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.
Marylebone Antiques
Pair of Vintage Swedish Chrome Floor Lamps by Borens
£ 1,400
Sunnyside Antiques
Pair of Silver Candle Chambersticks
£ 68
O Keeffe Antiques
Florentine Polychrome Triple Arm Wall Lights
£ 1,450
O Keeffe Antiques
French Silver Plated 8 Light Chandelier
£ 675
O Keeffe Antiques
French Pair of Gilded Ribbon Wall Lights
£ 695
Debenham Antiques Ltd
Pair of Arts & Crafts 19th Century Brass Candlesticks
£ 895
Debenham Antiques Ltd
Pair of Arts & Crafts 19th Century Brass Candlesticks
£ 895
£ 1,495
Exhibit Antiques & Collectibles
Pair Antique Silver Edwardian Candle Sticks London 1903
£ 550
O Keeffe Antiques
French Tent & Waterfall Antique Chandelier
£ 3,750
Marylebone Antiques
Vintage Italian Ceramic Table Lamp by Aldo Londi for Bitossi
£ 450
O Keeffe Antiques
French Gilded Toleware Triple Light Hall Lantern
£ 875
Salisbury Antiques Centre
Ceramic Decorated Lamp
£ 180
Marylebone Antiques
Pair of Vintage Ceramic Table Lamps
£ 525
Marylebone Antiques
Vintage Ceramic Table Lamp
£ 220
O Keeffe Antiques
French Pair of Bronze Triple Arm Wall Lights
£ 2,450
artsncraftsfurniture
Jacobus Johannes Pieter Oud
POA
O Keeffe Antiques
French Polychrome Toleware 5 Light Chandelier
£ 595
CS & T Ornate Objects & Furniture
Pair of Vintage Brass Candle Holder Wall Sconces
£ 165
CS & T Ornate Objects & Furniture
Pair of Large Floor Standing Ceramic Floor Candle Holders
£ 295
Pair of Large Floor Standing Ceramic Floor Candle Holders
£ 295
CS & T Ornate Objects & Furniture
CS & T Ornate Objects & Furniture
Pair of Tall Wrought Iron Church Floor Candle Holders Gothic Style
£ 195
Pair of Tall Wrought Iron Church Floor Candle Holders Gothic Style
£ 195
CS & T Ornate Objects & Furniture
O Keeffe Antiques
French Set of 4 Gilded Antique Wall Lights
£ 895
CS & T Ornate Objects & Furniture
Pair of Art Deco Egytian Sphinx Table Lamps on Marble Base Dark Green Shades
£ 395
Pair of Art Deco Egytian Sphinx Table Lamps on Marble Base Dark Green Shades
£ 395
CS & T Ornate Objects & Furniture
Marylebone Antiques
Pair of Antique Oriental Style Ceramic Table Lamps
£ 525
In a Nutshell Antiques & Interiors Ltd
Antique Marble Table Lamp
£ 140
In a Nutshell Antiques & Interiors Ltd
Antique Chinoiserie Standard Lamp
£ 240
London City Antiques
Pair of Antique Victorian Quality Sheffield Plated Candelabras
£ 785
In a Nutshell Antiques & Interiors Ltd
Chrome Table Lamp c.1925
£ 125
O Keeffe Antiques
French Polychrome Toleware 8 Light Chandelier
£ 675
O Keeffe Antiques
French Gilded 4 Light Antique Chandelier
£ 795
Unique Antiques By Emma Jade
Fantastic Quality Antique Doulton Lambeth Victorian Oil Lamp
£ 925
Fantastic Quality Antique Doulton Lambeth Victorian Oil Lamp
£ 925
Unique Antiques By Emma Jade
O Keeffe Antiques
French Gilded Bronze 4 Light Antique Chandelier
£ 395
Marylebone Antiques
Antique French Gilt Bronze Table Lamp
£ 885
Georgian Antiques
Pair of Brass Steel & Painted Candlesticks Converted to Lamps
£ 600
O Keeffe Antiques
Italian Pair of Giltwood Antique Wall Lights
£ 1,450
Debenham Antiques Ltd
Large 20th Century Adjustable 5 Arm Chandelier
£ 1,195
O Keeffe Antiques
French Pair of Gilded Brass Wall Lights
£ 295
O Keeffe Antiques
French Gilded Bronze 5 Light Antique Chandelier
£ 475
Millers Antiques
1920s Brass Bankers Lamp
£ 350
£ 260
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?