Chandeliers and Pendants
Late 19th Century Italian Victorian Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze, Brass
Late 19th Century English Victorian Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
1950s French Victorian Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Victorian Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass, Bronze
Early 20th Century American Victorian Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
19th Century French Victorian Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
19th Century French Victorian Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
1890s French Victorian Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Victorian Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
1990s American Victorian Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
19th Century French Victorian Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
20th Century French Victorian Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Victorian Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Late 19th Century American Victorian Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
19th Century American Victorian Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Late 19th Century British Victorian Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
1810s French Louis XVI Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Chandeliers and Pendants
Alabaster, Bronze
1950s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Metal
19th Century French Victorian Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
Late 19th Century French Empire Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
1910s French Art Nouveau Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
1950s Neoclassical Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Art Deco Chandeliers and Pendants
Alabaster, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze, Brass
Early 20th Century Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
Early 20th Century Victorian Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
Early 2000s French Victorian Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
19th Century French Early Victorian Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze, Ormolu
Late 19th Century American Victorian Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
19th Century French Early Victorian Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Early 20th Century French Early Victorian Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Bronze
1910s British Victorian Vintage Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Bronze
19th Century French Early Victorian Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze, Ormolu
Early 20th Century Victorian Chandeliers and Pendants
Alabaster, Bronze
1890s French Victorian Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
Late 19th Century American Victorian Antique Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal, Brass, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Victorian Chandeliers and Pendants
Bronze
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.