Chandeliers
Welcome to Chandeliers Guide To The Antler Chandelier & The Candle Chandelier – we are so glad you took the time to visit our site!
When I think of chandeliers, I am reminded of an older cigarette campaign that was popular when I was young. Chandeliers, you’ve come a long way baby! These decorative lighting fixtures that we now seeing hovering above our heads throughout homes in the US and across the world are very different from their humble beginnings. Coming from a french word meaning candle, the earliest chandeliers were fairly crude fixtures consisting of a cross with spikes at the end of each beam for the candles. Of course, back in the medieval times, say the 13 or 14 hundreds, the candles were actually animal fat also known as tallow. These lard candles had to be fairly messy and the only reason that a chandelier would be used during this time would be to light places of assembly after dark. It would probably be too much work for the payoff to light your home by chandelier, at least for those folks that could afford homes at that time.
They evolved over time as all technology does (or fades away giving rise to a superior product or marketing campaign). Even with the improved technology in candle making and the emergence of chandeliers made from other materials such as brass and other metals, only the very rich could afford to use them to light their homes. Since their homes were mainly palaces or mansions of some type, chandeliers for many years were really only used to light palaces, mansions, or places of assembly. It wasn’t until the middle classes began to grow and have a little disposable cash that they became a common place fixture in the average home.
Somewhere in the 18th century advancing technologies in the making of glass allowed the production of crystals to plummet in cost. This was a marriage made in heaven. The crystal with its ability to reflect the light from the chandelier candles (which at this point most likely had been replaced with gas burning) led to impressive displays in the home and wherever these works of art would end up. I believe that Queen Victoria gave someone (although I’m not sure who was to receive it) a crystal chandelier with a weight exceeding 4 tons. Now that is a large lighting fixture!
As time has marched on they have come and gone from the favor of the public over the years. They have seen somewhat of a revival since the end of world war II, and these days chandeliers can reflect almost any taste or fashion style that you can dream up. That’s right, we are no longer limited to the crystal chandeliers so popular in the years gone by. More contemporary models are fashioned out of materials like brass, glass, ceramic, or even deer antlers. In fact, there are more and more people looking to outfit their homes in a rustic, small cabin sort of feel by using chandeliers known as antler chandeliers. Modern chandeliers can be in colors wild to the most basic available. The art of chandelier making has lived through Italian designers for years, who are known for their creative and expressive chandelier creations.
In future articles we will look more closely at some specific incarnations of chandeliers, such as the candle chandelier, the antler chandelier, and some antique chandeliers. So please drop by often as we look at all things chandelier.
Antler Chandelier Elegance
If you’re a nature lover who wants to bring the beauty of the wild into your home, consider the striking addition of an antler chandelier. Made from real antlers, these unusual creations are the epitome of rustic elegance, and have been popular in both hunting lodges and European castles for hundreds of years.
If the idea of killing a deer for its antlers turns you off, you can rest assured that no animals will be harmed in the making of your chandelier. Unlike elephant tusks or other animal’s horns, antlers naturally fall off once a year in the wintertime, when the animals’ testosterone levels decrease in response to the diminishing number of daylight hours. The fallen antlers are then collected, where they are used for a number of creations, including those eye-catching chandeliers.
Deer antler chandeliers are the most popular, and perhaps the most graceful as well. Any number of antlers can be used in the creation of a chandelier, resulting in a wide variety of designs. For instance, some people prefer the elk antler chandeliers or a moose antler chandelier. From an almost delicate light fixture dangling from a single antler to a majestic work of art constructed from ten or more antlers, your choices are endless.
The types of lights used will also impact the overall look of your chandelier. Candles are the classic choice, with electric candles being the most common type of lighting used today. But there are other options as well which are worth considering. Frosted glass lamp shades are another popular choice, and come in white or tinted colors. These can be positioned either facing up or down, for even more variation in the overall look. Fabric shades and Christmas style string lights are more options that you can choose from.
The combination of the number of antlers used, the type of lighting and the use and color of metal finishing make each chandelier a unique work of art. When making your selection, consider both the size and decor of the room that you are planning to use it in. Is it small or large? Is the rest of the furnishings and decor traditional or modern? Just because you have a contemporary styled home doesn’t mean that you have to sacrifice on the graceful beauty of antlers. You can easily find a modern antler chandelier that works perfectly with the rest of your decor, but will be a striking centerpiece.
Whatever style you choose, there is no question that you and your guests will be impressed. Antler chandeliers are beautiful– so take advantage of that beauty by bringing it into your home.
Candle Chandelier Thoughts
The earliest incarnation of all chandeliers is the candle chandelier. Typically used in meeting places during medieval times, they are the most simplistic of all forms of this lighting fixture. In their most rudimentary form they would represent a cross made of wood with nails or spikes that would hold the candles in place as it was lifted toward the ceiling. Of course, over time they became more complex and ornate to accommodate the tastes and styles of those who could afford the luxury. In fact, they became a status symbol of the affluent and the up and coming merchant class. It was costly during this time period to light a home or building at night. As is the case with many products, as its popularity grew so did the advancements in design, production, and technology. As it usually happens, this eventually lead to more affordable pricing and wider adoption by the public.
