10/24/2018 12 Different Chandelier Styles and Shapes - Housessive

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LIGHT

12 Di erent Chandelier Styles and

Shapes

Karen

LIGHT • KAREN • MAY 30, 2018 • 0 COMMENTS

Chandeliers, quite literally, light up your life.

Yes, we can hear that duh, obviously! that’s running through your mind. But bear with us
for a moment!

The impact lighting, or more speci cally: light, has on your psyche has been
scienti cally proven time and time again. A well-lit room does just as much to lift your
spirits, to foster relaxation, to help concentration, or to boost energy, as satisfying
hobbies, trusted friends, and good food does. What studies of all kind fail to recognize,

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however, is the effect aesthetically pleasing light xtures have. And more, how easily a
room can be transformed by the addition of just the right kind of luminaires.

Chandeliers in particular have this transformative power. Depending on your choice of

style, a chandelier can add gravitas, luxury, elegance, air, geometry, retro style,
homeliness or comfort to any room. To help you navigate the many different styles and
shapes of chandeliers available, we’ve collected the most common (and beautiful)
varieties for you.

Table of Contents
1. Traditional 7. Empire
2. Tiered 8. Waterfall
3. Crystal 9. Sputnik
4. Shaded / Glass 10. Rustic
5. Candle 11. Globe
6. Drum 12. Contemporary

Traditional

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Photo: Wayfair

Strictly speaking, you can differentiate between two types of chandeliers: the
traditional, and the tiered chandelier.

The traditional chandelier has its lights arranged on one level. This type can be
characterised by ornate details, scrolling, and ligree, and can come in any style.

Since, as the name suggests, it is the more conventional option, the traditional
chandelier will t in nearly every room, regardless of size or design.

Its most restrained forms add understated elegance, its more elaborate forms quiet
luxury.

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Tiered

Photo: Savoy House Lighting

In contrast to the traditional type, the tiered chandelier has its lights arranged on
multiple levels.

The most basic type boasts two levels, but there are no limits upwards. As long as the
room is high enough, there’s nothing stopping you from going all out when it comes to
numbers of tiers.

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Again, this type of chandelier can come in any style, though due to its inherent
grandeur, the more multi-layered versions tend to increase in elegance proportionally
to the number of tiers.

Tiered chandeliers add elegance and luxury to the room, providing a visual focal point
that is hard to recreate in any other manner.

Crystal

Photo: Traumkronleuchter

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The crystal chandelier is most likely the style that instantly comes to mind when you
hear the word “chandelier”.

In general, this style describes chandeliers whose lights and/or tiers are surrounded by
or attached to rock or glass crystals. The crystals by themselves add a certain glamour
to the lighting xture, however their main purpose is to break the emitted light,
creating beautiful rainbow-coloured re ections in the process.

Due to their elegance, crystal chandeliers are better suited to luxurious rooms, adding
drama and richness to any formal setting. They work beautifully as statement pieces in
your foyer, add beauty to your dining room, or speak of luxury in your living- or
bedroom.

Due to their ornate style, even the smallest crystal chandeliers draw the eye and work
best in rooms be tting their chic. However, done right, a crystal chandelier can be
beautifully used to juxtapose classic elegance and casual understatement in your home.

Shaded / Glass

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Photo: Lamps Plus

The terms shaded and glass chandelier can, in most cases, be used interchangeably.

Glass chandeliers are, as you might guess, the style of chandelier that comes with glass
shades around the individual light bulbs. Shaded chandeliers typically see those glass
covers coloured or smoked, however there are some variants that use cloth or other
sheer material for their shades (these, obviously do not qualify as the glass style).

The beauty of glass/shaded chandeliers is their incredible variety. This style of

chandelier comes in many variants, from rustic to incredibly ornate crystal, and thus ts
any room. Another added bonus is that you can easily make the shaded style seem as if
it was built with your speci c room in mind by choosing a glass coloured matching your
sofa, wall colour, curtains, etc.

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True glass chandeliers with clear covers usually t best in airy rooms or places you
require good, bright lighting (such as a study or an open-plan kitchen slash dining area).
With shaded chandeliers, on the other hand, you can effectively create a more discreet
lighting effect that promotes coziness or romance (like you would want to have around
your sofa or in the bedroom).

Candle

Photo: Amazon

The candle style can mean either of two variants: a chandelier with lights that look like
candles, or a chandelier using actual candles for lights.

