Antique Lighting

The tube light was discovered in the early 20th century so lighting before this era is known as antique lighting. You have to be a soft light lover to be a collector of antique lighting. Also like other hobbies that allow you to store the collection in any part of the house irrespective of the house, it is not possible with antique lighting. As here you will have to have a house that allows you to decorate it with antique lighting.

So the walls, the furniture and the upholstery have to be in tune with the lighting you are planning to place in the house. The era and the style of antique lighting go a long way in decorating your home. Hence you have to convince the other members in your house about the grandiosity you are planning to implement in the house.

Before you begin your collection you have to understand the nuance of lighting of a particular era. There are styles and design variations in every era, so there are sub styles and sub designs to the main style you are looking for.
Read up books, look into the library and chat up with dealers to have a sound understanding of the lights in the decades gone by. There are chandeliers, floor lamps, ceiling lamps, wall sconces, hanging lamps and a vast variety of tabletop lamps.

You can source them out at cheap deals in the markets of India. Chor Bazaar, Bhendi Bazaar and Crawford Market are a few of the areas where you will find antique dealers with deals that will blow you off your feet. Well if they are authentic enough or not, your expertise will have to determine that.

From the classic movies of the years gone by we understand the lighting was very dim and not very bright as we have it today with tube lights and bulbs. So the lighting in your house will be similar. The sepia tone or a dull note will be observed. If you love such light to work and live in, then this is certainly your hobby area.

If you have a very active living room, put a brass table lamp. The grand look of brass is enough to elevate the look of the room along with the lighting. And with the variety available in lamp covers, you can change it according to the season. For instance light colours in the spring and darker shades in winter.

If chrome and glass is your style; look for sleek lines in decorative metals. Victorian era marks lighting ornately dressed. They are very good to look at and bring more panache to your homes.

Sometimes you see antique lights in the streets with lamp cases of the olden era. The very light and the look of the shades bring in a different mood. These can be seen in Goa along the main road.

So you have to select the style of your lighting. It could be western, rustic or china bone. Then accordingly style your home. Not always modern and antique look good, but if you have a leather sofa in burgundy and an ottoman or a loveseat of similar style and upholstery consider putting in some antique lights. Else you have to blend your home according to the lights.