Once lead crystal production costs started to fall with the event of advancements in glass making technology, faceted crystals were attached giving impressive refractive qualities to the light produced by this fixture. The visual effect this created only served to increase the popularity of this lighting style. From this cohesion of technologies came the ever popular crystal chandelier. Until the 19th century when gas lighting became a reasonable alternative, the illumination was still provided by the time tested lighting source of the candle.
Today candle chandeliers are used mostly for ambiance. They have the ability to create an atmosphere or mood that is warm and relaxing. Nothing short of a room full of candles can do a better job in creating an intimate, inviting, and romantic setting. The elegance exuded by these bygone times lighting fixtures is nothing short of classic. With the correct interior placement and design they can become amazing conversational pieces.
They are best suited for larger rooms with soft lines as they produce a look and feel that will mesh well with this style. Smaller rooms or cramped spaces will not be able to highlight the strength of the lighting style. For instance, contemporary or minimalistic designs tend to clash with the softness of light and mood they create. Provided the room is spacious enough a great utilization can be in the bedroom where mood and ambiance are at a premium.
There is a wide variety of styles available to suit most any taste. From wrought iron to glass there is a large selection available to fit your home’s decor. There are even some artists that still work with this form of lighting fixture to create amazing works of art. So whether you are looking to do nothing more than create an ambiance or you want an amazing conversational piece of artwork to hang in your home, a candle chandelier may be the right choice to light your way.
Where To Find Antique Chandeliers
If you are looking to adorn your home, place of business, or den with an antique chandelier reminiscent of royalty you will need to know where to find one to purchase. Because not everyone has the luxury of having a lighting fixture such as this handed down to them from family members from generation to generation you need to know where to find them for sale. Due to the fact they are antiques it is not easy to find one at your local store or market. Once you have finished reading this article you will have the knowledge to search out the lighting fixture to perfectly accent your abode.
Almost everyone uses the Internet these days to find what they are looking for. How did you find this article? That’s right, the Internet – probably via a search engine. It would only make sense that this is where you would begin your search. There are a plethora of websites online that cater to niche markets, and unique lighting fixtures are no exception to this rule. When you are looking for just the right accent, you should cast a wide net, so make sure you use several search engines to get a fuller picture of the options available to you.
Some of us feel more comfortable shopping for a product that we can reach out and touch. So another place you can look to find the antique chandelier that you are searching for are your local antique shops. Sometimes you will find they have a good selection of lighting fixtures available for purchase. If there are no local antique shops in your area you may find there are some within a short driving distance. One of the drawbacks to buying from a brick and mortar shop is that prices can tend to be a little higher than your online variety because of the extra overhead involved in running a storefront.
Another avenue you can go down to find the chandelier you are looking for is the estate sale. Many times you can look in your local paper and find several estate sales going on. Some of them will allow you look over the merchandise for sale before the sale occurs so you can see if there is anything you are interested in purchasing. This is a good place to pick up vintage decor as many estate sales are from elderly people who are moving, deceased, or just liquidating their accumulation of “stuff” from the years gone by.
With these three locations available to you, finding the right antique chandelier should be a dream that is now within your grasp. Estate sales, antique shops, and the Internet can help you to find the perfect lighting fixture for your project.
Crystal Chandelier
For those who appreciate the chandelier, there may not be a more grand example of this icon of days gone by then the crystal chandelier. During the height of popularity and use of this hanging piece of art, there was no example more cherished or awe inspiring and reminiscent of nobility and the affluent than one adorned in crystals which split the candle light throughout the room it graced. If you were going to have the best and most sought after, you were going to have a crystal chandelier.
By the time electric lighting had overtaken its candlelit counterparts, there was none that defined grandeur more than it did. For many years, only the very rich could afford the crystal laden lighting fixtures. Because of this, they were always a lavish hope of those who loved the way it caused the light to dance across the room. Crystals were somewhat of a commodity in those days, and very hard to work with. This meant that getting the crystal to have the refractive qualities needed to produce the desired effect for a chandelier was quite costly. When it was discovered, sometime in the sixteen hundreds, that adding lead to the crystal made it easier to work with to attain the reflective qualities desired, the production of these lighting fixtures began to soar. As late as the eighteen thirties, phenomenal crystal chandelier works of art were still being created by top artisans of the day. Of course, after the cost became affordable for commoners they had already morphed into the electric models similar to what we see today. Many of the most amazing examples that remain from the candlelit era are in museums on display for the world to see. It is a window, a picture, into what life extravagances the affluent of the day could afford.
By this time the chandelier had become mostly a decorative piece as they were not really needed as a light source like they were when they lit the castle ballrooms of the elite. Even when unlit they are a pleasure to the visual senses. Today’s crystal chandeliers are as much for decoration as for light, although with the advances in crystal cutting technology they still produce wonderful effects when light is applied to the fixture.
Many of the modern day examples of this work of art have taken on a more contemporary look and feel. With unique crystal incarnations of inspiration we find an array of style available. Some of the modern choices will use crystal goblets or blown crystal in place of the old style diamond like faceted shapes in the past.
One thing that can be said for the crystal chandelier is for the connoisseur today there is no limit to the style choices with which he or she can excite the window to their soul.
