Hourglass Chandelier
Mid-20th Century German Space Age Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Aluminum, Chrome
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Aluminum, Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Recent Sales
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Aluminum, Steel
Vintage 1970s European Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Vintage 1950s American Chandeliers and Pendants
Aluminum, Brass
Vintage 1950s American Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
20th Century Austrian Chandeliers and Pendants
Glass
Vintage 1950s European Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Bronze
Vintage 1960s European Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Bronze
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Glass
Vintage 1950s Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Nickel
20th Century Italian Chandeliers and Pendants
Glass
Vintage 1960s Italian Chandeliers and Pendants
Glass
Vintage 1950s Canadian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Aluminum
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Enamel, Aluminum
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Steel
Vintage 1940s Italian Chandeliers and Pendants
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Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal, Aluminum
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Aluminum, Brass
2010s American Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Finnish Scandinavian Modern Chandeliers an...
Metal
20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Canvas, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
Steel, Brass, Gold, Silver
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Industrial and Work Tables
Wood
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Teak
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Doors and Gates
Brass
2010s European Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Travertine
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal, Steel
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and...
Brass
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
Cotton, Teak
Hourglass Chandelier For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Hourglass Chandelier?
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.
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The alluring pendant light exemplifies the designer’s winsome mid-career work.
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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
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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
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