Cheers for chandeliers: Classical pieces are making a comeback

We need as much cheer as possible in our homes this winter. Prices are rising, dark days are approaching and there is no easy rescue lurking around the corner.

One way to brighten things up is with a beautiful chandelier – and they don’t have to burn too much electricity when equipped with energy-efficient LED bulbs.

These classic pieces are making a comeback.

“I’ve noticed that more young people are taking an interest in these timeless beauties,” says London antique dealer Matthew Upham.

And they’re so diverse, whether you want to add a touch of Regency grandeur or Edwardian swagger, there’s something to suit almost every interior.

Check out photos of expensively renovated London townhouses on the market and you’ll no doubt see a glittering chandelier hanging in the drawing room. And what a choice there is.

At the influential Decorex interior show in London this month, chandeliers from British firms Kansa and The Soho Lighting Company highlighted the new passion for more graceful lighting, evoking the grand days of the past. The Space Age era of the 1960s and the disco era of the 1970s were also represented.

Turn on a chandelier and you tune in to history. ‘The Romans used oil to light their chandeliers. And in early Byzantine times, the churches of Constantinople were decorated with huge, oil-lit chandeliers,” says Upham.

Over the following centuries, fuel sources evolved, using candles – from which the chandelier takes its name. Chandelier, a word borrowed from French, is derived from candela, the Latin for candle.

In the 19th century, oil and candles were replaced by gas and then electricity. Today, antique chandeliers are routinely modified to meet the demands of the 21st century.

Upham’s interest in chandeliers began at the age of eight when he dismantled a chandelier in his mother’s antique shop that he had bought at a stately home sale. “You never know anything until you take it apart,” he says.

Upham has had stores in Chelsea and Fulham for years, but as of January he will only be selling through his website (matthewupham.com) and offering all his stock at half price.

But he claims the chandelier’s return to popularity is based on a shift from the throwaway and a new willingness to embrace secondhand items with the glorious patina of the past.

The Apiales 18 modern chandelier designed for Nuura by Sofie Refer (£3,819, nest.co.uk)

Some pieces, such as those from Baccarat, the Paris-based manufacturer and star of 19th-century chandelier makers, are complex combinations of glass and gilt bronze or ‘ormolu’.

First created in the mid-18th century in Austria, Marie-Thérèse chandeliers are draped with flounced glass like rows of chains. Later pieces, such as the Art Deco examples, seem more understated.

Upham is passionate about his dazzling merchandise. But he also sees the chandelier as functional, with maximum light and impact.

A chandelier is traditionally seen as a great way to draw attention to a high ceiling; the higher the ceiling, the longer your chandelier can be.

While we might associate chandeliers with stately homes, they can make even small rooms seem bigger because, as Martin Waller, chief executive of the Andrew Martin furniture and furnishings group explains, a sparkly, showpiece will draw the eyes upward.

A Marie-Thérèse chandelier is a maximalist piece, with its curved arms in a bronze, gold or silver finish and faceted glass chains that refract the light. This wow factor explains its appeal among younger generations who have had enough of stripped-down Scandi chic.

John Lewis has a five-arm Marie-Thérèse style for £599 (johnlewis.com). Wilko has a black version for £50, an inexpensive way to move away from minimalism (wilko.com).

Matthew Upham has an early 20th century offering, with extra sparkle for £3,800.

And the modern Apiales 18 chandelier, designed for Nuura by Sofie Refer, would make a lovely central feature (£3,819, nest.co.uk).

Choose the right chandelier and it will always look expensive and there is something for every budget. For example, if you’d like to add a taste of the Parisian bistro to your dining area, you can find an early 1800s French style example in teardrop shape for £40, now £26.68, at Argos (argos.co. uk). Pooky lighting has a £450 version (pooky.com).

So let the chandelier revolution go on – but make sure you hire a professional to do the hanging.