Chandeliers and Pendants
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
1960s German Hollywood Regency Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Gold Plate
20th Century German Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Gold Plate, Brass
1960s German Hollywood Regency Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Metal
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Metal
1960s German Hollywood Regency Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
1960s Italian Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
Early 20th Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
1990s Italian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Aluminum
Early 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
1960s German Hollywood Regency Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Gold Plate, Brass
Mid-20th Century German Hollywood Regency Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Chrome
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
1960s German Hollywood Regency Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Gold Plate
1960s German Hollywood Regency Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
1940s Italian Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Glass
1950s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Gold Plate
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
1970s Italian Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Chrome
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Chrome
1960s German Hollywood Regency Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Gold Plate
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Aluminum
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Glass
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Nickel
1960s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Gold Plate, Brass
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass, Chrome
1930s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Antique, Vintage and Contemporary Chandeliers and Pendant Lights
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 and vintage 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 (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), 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.
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 whimsical — like the work of Beau & Bien’s Sylvie Maréchal, frequently inspired by her dreams — 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.