Vintage lighting elements effortlessly meet the dual goal of giving home décor a luxe effect while providing light.

Lighting is one of the most important and an integral part of any decor. Lighting a space in the correct manner enhances the aesthetics and the mood of the space. With lighting one can choose the part or corner of a space that needs to be lit.

The Specifics

Adding vintage lights can help make the interior look elegant. Chandeliers, a branched ornamental light fixture mounted on ceiling or maybe on walls are the classic centerpiece of the room that will enhance the style by complementing its surroundings. “This light fixture from the forgotten times adds just the right amount of brightness to any room. If you want to decorate your bedroom, then choose those small chandeliers with highlighted design work that will enhance the room and make it look more beautiful. But, if you are looking at a bigger area like a living area, then it is advisable to go for a big chandelier that will highlight each corner of that particular room. This also gives a royal touch to your living space,” says Anjali Jain, Owner, Kala Dhristi. “An aptly styled vintage light can give the right balance to a designed space not only in terms of providing task lighting, which is more functional and concentrated but can also serve as an accent element providing decorative lighting to highlight various elements of design such as artwork, sculpture, and landscaping to accentuate the overall ambience of the designed space,” explains Mithun S. Sheth, CEO and Co-Founder, AMA Design Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

Décor Mantra

Vintage lights can be used in many ways. They can adorn your walls as wall lights, bed-end lights, mirror lights in walk-in closets and bathrooms. There is no end to how a ceiling can be decorated with these vintage lights.  “Chandeliers of 7 feet to 12 feet can be used in a corner of the space or in two-three level living rooms, stair case areas and also foyers. Horizontal lighting along the ceiling can be a statement piece of a space. My personal favourite is to use vintage lights as partitions- demarking the space; suspended from the ceiling and all the way landing on the floor depending on the rest of the decor of the space,” avers Vaishnavipratima, interior designer and founder of Vaishnavipratima: interiors studio. Vintage lights not only add a style quotient missing from the LED lights but can also enhance the living spaces. “Adding lanterns or hurricanes to a table or to a corner beautifies any space. Pairing lanterns with soft warm textures in the living room or the classical hurricane finishes with decorative objects, adds life and story to any room,” opines Ishaan Sarna, CEO of Sammsara.

Do it Right

The most important thing to remember when using this décor style is to use it cautiously. Care should be taken not to overdo the style by using too many of these in a singular space. “These lights work best as accent lights since they may not have the best throw of light to work as ambient lights or adequate lux levels to be used as task lighting. Hence vintage lights should always be supported by other lights – overhead or ambient lighting for a general overall light and task lighting for specific tasks such as reading,” says Lakshmi Chand Singh, Founder and Principal Architect, Homesbydesign. Mugdha A Bhagchandka, Creative Lead at Hèrmosa Design Studio adds, “no matter how new your house may be, it’s easy to make your space feel cozy by adding little touches of vintage lighting here and there. Once you have decided on the vintage lighting effect, the devil is in the details. Always pay attention to the little details to compliment the entire look.”

Contemporary Cues

Huge chandeliers in different gem stone colours and with high end lighting with semi-precious gemstones and crystals are the new trends. Rose quartz and copper finishes are replacing gold finishes. Shreyasi Pathak, Stylist, Vajor avers, “a modern bohemian approach towards lighting accessories has resulted in products that bring a vintage flavour to your space and yet keep it minimal. The most coveted accessory these days are metal and glass lanterns. These are an absolute rage not just for the look but, also for their modularity. For those who like something little extra, Moroccan hanging lanterns lend a more ornate appeal.” Hand blown glass in large sizes and irregular shapes are also trending. Vintage lights are used as accent pieces and conversation starters. “Art deco lighting has become common, as well as industrial lighting. According to me the new trend in vintage lighting is the mid-century lighting styles that have come back into fashion,” says Sarah Sham, Principal Designer, Essajees Atelier. Layers of light are as important to design a welcoming outdoor living area as they are to indoor spaces. “Brighten an entryway with a hanging design, add style to outside walls or ceilings, or use post lights to improve your driveway, garden areas and garage areas. Using vintage style is a carefully considered decision, but when done right – can give your home that singular, unparalleled look,” concludes Shezaan Bhojani, Co-Founder and CEO of Design Café.

Tips

• When decorating your space with vintage lights, make sure that you do not overdo the entire space with antiques else your home will look like a museum.
• If you want to mount a vintage wall light then do it against a dark wall, this will make the light as the focal point.

• Choose the size of the lights in proportion to the space.
• Colours of vintage lights need to be carefully chosen to balance the rest of the decor.
• One statement light fixture in small houses is good to have.

This story first appeared in Deccan Chronicle Bengaluru dated 7th Jan 2019 here: