully positioned wall lights, or a grand statement chandelier dangling from the ceiling, your choice of lighting really matters. Although there are many modern lights out there to choose from, Antique and vintage lamps offer unique designs you won’t find on the High Street as well as appealing age-worn finishes and colours. Indeed, with old lighting it is all about being bold and letting your instincts guide you to the best creative designs of the past. Often vintage desk lamps are mini sculptures themselves, so give them plenty of physical space in the room to let them shine (quite literally!)
While old electrical lighting can be the perfect solution to any space, due to deteriorating parts it is important to either buy from reputable dealers or get them professionally checked and rewired yourself. That is one reason why buying from our specialist Dealers is so beneficial (as unless otherwise stated) they do this hard work for you. Also rewiring rarely harms the overall value of an antique or vintage lamp, and usually enhances it instead.
At LoveAntiques we have an impressive selection of genuine antique and vintage lighting for all your needs.
£ 350
£ 495
O Keeffe Antiques
French Tent & Waterfall Antique Chandelier
£ 1,450
IMAGO Vintage Art
Antique SHS Samuel Heath & Sons Duplex Brass Oil Lamp
£ 245
£ 400
£ 1,495
O Keeffe Antiques
Italian Polychrome Antique Wall Sconces
£ 1,250
Wildwinds Antiques
Art & Crafts Newlyn Copper Candle Holder
£ 215
Marylebone Antiques
Vintage Teak & Brass Floor Lamp
£ 385
Marylebone Antiques
Pair of Swedish Vintage Brass Floor Lamps
£ 1,250
£ 625
£ 475
O Keeffe Antiques
Italian 8 Light Crystal Antique Chandelier
£ 2,350
In a Nutshell Antiques & Interiors Ltd
Large Thorlux Green Enamel Factory Pendant Light
£ 150
Rams Head Antiques
Pretty Brass Ships Gimbal Table Lamp
£ 365
£ 400
Rams Head Antiques
Victorian Oil Lamp
£ 345
Rams Head Antiques
Victorian Pink Glass Oil Lamp
£ 395
O Keeffe Antiques
French Pair of Giltwood Wall Lights
£ 695
Marylebone Antiques
Pair of Vintage Italian Brass Table Lamps
£ 1,250
Marylebone Antiques
Pair of Vintage Italian Murano Glass Table Lamps
£ 1,100
O Keeffe Antiques
French Pair of Gilded Triple Arm Wall Sconces
£ 595
Rams Head Antiques
Large Moonstone Opaline Glass Globe Light Jefferson Style
£ 485
Merchant House Antiques
Pair of Art Deco Candlesticks
£ 110
O Keeffe Antiques
French Empire Triple Light Antique Lantern
£ 695
Newark Antiques and Interiors Ltd
Polished Copper Port Ship’s Lantern by ‘Seahorse’
£ 565
Newark Antiques and Interiors Ltd
Bright Copper Starboard Ship’s Lantern by ‘Seahorse’
£ 565
Town House Traders Ltd
Brass Floor Standing Reading Lamp
£ 160
Salisbury Antiques Centre
Victorian Oil Lamp
£ 325
O Keeffe Antiques
French Pair of Gilded Antique Wall Lights
£ 475
Merchant House Antiques
Large Wrought Iron Gothic Style Candelabra
£ 245
Applecross Antiques
Pair of Antique English Victorian Brass & Glass Candle-Lamps
£ 985
Marylebone Antiques
Pair of Vintage Chrome, Marble & Acrylic Table Lamps
£ 1,100
Deviantik
Pair of “Apostle” Tonks Candlesticks
£ 99
Fernyhough Antiques Ltd
Pair of Corinthium Column Lamps
£ 695
Applecross Antiques
Pair of Antique English Georgian Brass Candlesticks
£ 245
O Keeffe Antiques
French Gilded & Crystal 8 Light Chandelier
£ 975
Church Street Antiques
Early 20thc Gilt Bronze Ceiling Fitting of Grand Proportions
Church Street Antiques
Pair of 1920s Chinoiserie Table Lamps
£ 1,250
O Keeffe Antiques
French Gilded Triple Light Convex Hall Lantern
£ 695
How to date antique brass candlesticks?
Antique candlesticks are a universally loved item and date back thousands of years. However because they are all quite similar and look the same shiny colour when cleaned, it is not always easy to know how old they are. The overall form of brass candlestick has varied quite a bit over time from wider domed bases and larger drip trays to slender neoclassical varieties with push-up sockets and square bases. However, since it is relatively easy to copy older designs (and plenty of people have) it is important to look at the condition and construction also. Up to the end of the 18th Century most candlesticks were hammered or cast but by the 19th century were being stamped or spun in sections. These older examples tend to use thicker brass and will be held together with hand cut screw threads and hand cut squared nuts. Since these items were used on a daily basis then you would also expect a good degree of wear and knocks as well.
Is antique lighting valuable?
As a highly practical accessory antique and vintage lighting can be quite valuable mostly ranging up to a few thousand UK Pounds. There are of course two reasons people purchase lights, one of which is for their aesthetic appeal, but the other is because some of the finest industrial designers of the past 100 years also chose to design lamps. These lamps can be fun and modern or clever and timeless but because they also remain highly practical they should prove to be good longer term investments.
Do old lamps need to be rewired?
As usable items old electric lamps are naturally far more valuable when they work. Whether the lamp is ultimately PAT tested with the old wiring or rewired does not affect the overall value of the lamp, but for piece-of-mind having the item rewired is always preferable. The reason is because these old lamps internally bear wires and holders which will have aged over time sometimes more substantially than is visually noticeable. The older rubber and threads covering the wires will have dried and cracked and the fixings in the holders may have come loose. Many were also made at a time of lower voltages and without an Earth. This is one reason why it is worth purchasing such items from a specialist as on LoveAntiques who will ensure your cool looking lamp is safe to use for decades to come.
How to choose an antique lamp?