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The more common of the two is, obviously, the one pictured above: the one with lights
styled like candles. Typically for this kind of chandelier you will want to pick light bulbs
that mimic the shape of candle ames, thus increasing the illusion even further.

The second variant, however, has grown more and more popular these past years. While
it is rather unusual to encounter this type of lighting in an indoor setting, there has
been a resurgence for true candle chandeliers in semi-outdoor places like
conservatories or roofed terraces, where softly ickering candlelight greatly enhances
the atmosphere.

Generally speaking, candle chandeliers are fairly formal, and oftentimes come as a
hybrid with the crystal chandelier, evoking the splendour of the time when ickering
candle candelabras lit up opulent ballrooms. There are, however, also more restrained
styles, like the one above, that add a certain rustic charm to the room with their
understated, clear form.

Drum

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Photo: Joss & Main

The drum chandelier is a simple, elegant style that typically has a series of light
surrounded by a drum-shaped shade.

Typically, the shade is made of crisp, light fabric that creates a beautifully soft light. The
xture itself oftentimes is made up of clean chrome, nickle, or silver, thus creating an
understated look of elegance that t nearly every room.

The drum chandelier is perfect to give focus to a speci c area of a room and is therefore
also perfectly suited mounted in your of ce space or over a table. With their soft
lighting, drum chandeliers are also particularly well-suited for bathrooms and
bedrooms.

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Empire

Photo: Overstock

The empire chandelier is a very classic and formal style that grants elegance and
tradition to the room.

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An empire style lamp is de ned by its shape. The chandelier is made of two parts – the
upper part is cone-shaped, while the lower is formed like a bowl or an inverted bell.

Typically, the empire is a sub-form of the crystal chandelier, in which the crystals
themselves make up the distinctive shape.

This type of chandelier ts best in a grand, upscale setting, preferably in older buildings
with high, ornamented ceilings.

Waterfall

Photo: House Furniture Ideas

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As the name suggests, the waterfall style chandelier evokes memories of water droplets
cascading down the xture.

In general, the waterfall chandelier is a variant of the crystal style, whereby the crystals
themselves oftentimes are shaped like drops or appear in the form of glass “strings” to
simulate rivulets of water.

In terms of form, the waterfall chandelier can come in a variety of bases – round,
square, geometric, ornate,… . This style, therefore, lends itself to a wide range of room
designs, ranging from the elaborately formal to the stylish geometric.

Sputnik

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Photo: Unitary

The sputnik design is a staple of the art-deco era. This chandelier style derives its name
from the (Russian) astronomical term for satellite, and echos this association in its style.

A number of arms branch off from a central point, sometimes in a regular fashion
forming a circle, sometimes in more random patterns that evoke associations to a star
pattern.

The sputnik chandelier is a very fashionable light xture that ts wonderfully into
stylish living- and bedrooms. And if you feel adventurous, the sputnik style can be used
to creatively break up a more classic setting, for example a formal dining room that
would usually see the use of a crystal chandelier.

Rustic

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Photo: The Home Depot

Rustic chandeliers tend to feature clean, modern lines that mimic the drama of their
classic glass-and-crystal ancestors.

This candelabra style oftentimes blends wood with brushed iron, giving it a rustic,
country-home feeling that adds warmth to any room.

If you like the shape of more traditional grand chandeliers, but don’t have the rooms to
t those epic pieces, the rustic style might be a suitable choice for your home.

Globe

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Photo: Shades of Light

The name of this style says it all – this chandelier essentially is a series of lights
surrounded by metal, wood, or other materials in a cage-like fashion to create a globe
effect.

Since this chandelier comes in a variety of styles and materials, it can t nearly every
kind of room design. Try a reduced brushed iron globe to add a touch of softness to an
otherwise geometrical modern living room, use a wood-heavy frame to add warmth and
homeliness to your dining area, or chose a crystal-adorned variant to add glamour and
elegance to your reception area.

Contemporary
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Photo: Etsy

And nally, the contemporary style.

Contemporary chandeliers come in a plethora of styles and designs, ranging from the
bare minimalist to creatively futuristic.

What this style does have in common, and how you are able to easily identify it, is an
adherence to clean lines and a sleek design (even though the contemporary chandelier
can have a bombastically elaborate overall-look).

Oftentimes the contemporary style utilizes clear materials like stainless steel or glass,
adding a touch of luxurious modernity to your home.

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