Many modern properties avoid adding wall lights in favour of larger ceiling or pendant lights, however traditionally homes had wall lights to cast beautiful shadows on the walls and ceiling. Multi arm period style wall lights work particularly well on hallways and small rooms with few or no nearby windows. Here at Tiffany Lighting Direct, we stock a variety of uplights and downlights, depending on how you’d like to illuminate your home.
Period And Traditional Style Lighting
Browse a selection of timeless traditional lighting styles at Tiffany Lighting Direct today. We know that not everyone has the same preference for classic lighting, which is why we supply a variety of indoor lighting from chandeliers to crystal table lamps.
Traditional lighting fixtures are versatile, they can be a feature of the room or they can blend in with the room’s style without vanishing into the background. Traditional lighting styles are timeless, which makes them perfect for modern or period homes.
Popular Types of Period Lighting
Even before Thomas Edison patented the incandescent light bulb in 1879, the Victorians were using many of the same designs that we still favour in homes today. A regular feature of older Victorian houses were their larger bay windows which let more light in, and therefore had more elaborate and less functional lighting sources.
As the electric light bulb was commercialised, more extravagant lighting was no longer exclusive to wealthy citizens, and the traditional lights we know and love began to reach the wider population in the late 1800’s.
Period Wall Lights
Traditional Floor Lamps
Many older houses had much larger rooms that could accommodate large floor lights. Many traditional freestanding lamps come with a fabric shade that can be changed to match the colours of the room. Remember, traditional floor lights work best when they don’t interrupt the flow of the room, therefore placing them behind a chair or a desk is ideal.
Chandeliers
Whether you’ve got an ornate ceiling with plasterwork or not, as long as you have a high enough ceiling a traditional chandelier can really complete a period aesthetic for your room. Chandeliers often come with fake candles or flame-shaped bulbs to reproduce the pre-electrical period they are inspired by. At Tiffany Lighting Direct we have a range of chandeliers in metal and crystal finishes between 3 and 21 arms.
Traditional Lighting Finishes
Period lighting styles traditionally use finishes such as brass, silver, gold and pewter. At Tiffany Lighting Direct we offer a range of reproduction lighting in various finishes to help create a classic look for your home.
Brass
Brass has been used for a variety of decorative products for over two thousand years. Its popularity has been due to its high malleability for the handler and it’s corrosion resistance. Brass was able to be mass produced and was also able to be turned into a fashionable rose gold colour by the Victorians by adding more copper.
Pewter
Pewter is a cheaper alternative to silver, due to its silvery smooth finish, however it is mostly made up of tin and some copper. Pewter was widely used for traditional table lights, dinner sets and even religious iconography.
Crystal
The use of crystal in decor, particularly on a chandelier, has always demonstrated the owner’s wealth and high social status. High quality crystal is much clearer than glass as it's made with a percentage of lead, as opposed to glass which is made up of sand. The addition of lead creates a greater light refraction.
The 3 Types of Lighting
Ensuring you have the suitable lighting in every room is key to creating an inviting space whether the room is intended for work or relaxation. There are three types of lighting, ambient lighting, accent lighting, and task lighting.
Ambient Lighting
The purpose of ambient lighting is to illuminate a whole room by itself. It allows you to move around the room without using other lighting sources. Our collection of traditional pendant lights are a great option for an ambient light source.
Accent Lighting
Accent lighting is used to draw attention such as a piece of artwork, a statue or ornate plaster. These act like a spotlight to draw your eye towards a focal point. At Tiffany Lighting Direct we have several traditional picture lights and classic style pendants.
Task Lighting
Task lighting is intended to illuminate or darken a particular space for work or for a function. The type of task light will depend on the room and the function. If you are at the bathroom mirror you’d want a bright neutral light, whereas a bedroom reading light would be warmer. We have a range of dimmable classic bathroom lights and traditional table lamps to help brighten your work spaces.
Can You Use Modern Light Bulbs in Traditional Lights?
Most reproduction lights are able to house modern efficient light bulbs. Although it is possible to use an older incandescent light bulb to really get the classic aesthetic, it is advised to use an energy efficient LED bulb.
LED bulbs are able to replicate the look and illumination of a classic incandescent bulb without wasting energy. They cost less to power, last longer, and are not as prone to breaking. If you are looking to upgrade the bulbs in your home, we offer a vast range of LED light bulbs too.