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Apr 9, 2024 · The right lighting fixture for your old house is out there—if you know how to find it.
Sep 29, 2015 · Period Victorian lighting that complies with modern safely standards provides the perfect solution. High ceilings warrant great light fittings. Period lights add an authentic heritage feel. Lighting in large Victorian drawing rooms, parlours and dining rooms would have included imposing chandeliers suspended from the ceiling on chains.
- Oilvs Gas vs Electric
- Lessis More
- Antique Lighting – Status Is Everything
- Upstairs, Downstairs
- Up Or Down Antique Lighting
- Updating Fittings
- Keep It Low
- Leave Them Be!
- Antique Lighting – Summing Up
Like the VHS vs Betamax video recorderbattle of the early 1980s, gas and electric lighting competed to take over fromoil light in the early 1900s home. Gas lighting was ahead in urban working and middle-class homes thanks to the invention of coin-operated gas meters. In contrast, the upper classes felt gas was ‘common’, so continued with oil and ca...
The Victorians would’ve been dazzled by thelight in our homes today as the average gas light or early light bulb wasequivalent to a 10-watt bulb, which you can’t even buy now! Victorians sat directly under a light source when they read or sewed, hence gas lights being positioned over a parlour fireplace or above a kitchen table as shown below. So d...
Some gas lights were elaborateand took on the fashions of the time to appeal to the middle-class market. For instance, this 1913 Veritas Gas Light Catalogue shows the huge range of lights available in the early 20thcentury. However, gas lighting in the working-class home was simple as this slum interior shows.
Most urban housing had gas lighting by 1900 but householders used it sparingly due to cost. People opted for candles or oil lamps to walk to bed, reducing the need for gas lighting upstairs. Above all, Victorians had suspicions about the health impact of gas so often avoided gas lighting in bedrooms. However, I was lucky enough to find traces of ol...
Downlit gas lights were only widely available after 1905 so true Victorian gas lights were upright (take note museum curators and set designers!). Downlit swan-neck fittings like this one in my kitchen were particularly popular. Manufacturers made air vents from ceramic, brass or tin, and later produced chrome-plated versions from the 1920s. One of...
The Victorian and Edwardians updated their homes as new technologies became available like we do now. But they often converted their old upright fittings to reduce costs. For example, I have installed a downlight converter on an upright fitting in my main bedroom.
Above all, the Victorians positioned gas lights much lower than modern lights as they were less powerful. For instance, a Victorian book on house building recommends mantle lights were installed at five foot from the floor, and hall and bathroom fittings set at six foot. Low fittings above your fireplaceare less of a safety risk, but low central fi...
Don’t be afraid to use unconverted gas lights for decoration and supplement them with discreet modern fittings as I have in my bedrooms. Unfortunately, these rooms originally only had one gas light, so not very practical for modern life!
Above all, there are many unconverted gas lights or unsafe old electric fittings available on online auction sites which can be rewired but make sure you get a professional to convert them! However, I found that gas fittings are not easy to convert as connecting parts need to be drilled out. I used exposed gold wiring for fittings with awkward angl...
Feb 11, 2024 · Dappled light formed by the sun’s rays passing through the leaves is so much more interesting to look at than the intense glare of a very sunny day. When it comes to lighting, the key is to avoid glare at all costs. To achieve this, think about the lighting hierarchy in each room.
Feminine forms were regularly used in the designs along with botanical influences in both design and colour. These are great used in any period home and add a distinctive formality that’s indicative of the style.
If you want the vintage or traditional lighting look in your home, select from our range of Edwardian or Victorian lamps and lights. Our customer service team can help you select the right lighting for your project, with free delivery in the UK.
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May 12, 2016 · Period features can be beautifully highlighted with lighting. Corbels on arches or cornices and decorative ceilings can be lit using LED rope lights that are tucked away and throw a soft ambient light upwards. These rope lights can also be used to great effect within bookcases or in kitchens.
