Antique Globe Lamps

Vanessa Weber Interior Design Expert

Vanessa is a New York-based designer specializing in architectural lighting. Whether you are planning an event, want to illuminate your backyard retreat or simply need advice on what lamp to purchase for your bedroom, Vanessa will be more than happy to share her knowledge and expertise.

Updated 08/04/2021

These antique globe lamps are amazing. Beautiful and functional, they accent a space in a way few lamps can, while still giving off all the necessary light needed to illuminate an area of the home. Or just leave them off and revel in their ornate design and enriching elegance. See what we mean as you take a look through this collection.

Buying Guide

Antique globe lamps are incredible additions to any room, especially if you are going for a classic themed living space. Even if you are going for a modern or contemporary style, an antique globe lamp will add the contrast to the place so it won't feel too monotonous.

Buying an antique globe lamp can be a complex task if you want to do it right. To help increase your chances of getting that "perfect" lamp for your place, here's a buying guide for antique globe lamps.

What kind of lighting does an antique globe lamp offer?

There are two basic categories of lighting. There's the ambient and the task. When a lamp is said to be for ambient lighting, then it means that its primary purpose is to provide illumination for the room. If the lamp is for task lighting, then it's intended to provide you with light so you can do a specific task better like reading or drafting.

The typical design of a globe lamp allows the light to spread in all directions. Thus, globe lamps are typically used for ambient lighting. This also means that they are a poor choice if you need a light for reading or other tasks.

What does antique really mean?

These days, the term antique will often mean two things: a real antique or antique-looking.

An antique-looking globe lamp means that it's a new item, but it's crafted in a way that it appears as if it's old. The advantage of antique-looking is you'll get that "old world" charm at an affordable cost.
A real antique is an old item that is still valuable for one or more reasons (i.e., age, limited edition, rich history). Real antiques carry authenticity and luxuriousness, which is why they are the primary choices if appeal or look is your primary concern. Keep in mind that buying a real antique adds another facet to the purchasing decision. Hence, this article is going to explore more on real antique globe lamps.

What categories of real antiques are there?

When buying a real antique, you’ll be acquainted with different terms:

Vintage - It's a broad term that is often used to describe collectibles that came from the 40's to the 60's.
Near Antique - A term used to describe an item that is between 75 - 99 years of age.
True Antique - For many antique dealers, "true antique" is a term used to describe collectibles that are more than 100 years old.

Now that you know the different terms of antiques, you also need to know about the different conditions:

Good Condition - Working but may have visible chips and cracks.
Excellent Condition - Minor flaws or has undergone repair.
Mint - Good as new.

The most common reason why people fail at purchasing the right antique globe lamp is that they don't know what they are doing. You can remedy this problem by gaining a bit of education. Keeping in mind the points mentioned above is a step in the right direction.