Antique Parlor 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 29/04/2021

One thing you might have seen in the nicest of estates a few decades back and beyond, was a decorative, attractive and colorful parlor lamp. Now you can add that quality lamp from the past to your home's parlor with one of our vintage parlor lamps. In many styles and floral patterns, these parlor lamps will look wonderful as an addition to your home decor. Take a stroll through this collection for yours.

Buying Guide

Every home needs lighting, and if you're a person who likes accessories from days gone by that are fancy, consider antique parlor lamps to accent your interior. These pieces also say something about lighting history.

Although oil lamps are prehistoric, even when Victoria began her long reign as Queen of the British Empire in 1837, people in the U.S. were using them and candles to illuminate their homes.

In order to keep the flame from going out, the lamp's burner was surrounded by a glass or ceramic chimney. By the late 1860s, lamps that used kerosene were also in wide use. No matter what the fuel source, people embraced these lamps because they combined decorative touches with practicality.

What are the characteristic features of antique parlor lamps?

Antique parlor lamps that have two or three globes/glass sections are often called "Gone With the Wind" lamps now. Despite the fact that they are named for the 1939 film, they were popular from 1890 to 1910. The lowest globe held the fuel reservoir.

Other lamps of this era had a single glass or ceramic shade. During the Civil War era and the Victorian period, the parlor was the room where most people entertained their guests. Homeowners spent all the money they could afford to furnish it. The finest examples of these lamps were made using top-shelf materials and embellishments, including:

Lampshades with tassels
Flowers and other ornamentation painted on the glass
Glass of many types: colored glass, cut glass, milk glass, etched glass and more
Brass scrollwork
Crystal pendants and chains
Four-footed bases
Figurines at the base

How to decorate with antique parlor lamps?

Contemporary lamps in this style use electricity, and they can fit into the style of many rooms. They are available in uncolored glass and in glass of blue, pink, white, off-white, green and other colors. Accents on the lamps are often in brass.

Antique parlor lamps fit into a space that's furnished in the Victorian style, of course, but since today’s interior designers go for eclectic pairings, consider putting one in a contemporary room. Think living room, dining room or bedroom. Don’t forget your bathroom either. You could also put it in on a table in your entrance hallway. Wherever you have your home office or space for working on craft projects, think about putting it there too. Since they are artfully made, why not place them near artwork?

Will an antique parlor lamp make a good gift?

Antique parlor lamps are ideal for someone who's interested in the history of the Victorian era and the Civil War. A hunter will probably enjoy a lamp with elks painted on it. The person you know who carefully tends his or her rose garden is likely to appreciate a lamp with roses on it.

Lighting usually takes a backseat to other aspects of decorating. It's essential, however. With careful consideration, antique parlor lamps can be a part of almost any well-designed living space.