Does original Victorian lighting actually work?
In short there are pros and cons for antique Victorian lighting and original lights will need some modification in order to achieve current safety standards. Antique lighting is obviously old. And Victorian wiring is by no means adequate in this day and age to pass the rigorous safety tests that your electrics will require in order for your house to achieve electrical certification. Therefore any antique Victorian light will need to be rewired unless it has been done previously in order for the electrics in your house to pass safety testing, require for an electrician to sign off your work. At times this can affect the appearance of the light. It also means that as well as the purchase cost of the light, you may well have to pay somebody to rewire it and then PAC test it.
At times antique lights may have missing or broken pieces. Unless you get a specialist craftsman to hand make replacement pieces which could be expensive, a damaged piece is something you may just have to accept.
Antique lights can be dirty with the metal tarnished. Therefore they are likely to need a really good clean – take off the removable elements and clean using soapy water. Dry the pieces thoroughly before reattaching them to the light. A word of warning however – don’t overclean your lights. Firstly this may take off the surface metal coating, as these lights will have been cleaned already many hundred of times. Also part of the beauty of an antique is the aspect of appearing old – overcleaning will remove the antique charm of your light.
The lovely thing about purchasing an antique is that you will feel it is truly unique and also that it will maintain or increase in value, assuming you have chosen well. If you are a lover of old things, an antique that is both beautiful and functional on a daily basis such as a light is hard to beat in terms of aesthetic pleasure per £1 spent.
Why would I choose reproduction lighting instead of genuine antiques?
The benefits of buying reproduction Victorian lighting are not to be underestimated. Many companies manufacturing reproduction antique lighting still use traditional handcrafts in the production of their lights and employ traditional welding and patination skills to create products that can easily be mistaken for the original.
If you purchase a reproduction Victorian interior light, it will come with all relevant safety tests carried out and with a guarantee.
One of the large range of The Victorian Emporium's ceiling chandeliers
Reproduction Victorian lighting designs can often be purchased in different sizes and with complementary products for example a ceiling light with matching wall sconces. There is also an unlimited supply available unless a product is discontinued therefore for example if you have a very large room requiring 8 matching wall sconces you will find it difficult to fulfil your requirements other than with newly manufactured lights. If a year later you then decide to continue the lighting style in another room, you may well still be able to get hold of that design of light. In addition, due to the fact that reproduction Victorian lights are likely made on production lines, costs of production and economies of scale can only be beneficial to the customer. It is difficult to find the same flexibility and choice if choosing antique lighting.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Victorian Emporium sells a wide range of reproduction Victorian lamps, ceiling lights and wall sconces
Be the first to add a comment...