The Lure Of Antique Lamp Shades

A beautiful antique table lamp or an ornamental antique lamp shade can really finish off the character and the style of the room you are redesigning. One of these elegant pieces of history can create a true period feel to any home, and make itself the outstanding feature of your design.


Kerosene Lamps
The first lamps used way back in the late 1700s burned whale oil or lard, and were being used in addition to candles. In the 1850s kerosene lamps were introduced and quickly became widespread. They were portable lamps, so could be carried about the house, which made them very useful. Although, at around the same time, gas was being piped into houses in larger cities for wall lighting, kerosene lamps were still used throughout the country in more rural areas right up until the 1930s.

Antique lamp shades have changed immensely over the course of time, from their early crude beginnings to the colourful intricate designs, more commonly associated with antique lights. The first shades used with oil and kerosene lamps were simple glass coverings, usually, in the shape of a vase that allowed air to the flame, but protected it from breezes. As time passed, the kerosene lamp shades were made taller and thinner. This effect pulled the flame towards the top of the lamp and made it shine brighter.


Electricity was introduced in the late 1800s and slowly began to take over from kerosene as the more modern type of lighting.

As electricity began to power more and more lamps, not only did the lamps give off a more soothing and softer light, the shades were less integral to the way the lamp worked. This meant that designers were able to produce shades in a variety of different shapes and sizes, and experiment with different styles and materials. The stained glass lamp shades associated with designers like Tiffany, really started to take lighting into new directions. No longer just a thing of necessity, a lamp became a thing of beauty. Considered status symbols and signs of wealth, more and more extravagant lamps were designed, with ever-increasing skill required by the craftsmen to make them.

With more people looking to the past for inspiration, when it comes to interior design, the antique lamp shade is one of the most desirable furnishings. To truly recreate the ambience of a particular period of history, it is the detail that makes it credible and sympathetic. A classic antique lamp shade in great condition can draw the components of a room together by re-creating the same tones and lighting onto furniture that it would have done in its heyday.

As any antique enthusiast will tell you, the careful inspection of the item is of paramount importance; that adage is never truer than when applied to antique lighting.

If you've got the period fireplace, and you've bought the antique furniture to fill a room, don't neglect the need for the correct lighting, and the exquisite addition, that an antique lamp will bring to your design. Just like the lamps themselves, the beauty of your home is in the detail.

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Antique Lamps – Style and Ambience

Light creates the ambience of your home, whether it is a modern award winning architectural building or a humble cottage. Getting the right lighting effect adds the final touch to your interior design plans and is worth considering at the outset of any new design, or redesign of your home.

Overhead interior lighting fixtures and fittings can be complimented and in fact, should be complimented – with a range of ‘occasional lighting', floor and table lamps.  Any home, whatever the style, needs just the right lighting effect to set off the furnishings and décor, not to mention it will turn your house into a home. Using antique lamps to create the finishing touch can work well in any home, modern or otherwise, creating a real feature and talking point.

Mixing and matching styles of furniture and decoration is a very old design trick.  In a very modern home antique piece works incredibly well, and fit naturally into period or traditional homes. By example, a visit to a Stately home will illustrate the effectiveness of mixing design eras for maximum impact.  Very few of these houses have an interior design scheme from just one period.

Victoriana mixes happily with Georgian features, Jacobean with 20th century.  Even a retro-phone next to a broadband router works surprisingly well!  While you shouldn't be afraid to go ahead and mix up your design periods, this approach should be handled with care!

Mixing styles can work particularly well in old houses, from country cottages to Georgian style manor houses.  Getting the feel right, however, is not straightforward. French Ormolu does not always fit in a suburban semi – it can, if handled well, but is not always quite the ‘look'!  Thinking about the house itself is important.

Old houses usually incorporate several historical periods of design already, and for this reason can be well suited to the eclectic mix and match approach.  More modern houses, be it a Victorian terrace or a thirties house may need a more careful approach.  If you are a ‘period' stylist, you may want to go to extremes and decorate this type of house with antiques and features from just one specific period.

In either case, getting the right finishing touches for your light fittings is important.  Victorian terraces or villas would traditionally have possessed gas lighting, and antique lamps that have been for converted for electric use are ideal for this type of home.

Having your electrician add a dimmer switch – not a difficult job itself – to the control will add a more authentic look.  Paraffin and oil lamps can also be sourced to add lighting details, again this type of antique lamp can be sourced that has been adapted to be used with electrical fittings – reducing the work and smell involved!

