Modern Contemporary Chandelier
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
2010s Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pe...
Aluminum
Vintage 1980s American Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pe...
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pe...
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pe...
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pe...
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
2010s Italian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Pakistani Organic Modern Chandeliers and P...
Ash, Bentwood
21st Century and Contemporary Pakistani Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Ash
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Steel
2010s Italian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Nickel, Iron
2010s Italian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Iron, Nickel
2010s Italian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Steel
2010s Italian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Iron, Nickel
20th Century Unknown Chandeliers and Pendants
Chrome
2010s Italian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Iron, Nickel
2010s Italian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Iron
2010s British Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Glass
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
2010s Italian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Other
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Other
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Feathers
21st Century and Contemporary North American Modern Chandeliers and Pend...
Shell
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Blown Glass
21st Century and Contemporary French Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pend...
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary English Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pe...
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pe...
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pe...
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pe...
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pe...
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pe...
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pe...
Aluminum
2010s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Canadian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pe...
Aluminum, Copper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pen...
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pen...
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pen...
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pen...
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pen...
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pen...
Metal
2010s Scandinavian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Alabaster, Brass
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary German Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Other
2010s Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary North American Modern Chandeliers and Pend...
Shell
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pen...
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pen...
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pen...
Brass
2010s Scandinavian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
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Modern Contemporary Chandelier For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Modern Contemporary 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.
- 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 25, 2019
In art and design, the term contemporary is applied to works by 21st-century artists, while modern refers to works created from the 1880s and through the 1960s.
- 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 25, 2019
The term contemporary is applied to art by 21st-century artists; modern art refers to works created from the1880s and through the 1960s.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 26, 2024The difference between modern art and contemporary art comes down to age. Contemporary art refers to art produced by artists who are still alive or were active during the 1960s and later. Modern art is the term for artworks made between 1850 or 1860 and 1960. On 1stDibs, shop a large collection of modern and contemporary art.
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Ettore Sottsass Captures a Shooting Star in This Rare 1970s Floor Lamp
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Paavo Tynell’s Snowflake Chandelier Warms Up Any Room
This circa 1950 piece by the legendary Finnish lighting designer spent the past several decades in a family's home in Michigan.
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In "Paraciphers," now on view at Emma Scully Gallery in New York, Brittain introduces works that were more than a decade in the making.