Chandeliers and Pendants
21st Century and Contemporary American Baroque Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Mid-19th Century Italian Baroque Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Tin
Early 20th Century French Baroque Chandeliers and Pendants
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century French Baroque Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
20th Century French Baroque Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
20th Century Baroque Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal
Early 20th Century Baroque Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Mid-20th Century Baroque Chandeliers and Pendants
Iron, Brass
1920s Baroque Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
1720s Italian Baroque Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Iron
Mid-20th Century French Baroque Chandeliers and Pendants
Iron
19th Century Spanish Baroque Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Wrought Iron
19th Century Italian Baroque Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Iron
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Blown Glass
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
20th Century Hollywood Regency Chandeliers and Pendants
Tôle
Late 19th Century European Late Victorian Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
1970s American Organic Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Shell, Epoxy Resin
1960s Italian Empire Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
20th Century Chandeliers and Pendants
2010s American Organic Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Tôle
Late 19th Century Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
20th Century Austrian Chandeliers and Pendants
Late 20th Century Italian Baroque Chandeliers and Pendants
Blown Glass
Mid-19th Century Italian Baroque Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century Italian Baroque Chandeliers and Pendants
Iron
1940s Spanish Baroque Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Wrought Iron
Early 1900s Italian Baroque Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Wrought Iron
1930s Spanish Baroque Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Spanish Baroque Chandeliers and Pendants
Wrought Iron
Early 1900s Spanish Baroque Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century French Baroque Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
1920s Spanish Baroque Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Wrought Iron
19th Century French Baroque Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Spanish Baroque Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Wrought Iron
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.