Antique shops and online traders can be found that specialise in various eras.  Iconic designs from the 60s and 70s such as the Lava lamp are still reproduce and widely available, as are feature vintage lamps from just about every style the 20th century has to offer

Choices, Choices, Choices.
Whatever type, or style of building you are making into your home, the details of your interior design will be important. Using antique lamps throughout the design, whether it is period or modernist can create a great visual impact, lighting your home in a subtle welcoming way.


Added to their beauty is the fact that antique lamps have an inbuilt value in them, making them an investment for the future as well as a unique and attractive design statement.

The range of available antique lamps is also extremely varied.  Popular designs include classic French designs, English and Japanese lamps, plus the vast range of Chinese porcelains.  Each of these styles is adaptable, but if you have a very modern design scheme, Japanese style is worth considering.  Despite their antiquety, the simplicity of some Japanese designs can appear to be startlingly modern.

Reassigned vases as table lamps are also popular, creating a functional and valuable lighting
addition to your interior design.  Prices can vary, so shop around until you have found the right ‘must have' finishing touch for your home.

Whatever style of design you have chosen to create your home, a feature antique lamp can set of your design in a subtle but beautiful way, creating just the right ambience for relaxing in
the welcoming light of home.

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Antique Lamps and Lamp Shades

Antique lamps are a timeless design classic that can suit just about any interior design scheme. Like other design classics, their appeal lies in not just their charm but their adaptability along with being entirely functional.

Lighting a house creates the finishing touch that turns it into a home.  Antique lamps are available in a wide range of designs and styles, from the classic Georgian styles, to Chinese and Japanese porcelains, or to the vintage designs of the 20th century.

Whatever style you choose, an antique lamp can complement your interior design and make
a thoughtful and unique gift.  Buying an antique lamp is one thing, but fitting the right lamp shade is another. This, however, can be a lot more tricky!

It is relatively easy to buy a lamp shade and many suppliers operate on the internet as well as from specialist shops. Sourcing specific styles is straightforward with specialist suppliers, with a huge variety of lamp shades to choose from.  But !, have you ever had the experience of buying a lamp shade, only to come home and fit the shade, only to find it is halfway down the lamp, or perched on the top of the lamp, looking utterly silly!
It is almost impossible to simply go out and buy a lamp shade and find it to be a perfect fit. My advice is to take the lamp base with you and if nobody minds, put every shade you like on the lamp until the right one appears!

However, after many years of antique lamps and lamp shades, I can confirm, that for the
perfect fit, a lamp shade, just like a garment, has to be made to measure. If you are seriously decorating, you will know that high end interior design demands careful attention to detail and that includes lamp shades.
For a wedding, birthday, or special occasion, an antique lamp can be the perfect gift for the right person. Of course, you need to be sure that the style and design is something they will appreciate, but for the right person they make a fantastic gift that will receive pride of place in their home.

For antique lovers, a lamp will be a well-received gift and if there home already contains
a strong antique theme, choosing a lamp to suit should be easy.  Antique lamps can also be good retirement gift.

Vintage ‘bankers' lamps for a home office or study are popular when it comes to this type of gift. A banker's lamp is instantly recognisable, with green glass and brass making visually attractive feature, providing a subtle relaxing background for reading or working on that novel that there was never time to complete before retirement!

Antique and vintage lamps come in a variety of styles and so do lamp shades, a lamp without
a shade, really is like the horse without the cart. The combination of a beautiful silk shade will make the most of the subtle ambience that lamplight has to offer.

For antique lamps, finding a suitable fabric to match the lamp will complete the look. It is worth remembering, that not all fabrics are "lamp shade friendly," with silk and linen being the most suitable.

Some specialists will offer a service that includes custom making the right shade for your chosen base. With the right fabric and a skilful shade maker – your lamp design will be complete.  For simple lamp designs a straightforward plain silk shade can't be beaten, while others will benefits from bold, coloured shades that set off the designs on the lamp itself.

Whether it is as a gift or a final touch to make your house your own, an antique lamp can
provide just the right detailing to your room. For lounges, drawing rooms and dining rooms, low level lighting creates a homely touch, and for landings and hallways, lamps create a welcoming feel.

Antique lamps don't just need to be placed in antique settings – although do work particularly well in period homes.  Mixing old and new furniture and accessories can work wonderfully well, creating stunning feature pieces and an eclectic look that gives a home a tasteful style that can be adapted to create a unique look.
Antique lamps have a sense of history and individuality, inbuilt, that will make your home stand out from the crowd and for the right person will make a perfect and thoughtful gift.

A stylish, chic and unique gift for weddings, retirement or that special person in your life, antique lamps make a great statement and would be the perfect present for many people looking to create a unique and individual look to their home.

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Antique and Vintage Lamps - Jewel like Glass

Whether it be a piece of art work, partitions, windows or lamps, stained glass are beautiful to look at with its carefully selected colorful glass.

