FOUND ONE!!! . . . light for my dining room?

[Verve]

Please don't buy it out from under me

But what do you think about this light in my dining room? I'm having the hardest time deciding on one!! I really like this light but I'm just not sure about deco in here although this isn't overly deco. I can't picture a crystal covered chandielier in here, just to fancy for the victoriany arts/craftsy feel. Whadya think??? Am I way off??

http://www.ebay.com/itm/120818873089?ss ... 1438.l2648

My dining room...



Edited because I can't seem to spell today!

[Josiecat]

Hmmmm, that light fixture is art deco and your house appears to be a different era (earlier). I wouldn't go with that one.

[cadrad]

I think the style and color are great! I would worry about the size. Is it going to be too small? there is a rule of proportion for the size of the room vs. the size of the fixture that I am sure you could find on the internet. I like the part that looks like hammered metal in the bowl, which references the arts and crafts feel of your home.I love fixtures of that era! It IS a little later then your house, but if you like it, I think it will blend. I like the idea of that better then some new fixture that tries to look "arts and crafts"(some of the reproduction places get them right, but they are very proud of them and price them accordingly), and real arts and crafts fixture are usually very utilitarian or ungodly expensive. I bought a 1920's 6 arm crystal chandelier for my dining room because I have always wanted a dining room with a crystal chandelier, even though the room is very arts and craftsy with a beamed ceiling and heavy oak woodwork everywhere. The woodwork, bronzed radiator and push button switches set the "original" tone, but the colors and furnishings are eclectic, as they are throughout the house. I have almost everything old, and I choose it because I think the shape or the wood or the colors are beautiful, not to copy what a furniture showroom circa 1916 would look like. very few period interiors were of a pure style. FYI in the teens the most popular type of fixture was a big domed shade, sometimes with arms, sometime silk with long fringe, sometimes glass. They were so ubiquitous that a decorating book I have from the 1920's decries them harshly as being "in the worst possible taste, and so common as to have lost all charm it might have once possessed- please, I beg you, do not choose a "dome"! " which just means that everyone did in fact choose a "dome".

[Verve]

I'm still torn about what will be right in this room. I really love this fixture but cadrad I think youre right it may be too small. I find all kinds of fixtures that I love and that I think would work but they're too pricey. This one for instance seems perfect to me http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-FRENCH-Louis-xv-BRONZE-6-LIGHT-CHANDELIER-/220901277478

And guess what is in this room right now??!! A dome light....a flourecent dome light....
I detest it!!! Everytime I have to turn the overhead light on I just cringe and shake my head. Patience will prevail!! I'll find the right one one day!

[1880 Stick Victorian]

i was just thinking how nice it would be if we all had our original light fixtures in our houses... how much easier it would be.
I was looking at the prices of those fixtures and holy moley they are expensive! I haven't paid more than a few hundred dollars... usually had to rewire, new sockets, etc... But what has worked for us is to figure out what period you want to go with in your house. Our house was built in 1880...but our furnishings range from 1880s to early 20s... so going with an art deco ( a term way over used in antique lighting i am finding) to me would look out of place. Our 2nd floor still has all of the original fixture from the last update in 1928...so we are sticking with that on the second floor...but the first floor to we have been slowly acquiring gas/electric or early electric to replace the 40s and 50s fixtures.

I have found craigslist extremely helpful as well as ebay, salvage shops, auctions and tag sales... it helps to put the word out to any friends and family what your looking for. As a person with little patience i have found that it does pay off to hang on until you find exactly what you are looking for... you will be happier that you did...

scott

[Fanner]

I really like that fixture! The flame-type (?) bulbs in the one photo don't exactly look right, but I'm over that now I know nothing of fixtures... However I also agree that it might not be exactly right in your dining room... maybe it is too masculine or something. I can't exactly put my finger on it ~ and not that your dining room looks overly feminine, maybe it is a smidge too new? Again, what do I know? We are so fortunate to have almost all of our original fixtures. This old gem is a bit of a time capsule - would it help any to see a picture of what we have..? We are much "newer" at 1904 , but our house is all Victorian, no arts and crafts influence here...

[Verve]

i was just thinking how nice it would be if we all had our original light fixtures in our houses... how much easier it would be.

Gosh wouldn't that be wonderful! We don't have a one

Fanner, I would LOVE to see pictures of your fixtures

[Fanner]

Fanner, I would LOVE to see pictures of your fixtures

Well now you asked for it - I apologize first for the fact that I can't seem to post an actual picture here without it being gigantic. Second I apologize for the amount of dust and occasional cob webs these have to be viewed through... If I waited until they were clean you would have to get them from the future owner

This is the only 4-socket fixture. In the living room - the glass shades (?) are not the original. There are frosted/etched glass shades that I carefully packed away into the pantry to save them from the occasional flying ball/shoe/teddy bear.... The ones in the picture were $1 at a garage sale....

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6425 ... b528_m.jpg
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6047/6425 ... a026_m.jpg

This is the fixture in the dining room - not as fancy, but it does the job. The shades (I know there is a better word for that!) on this fixture are like the ones I took off of the Living room light:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6425 ... b057_m.jpg

The foyer:
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6425 ... 59f9_m.jpg

Upstairs bedroom:
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6052/6425 ... 9278_m.jpg

Two of the upstairs bedrooms had the same fixture in them as the one posted above. We have the kids in bunk-beds in the second bedroom so for safety (for the fixture as much as for the kiddos) we had that one replaced *TEMPORARILY* with something closer to the ceiling. It is safely - with all of it's parts and new wiring - in the basement. Before we had possession of the house the PO had an auction; we were here for it (see my mantle story!) and missed the opportunity to buy the fixture that was most likely removed from the front parlor We are considering the possibility of putting the bedroom fixture up in the parlor (it was also a 2-socket/light fixture), as there is no light in there despite a switch on the wall...

So, as you can see these are much more dainty and Victorian looking than what you may want - but maybe they'll provide a point of reference or inspiration? I guess even in 1904 we were a bit behind the times of fashion up here in Wisconsin

[Verve]

Fanner they are wonderful!!!! If I could find something similar to your 4 socket fixture I'd jump all over it! I've been stocking craigslist and ebay for a couple months now with out success. I would love to know what happened to our fixtures. There was an auction about 25 years ago at our house as well when the heirs of the family that resided there for 65 years sold off the property and content. I imagine some of the fixtures where sold at that point. Maybe I should put an add in the paper for people to contact me if the purchased any furniture or fixtures from that auction. Anyone ever do that before?

[Verve]

Got it installed right before Easter dinner We had to install the ceiling medalion because when we took the other light down there was a larger than average hole...the old gas line is still there and the POs just cut a new hole beside it, lol so thats what we had to go with for now.