Gone With The Wind Lamps - Parlor Lamps
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.
Antique parlor lamp
Antique parlor lamp
This hurricane-style gone with the wind lamp is a masterpiece of craftsmanship. It’s bound to become a conversation starter thanks to its extremely decorative design. From its beads to the ornate base, it’ll actively complement most antique decors, and it could even be placed in shabby chic homes.
Designer Advice:
Scout for a parlor lamp that works well with your current palette. For example, this model would look divine in a room that relies on plenty of white and has pink as an accent. You could reinforce it even further by introducing more small items in the same shades, such as cushions and vases.
Statement parlor lamp
Statement parlor lamp
This vintage parlor lamp is an authentic piece from the 50s. It showcases a delightful floral design and impeccable attention to detail, such as through the harmonious shape of its top section and the decorative base.
Designer Advice:
Gone with the wind lamps would look out of place in contemporary interiors. Instead, use them to complement antique or Victorian rooms. They can also work well with vintage decors relying on several ornamental pieces, floral patterns, and wallpaper. When involving white and pink, some of these lamps can be a stylish addition to shabby chic rooms, too. Finally, get creative by introducing them into eclectic homes.
Hand painted gone with the wind lamp
Hand painted gone with the wind lamp
This three-way lamp was designed and hand-painted in the 40s. It showcases charming milk-glass globes and a brass base. Given its heavily ornate design, we only recommend this lamp with antique decors that already include similar pieces.
Decorative gone with the wind lamp
Decorative gone with the wind lamp
Yi Hui
This floral gone with the wind lamp reaches 24” in height. Its pink and violet blossoms really stand out against the white design. You could take this idea to the next level by placing it next to some fresh flowers in those same hues.
Antique oil lamp in a gone with the wind design
Antique oil lamp in a gone with the wind design
This parlor lamp dates all the way back to the 19th century! Reaching 25” in height, it’ll immediately steal the scene no matter where you place it. You can use it to complement cold palettes or create some contrast in a room that mainly relies on warm hues.
Designer Advice:
Oil lamps are more portable, so you’ll easily get to move yours around whenever needed. They’ll also reinforce your antique inspiration even more. However, they tend to require more maintenance and can be considered less practical. If you’d rather put functionality before authenticity, you should look for electrified models instead.
Vintage parlor lamp
Vintage parlor lamp
This is an original gone with the wind lamp from the 60s. Its three-way switch makes it particularly versatile. You can choose to light only the shade or the bottom individually or together. The latter acts as a nightlight: perfect for bedrooms.
Buying Guide
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.
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.
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
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?
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.
