A Look at Lighting & Metalwork: Fixtures, Lamps & Hardware
Choosing lighting may be the most fun you can have when you are decorating a house. Arts & Crafts-era lighting was designed from the beginning for electricity. That led to an explosion of forms, both traditional (based on candlestick or gaslight) and brand new.
Combining utility with beauty like nothing else, lamps and fixtures express style in such beautiful materials as brass, nickel, mica, and stained glass. Arts & Crafts-era lighting may be the most visible and affordable way to add period ambiance and even art to a room.
As for hardware and metal accessories: everything is available, whether in iron, brass, copper, bronze, ceramic, or glass. As with furniture, design influences range from Mackintosh to Stickley, with medieval and Hispanic designs in the mix.
Mary Ellen Polson is a creative content editor and technical writer with over 20 years experience producing heavily illustrated know how and service journalism articles, full-length books, product copy, tips, Q&As, etc., on home renovation, design, and outdoor spaces.