Stained glass is one of those classic design features that never go out of fashion.  This type of glasswork enables artists to create some amazing and truly beautiful designs that will last for many years.  One effective way to incorporate stained glass into your interior designs is through antique lamps.

Stained Glass Antique Lamps
Stained glass antique lamps can be a wonderful addition to your home.  They represent items that are both beautiful and practical.  As well looking amazing in your rooms the soft light stained glass antique lamps produce is ideal for atmospheric lighting.   This can create some wonderful decorative highlights to your overall room design.

Tiffany Lamps
There are a number of excellent examples of stained glass antique lamps on the market.  Several stained glass designers have become very collectable over the years. This includes Frank Lloyd Wright known for his ‘mission' or ‘prairie' style stained glass creations.

Almost certainly the most famous designer of stained glass antique lamps is Louis Comfort Tiffany.  His designs mostly took their inspiration from nature and he created some beautiful stained glass lamp shades.  Tiffany stained glass antique lamps are very collectible and make stunning centrepieces to any room.  Some of these lamps are extremely valuable and can fetch millions of dollars at auction.  However you can get some very impressive replicas that are more cost effective if you are on a budget. If you are interested in these types of antique lamps then here are a few important facts to consider:

The most collectible stained glass lamps from the Tiffany range today are those featuring the nature scenes.  The most popular are the daffodil, water lily, dragonfly and cherry blossom motifs.

The cost of Tiffany lamps will depend on their condition, the rarity of the pattern and the colour (red pieces are amongst the most expensive).  Authentic lamps should have a small tag printed with ‘Tiffany Studios New York' and the number of the design on the shade itself. The lamp bases should also be engraved with Louis C. Tiffany Favrile or the initials LCT on the bottom. However there are a few authentic Tiffany Lamp Shades without this marker. This can be because the base has had to be replaced over the years.

Tiffany's parents were New York jewellers.  There is a definite element of the art of jewellery in his work with his trademark intricate designs and detailed finishes.

Tiffany was fascinated by the smooth flowing lines and organic shapes of the Art Nouveau movement.  He was also very travelled and found great inspiration in the traditional glassware of the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Middle East.

The popularity of Tiffany lamps has meant that there are now many replicas and forgeries on the market.  In fact so influential was Tiffany on this genre that ornate stained glass lamps are often referred to colloquially as ‘Tiffany Lamps'. You will need to know what you are looking for when buying to avoid making any costly mistakes.  There are some excellent replicas that make great additions to any room.  However you do need to know how to value these pieces accurately. Get as much help as possible from experts and only use professional dealers with a good reputation.

Tiffany stained glass antique lamps are renowned for their flawless attention to detail.  This level of perfection makes them easier to distinguish from the inferior replicas.

Tiffany lamps are beautiful as decorative objects.  However their true beauty is revealed when the lamp is switched on!  The stunning coloured glass pieces glow vibrantly creating a rainbow-light effect.

How Are Stained Glass Lamps Made?
Creating stained glass decorative designs is a unique craft.  It takes years of experience and a fine eye for detail to work the coloured glass pieces into attractive shapes and designs.  Stained glass antique lamps are made by creating designs from many small pieces of coloured stained glass.  These are fused into place using coloured enamel.  The finished piece is fired up to 1100 degrees Fahrenheit in order to set the design.

It is essential that good quality glass is used for stained glass lamps.  This creates a very transparent finish which allows the light to shine through clearly. Also the colours will not fade with the high quality materials.

Choosing Stained Glass Antique Lamps
If you do want to include stained glass antique lamps in your room design then there are a number of considerations to make.  To help you choose the best antique lamps for your rooms here are just a few essential tips:

• Budget – when buying stained glass antique lamps you need to set yourself a reasonable budget.  Even the smaller less collectible pieces from popular designers such as Tiffany can set you back hundreds of pounds.  A good replica can be an affordable choice but check the piece can offer you a good quality finish.
• Colour and Pattern – think about the colour scheme in your room and which tones and patterns would best compliment your overall design.  Many stained glass antique lamps have bold colours that could clash with other patterns and tones in the room if not chosen carefully.
• Space – check how much space you have available for stained glass antique lamps before you buy. You will want this beautiful item to stand out so its needs its own place in your room.  Buying a lamp that is too big for your room can create a cluttered, intrusive look.  Buying a lamp that is too small means it could be easily overlooked and may not provide enough light for the space. This, of course, applies to all lamps, antique, or modern.

Stained glass antique lamps are both practical and highly decorative. The beautiful finish will compliment almost any interior space and they are available in a wide range of styles and designs.

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