Counterweight Light
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Nickel
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1950s Floor Lamps
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Brass, Metal
Late 20th Century German Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Wire
21st Century and Contemporary American Wall Lights and Sconces
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Metal
Antique 19th Century French Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1950s French Wall Lights and Sconces
Iron, Brass
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and...
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and...
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Teak
2010s Wall Lights and Sconces
Early 20th Century American Table Lamps
Antique 19th Century French Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Copper
Vintage 1970s American Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and...
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and...
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
20th Century Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
20th Century Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
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Finding the Right Chandeliers-pendant-lights for You
Chandeliers — simple in form, inspired by candelabras and originally made of wood or iron — first made an appearance in early churches. For those wealthy enough to afford them for their homes in the medieval period, a chandelier's suspended lights likely exuded imminent danger, as lit candles served as the light source for fixtures of the era. Things have thankfully changed since then, and antique chandeliers and pendant lights are popular in many interiors today.
While gas lighting during the late 18th century represented an upgrade for chandeliers — and gas lamps would long inspire Danish architect and pioneering modernist lighting designer Poul Henningsen — it would eventually be replaced with the familiar electric lighting of today.
The key difference between a pendant light and a chandelier is that a pendant incorporates only a single bulb into its design. Don’t mistake this for simplicity, however. An Art Deco–styled homage to Sputnik from Murano glass artisans Giovanni Dalla Fina, with handcrafted decorative elements supported by a chrome frame, is just one stunning example of the elaborate engineering that can be incorporated into every component of a chandelier. (Note: there is more than one lighting fixture that shares its name with the iconic mid-century-era satellite — see Gino Sarfatti’s design too.)
Chandeliers have evolved over time, but their classic elegance has remained unchanged.
Not only will the right chandelier prove impressive in a given room, but it can also offer a certain sense of practicality. These fixtures can easily illuminate an entire space, while their elevated position prevents them from creating glare or straining one’s eyes.
Certain materials, like glass, can complement naturally lit settings without stealing the show. Brass, on the other hand, can introduce an alluring, warm glow. While LEDs have earned a bad reputation for their perceived harsh bluish lights and a loss of brightness over their life span, the right design choices can help harness their lighting potential and create the perfect mood. A careful approach to lighting can transform your room into a peaceful and cozy nook, ideal for napping, reading or working.
For midsize spaces, a wall light or sconce can pull the room together and get the lighting job done. Perforated steel rings underneath five bands of handspun aluminum support a rich diffusion of light within Alvar Aalto's Beehive pendant light, but if you’re looking to brighten a more modest room, perhaps a minimalist solution is what you’re after. The mid-century modern furniture designer Charlotte Perriand devised her CP-1 wall lamps in the 1960s, in which a repositioning of sheet-metal plates can redirect light as needed.
The versatility and variability of these lighting staples mean that, when it comes to finding something like the perfect chandelier, you’ll never be left hanging. From the natural world-inspired designs of the Art Nouveau era to the classic beauty of Paul Ferrante's fixtures, there is a style for every room.
With designs for pendant lights and chandeliers across eras, colors and materials, you’ll never run out of options to explore on 1stDibs — shop a collection today that includes antique Art Deco chandeliers, Stilnovo chandeliers, Baccarat chandeliers and more.
Read More
This Paavo Tynell Chandelier Is a Radiant Bouquet
The alluring pendant light exemplifies the designer’s winsome mid-career work.
Why Is Italy Such a Hotbed of Cool Design?
Patrizio Chiarparini of Brooklyn’s Duplex gallery sheds light on the lasting legacy of Italy’s postwar furniture boom.
See How New York City Designers Experiment on Their Own Homes
There are many lessons to be learned from the lofts, apartments and townhouses of architects and decorators in Manhattan and beyond.
Jeff Andrews Captures Old Hollywood Glamour in His Cinematic Spaces
Having created extravagant homes for reality TV’s biggest stars, the designer is stepping into the spotlight with his first book.
New Orleans’ Lee Ledbetter Makes Design Magic by Mixing Past and Present
The Louisiana-born and -bred architect talks to 1stdibs about the art of making timeless places that matter.
Desert Modern Designer Arthur Elrod Finally Gets His Day in the Sun
The Palm Springs interior decorator developed a mid-century style that defined the vacation homes of celebrities and other notables, including Bob Hope and Lucille Ball.
From the Hamptons to Palm Springs, FormArch’s Homes Embody Both Comfort and Cool
The houses from this New York studio cloak modernist tendencies within what are often more traditional trappings.
8 Mid-Century Lighting Makers
In the market for a fantastic fixture from the 1940s, ’50s or ’60s? Here are some names to know.