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.
Church Street Antiques
Art Deco Multi Coloured Cinema Wall Light
£ 145
Whites Antiques
Art Deco Torchère Uplighter Lamp with Petal Bowl Shaped Top
£ 640
O Keeffe Antiques
French Gilded Bronze 12 Light Candle Chandelier
£ 1,950
artsncraftsfurniture
Guild of Handicrafts Wall Light
£ 100
Alain Michel Antiques
Pair of Sconces - 19th Century
€ 550
Georgian Antiques
Pair of William IV Lamps
£ 1,200
Georgian Antiques
Pair of Adam Style Lamps
£ 900
O Keeffe Antiques
French Pair of Gilded Twin Arm Wall Lights
£ 395
Hingstons Antiques
Pair of Dutch Brass Chandeliers
£ 1,600
Georgian Antiques
Pair of Cast Bronze Lamps
£ 800
In a Nutshell Antiques & Interiors Ltd
Antique Silver Plated Column Table Lamp
£ 195
O Keeffe Antiques
French Small Bronze 6 Light Antique Chandelier
£ 395
Marylebone Antiques
Pair of Vintage Italian Brass & Glass Table Lamps
£ 1,650
Marylebone Antiques
Vintage Murano Glass Mushroom Lamp by Peil & Putzler
£ 495
Witch Antiques
Pair of Brass Candlesticks
£ 128
£ 400
Vintage World
Stunning Five Arm French Vintage Brass Candelabra
£ 149
Vintage World
Amazing Five Arm French Vintage Brass Candelabra
£ 199
Vintage World
Amazing Six Arm French Vintage Brass Candelabra
£ 249
Vintage World
Amazing Five Arm French Vintage Brass Candelabra
£ 149
O Keeffe Antiques
French Gilded Bronze 8 Light Antique Chandelier
£ 3,950
Vintage World
Stunning Five Arm French Vintage Brass Candelabra
£ 199
Vintage World
Five Arm French Vintage Brass Candelabra
£ 149
Vintage World
Stunning Three Arm French Vintage Candelabra
£ 149
£ 199
£ 199
Vintage World
Carved Five Arm French Vintage Brass Candelabra
£ 149
£ 199
£ 199
£ 199
£ 199
Vintage World
Stunning Five Arm French Vintage Brass Candelabra
£ 149
Vintage World
Five Arm French Vintage Brass Candelabra
£ 149
Vintage World
Pair of French Vintage Candle Holders
£ 69
Newark Antiques and Interiors Ltd
George III Silver Candlesticks by John Parsons & Co
£ 2,880
George III Silver Candlesticks by John Parsons & Co
£ 2,880
Newark Antiques and Interiors Ltd
Vintage World
Vintage Pair of French Brass Candelabras
£ 119
Koos Limburg Jnr
Beautiful Pair of Metal Original Patinated Table Lamps c.1900
£ 875
Graham Smith Antiques Ltd
Late 19th Century / Early 20th Century Brass Table Lamp
£ 380
Vintage World
Three Arm French Vintage Brass Candelabra
£ 99
Vintage World
Stunning Five Arm French Vintage Brass Candelabra
£ 79
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?