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.
O Keeffe Antiques
Italian 18 Light Gilded Bronze Antique Chandelier
£ 7,950
O Keeffe Antiques
Italian Giltwood Single Light Antique Plaffonier
£ 595
JMR Antiques Ltd
19th Century Spanish Blue & White Table Lamp
£ 795
Jonathan Green Antiques Ltd
Antique Victorian Silver Chamberstick - London 1854
£ 700
JMR Antiques Ltd
19th Century Japanese Export Imari Lamp
£ 795
London City Antiques
Large Pair of Antique 19th Century Chinese Porcelain Vase Lamps
£ 3,495
Large Pair of Antique 19th Century Chinese Porcelain Vase Lamps
£ 3,495
London City Antiques
Whites Antiques
Late 19th Century Zinc & Tole Hanging Lantern
£ 650
O Keeffe Antiques
French Pair of Gilded 12 Light Chandeliers
£ 2,450
William Rand Antiques
Large Old Sheffield Plate Chamberstick
£ 155
£ 530
Marylebone Antiques
Pair of Vintage Swedish Leather Bound Floor Lamps
£ 1,650
Marylebone Antiques
Pair of Vintage Swedish Leather Bound Table Lamps
£ 525
Church Street Antiques
Edwardian Mahogany & Brass Canterbury Standard Lamp
£ 1,350
O Keeffe Antiques
French Pair of Crystal Triple Arm Antique Wall Lights
£ 695
Roger Grimes Antiques
Metal Hall Lantern
£ 195
O Keeffe Antiques
French Gilded Bronze 8 Light Antique Chandelier
£ 2,650
The Gentleman Terrier
A Pair of Medium Brass Spiral Candlesticks, Aesthetic ? 19th Century
£ 68
Robert Bush Antiques
Pair of Antique Edwardian Sterling Silver Chambersticks 1908
£ 1,295
Salisbury Antiques Centre
6 Branch Brass Chandelier
£ 375
£ 1,495
Loveday Antiques
Fine Pair of Maison Jansen Mid Century Chandeliers After a Design Attributed to Andre Arbus
£ 4,600
Fine Pair of Maison Jansen Mid Century Chandeliers After a Design Attributed to Andre Arbus
£ 4,600
Loveday Antiques
Piers Rankin Silver Antiques
Decorative Pair of Victorian Silver Plated Candlesticks
£ 225
Town House Traders Ltd
Antique Oriental Chinese Carved Floor Lamp
£ 275
O Keeffe Antiques
French Gilded Bronze 6 Light Antique Chandelier
£ 795
Kernow Furniture
Painted Standard Lamp
£ 225
Piers Rankin Silver Antiques
Pair of George II Style Garrard & Co Silver Candlesticks
£ 1,350
Pair of George II Style Garrard & Co Silver Candlesticks
£ 1,350
Piers Rankin Silver Antiques
O Keeffe Antiques
French Gilded 4 Light Birdcage Chandelier
£ 395
Antiques & Chic
Car Showroom Industrial 1920s Tripod Light
£ 950
Robert Bush Antiques
Antique Victorian Sterling Silver 'Leaf & Bird' Chamberstick 1841
£ 595
William Rand Antiques
Stunning Art Nouveau & Copper Chandelier
£ 900
Jonathan Green Antiques Ltd
Pair of Victorian Silver Candlesticks - Sheffield 1897
£ 500
Marylebone Antiques
1960s Pair of Vintage Brass Desk / Table Lamps
£ 575
William Rand Antiques
Pair of Victorian Brass Candlesticks, Hunting Scenes
£ 115
Collectaline
Oil Tallow Lamp in the Form of a Hand
£ 75
Hingstons Antiques
Edwardian Bronze Mazarin Chandelier
£ 1,650
O Keeffe Antiques
French Gilded Mazarin 6 Light Antique Chandelier
£ 1,450
O Keeffe Antiques
French Pair Of Gilded Twin Arm Wall Lights
£ 375
William Rand Antiques
Pair of Victorian Solid Silver Candlesticks
£ 295
Georgian Antiques
Pair of Converted Victorian Oil Lamps
£ 900
Church Street Antiques
Victorian Style Students Desk Lamp
£ 350
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?