The Look for Less: A vintage $450 light versus reproductions at a fraction of the cost
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
One of these is imported from Europe, is almost 100 years old and costs $450. The other two are contemporary reproductions that sell online for about one-third the price of the vintage fixture. All of them are part of an increasingly popular decorating trend.
The New York City architect Matthew Bremer calls it “the bare bulb aesthetic”: fixtures that take cues from old factory lights with wire cages.’Loft living has glorified the simple, functional object,’ says Bremer, founder of Architecture in Formation.
Which of the examples here is the authentic European light and which are the contemporary reproductions? Answers after the jump.
The early 20th century fixture pictured above is the $450 European import from Voila in Los Angeles. The store’s salvaged lighting collection also includes the pieces below: a work light on wheels with a retractable cord, $650, and an old theater lamp with its original amber bulbs, $1,400. ‘People who buy these tend to like the industrial look,’ says Katrien Van der Schueren, the owner of Voila. ‘This type of light also brings warmth in a very contemporary interior.’
The North Loop lamp, below left, has a rusted steel wire cage that closes to cover and protect the bulb and can be opened at the bottom, creating a bell shape with petals like a flower. It is $195 from the Sundance Catalog.
The Workshop Cage pendants, below right, are by the Sausalito, Calif., home decor firm Roost. They offer a similar open-and-shut versatility and are available in three sizes and shiny brass or nickel finishes. Price: $143 from Velocity Art and Design.
-- David A. Keeps
Photos courtesy of Voila, Sundance Catalog and Roost.
RECENT AND RELATED: