Art Deco Lighting: Chandeliers, Sconces and Pendants

Art Deco lighting is built on symmetry, geometric shapes (fans, stepped tiers, zigzags, sunbursts) and a mix of metal and glass. For a moody, romantic version, choose a fixture in aged brass or blackened metal with smoked or frosted glass, then give it a warm bulb and a dimmer.

It's very common to love the look and feel unsure about size, bulbs or weight. This post covers all three, fixture by fixture, so the glow ends up flattering instead of theatrical.

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What is Art Deco lighting?

It's the lighting that came out of the Art Deco period in the early 20th century: streamlined, symmetrical and a little glamorous. Instead of the curly ornament of earlier styles, the decoration comes from repeated geometry, such as stepped glass, radiating lines and tiered rings.

The glamorous version for a home leans on contrast. Glossy glass and polished metal catch light, while darker finishes soften it. For a vampy, romantic mood I lean toward the darker side: smoked glass, blackened steel and brass that is allowed to age.

Which materials and finishes work best?

Glass and metal do most of the work, so it pays to choose them well.

• Brass, either polished for shine or unlacquered if you like it to darken over time.
• Oil-rubbed bronze or blackened steel for a heavier, shadowy look.
• Smoked, frosted or opal glass, which diffuses the bulb and reads warmer than clear glass.
• Real glass over acrylic. Plastic "crystal" tends to look flat and cloudy in low light, and it doesn't refract much.

If you want to mix metals, don't try to match the fixture exactly to your cabinet pulls. A bronze fixture next to brass hardware looks collected, not catalog-ordered.

How do you size an Art Deco chandelier?

A common rule of thumb: add the room's length and width in feet, and read the sum as inches of fixture diameter. A 12 by 14 foot room suggests a fixture of about 26 inches. As an architect, I'd go a little larger for a dramatic Art Deco chandelier, as long as the ceiling can take it, because an undersized fixture makes a moody room feel timid.

• Over a dining table, hang the bottom about 30-36 inches above the surface.
• In walking areas, keep the bottom at least 7 feet off the floor.
• With 9-foot ceilings or higher, pick a tiered or tall fixture. A flat one gets lost.
• With low ceilings, choose a drum or cage semi-flush mount and skip long chains.

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Where do sconces and pendants fit?

Art Deco wall sconces

Art Deco wall sconces are a good way to add the style without a big fixture. Pairs flanking a mirror, headboard or fireplace suit the style's love of symmetry. Uplight sconces with frosted shades wash the ceiling with soft light and fill in the harsh shadows a dramatic chandelier can throw. For more on this, see warm bulbs, sconces and glow.

Art Deco pendant lights

Art Deco pendant lights work over kitchen islands, stair landings and bedside tables. Use a row of identical pendants, spaced evenly, to echo the style's repetition. Keep an island pendant's bottom about 30-36 inches above the counter so nobody has to look around it.

Bathrooms and small rooms

For an Art Deco light fixture in a bathroom, choose one rated for damp locations and pair it with sconces at face height. A powder room is also the best place to go bold, since you don't spend long in it. Hire a licensed electrician for any wiring.

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Which bulbs suit Art Deco fixtures?

Warm light carries this style. I recommend 2700K or lower, and about 2200K if you want a candle-like glow. Color temperature is one of the main ways light appearance is described, as the U.S. Department of Energy's color and spectrum page explains. Look for a CRI of 90 or higher so deep greens, navies and reds don't turn muddy.

Multi-bulb fixtures don't need strong bulbs. A twelve-bulb chandelier fitted with 60-watt equivalents will blind the table, so go for lower-output bulbs and add a dimmer. LEDs are a good fit: the Department of Energy notes that good-quality white LED products are expected to last 30,000 to 50,000 hours or longer. Match the dimmer to the bulb type, or you'll get flicker and buzzing.

Light also affects sleep. The U.S. Department of Energy says "Light plays a key role in setting and regulating the body's biological clock." In bedrooms, that's one more reason to keep the bulbs warm and low.

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What should you check before installing a heavy fixture?

• Glass and metal fixtures are heavy. Have an electrician confirm the ceiling box is rated for the weight and fixed to framing, not just drywall.
• Use the safety cable if the fixture comes with one.
• Account for rug thickness when measuring clearance.
• If you have a climbing cat, skip low dangling beads or tassels near furniture they can jump from. Rigid metal or glass globes are safer for the fixture and the animal.

To balance a dark fixture, repeat its weight lower down with a dark rug, furniture legs or heavy drapes. Dark rug patterns and dramatic curtains both do this well.

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How do you keep the drama from feeling gloomy?

Layer the light. Put the chandelier on one dimmer, sconces or lamps on another, and add a picture light if you have art (see picture lights for a museum feel). The Illuminating Engineering Society and International Dark Skies Association sum up good night lighting as thoughtful deployment, optical control that directs light only where necessary, the minimum amount of light, controls, and careful color temperature selection. That works well at home too: aim light where you need it and let the corners stay dim.

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