Chandeliers don’t merely illuminate a room, they imbue it with warmth and majesty. It’s no wonder that the word, derived from the French for “candlestick,” evokes images of glamorous ballrooms, opulent theaters — even the enchantment of a classic Disney movie. After all, who could forget Belle and the Beast’s first waltz beneath a Versailles-style crystal chandelier?
These sculptural fixtures set a tone of fairy tales and fantasy through both form and illumination, transforming a room into a space that gently piques the imagination. This particular mid-century model, although more subdued and streamlined than a Disney rendition, is no less magical. It was designed by the esteemed Paavo Tynell, who combined functional lighting with refined form.
Born in Helsinki in 1890 and celebrated as “the man who illuminated Finland,” Tynell in 1918 cofounded the metalwork and lighting company Taito Oy, which created products suited to Finland’s expanding electrical grid, a crucial innovation, as many rural areas previously relied on oil lamps because geographical constraints.
Known for his organic forms crafted from polished or perforated brass, Tynell fused simplicity with elegance. His work embodies a singular kind of mid-century minimalism that gracefully incorporates decorative elements.
Chic and stately, with sinuous polished branches that appear to sprout from a central floral base, the chandelier features eight light sources, each encased in a cylindrical rattan shade.
“The handmade rattan shades, which replace the original damaged fabric shades, give the light a warm honey-toned patina, rooted in the work of [fellow Finnish design legend] Alvar Aalto,” says historian and collector Shadi Haddadin, who, along with his brother Faris, co-founded the Helsinki-based Haddadin Design, which is offering the chandelier on 1stDibs. “The way the shades sit on removable glass discs is a very distinctive signature of Tynell, giving the lights the sense that they are floating on air.
“The three intricate spring-like forms on the central branch are iconic Tynell,” he adds. “They can be removed, but each one sits perfectly in a subtle catch, secured between two delicate undulations in the metal.”
The chandelier was commissioned in 1952 for the Antinkärki House, a sprawling lakeside villa with luxurious mahogany and walnut interiors that was built for Juuso Walden, one of Finland’s most prominent industrialists. Walden hosted presidents and dignitaries there, including Urho Kekkonen, the longest-serving Finnish president, as well as U.S. president Richard Nixon and British prime minister Harold Macmillan. And so, beneath the chandelier’s curving branches and bathed in its warm amber light, countless stories were told and ideas exchanged — and, undoubtedly, a few secrets confided.
“This is one of Tynell’s more minimalist designs, which makes it very unique, with its own aura of importance, as if the lack of decoration is a statement of prestige and storytelling,” says Haddadin, whose collection boasts one of Finland’s largest collections of Paavo Tynell creations. “It magically carries a sense of history with it in a way that is intrinsically felt as well as seen.”
