4 Tips to Caring for Your Chandelier 0

Taking care of a chandelier can be a tricky job, especially if it's an original and not a replica or knock-off. To keep your chandelier (or chandeliers) in beautiful and great condition, here are 4 tips to follow.

1. Weekly dusting

Chandeliers are notorious dust-traps, attracting dust and insects all the time. They can quickly get dull and the light can become dimmer over time as a result.

Don't just wave a duster at it though, as the dust will simply fly into the air and resettle on your chandelier. Use a soft cloth or a static-free duster every week to remove excess dust, and don't be afraid to get on a ladder and get up close and personal.

Whatever you do, just be careful and, if you are using a ladder, make sure it's secure and there's someone nearby to help stabilize you.

2. Monthly inspections

The older a piece is, the more susceptible it is to rust, temperature fluctuations and other potential damage. It's a good idea to inspect the chandelier once a month, or at least once every two months.

Check any glass, crystal or perspex pieces for chips and cracks. Take a look at (but please don't touch!) the wiring to make sure nothing has become frayed or exposed.

Also look at any metal part, including chains, hooks or links, to make sure they aren't bent, broken or rusted.

3. Seasonal deep cleaning

This is something that should be done seasonally, or at a minimum every six months.

The more intricate the chandelier and the more pieces it has, the less often you may want to do it to avoid accidentally breaking parts. 

Italian Mid Century Round Eight Tired Tronchi Chandelier

If your chandelier includes many glass, crystal or perspex parts, you'll want to carefully wash those in warm, soapy water every three to six months.

The timing can also depend on where in the house the chandelier is - for example, those in the kitchen will build up humidity and grease a lot more quickly that those in the bedroom.

Take your time dismantling and washing the pieces, then reassemble it when everything is completely dry. If the ceramic or other hardware parts are fragile, very delicate or have any age damage, you'll want to do this process less often.

4 - Call a professional

While it's admirable to take personal care of your Art Deco or Mid-Century Modern chandelier, there's absolutely no reason not to use a professional for the cleaning.

We're quite confident anyone should be able to manage the dusting, but maintenance and deep cleaning can present challenges for non-experts.

French Art Deco Brass and Nickel Chandelier

Get to know the materials your chandelier is made out of and learn what cleaning products are best suited to their care.

Remember that vintage and antique pieces will be made from different materials, or that the materials will have undergone different processes to modern pieces, and this can affect their cleaning and maintenance needs.

If you have any doubt at all, go ahead and call in a professional. The store where you bought your genuine Art Deco or Mid-Century Modern chandelier should have a list of providers they trust to take care of their pieces, and will happily recommend them to you.

5 Cozy Bedroom Lighting Tips 1

I don't know about you, but for me the bedroom is about more than just getting a good night's sleep - and before you grin like that, my personal second-favorite thing is to curl up in bed with a great book.

Of course, that means I need enough light to read by, and that meant planning my bedroom lighting pretty carefully. I wanted mood lighting, rather than bright lighting, but needed a good source of additional light for reading.

Lighting your bedroom depends a lot on what your bedroom means to you. Is it a sanctuary away from the hustle and bustle, do you like to watch TV in bed, or do you spend half your life there? Here are five things to consider when lighting up your bedroom.

1 - Light gets in your eyes

These Italian Murano Hand-blown Calla Lilies provide beautiful indirect lighting

I've seen so many houses where a sconce or ceiling light is positioned right in the line of sight from the bed. All that's going to do is hurt your eyes and give you a headache. Positioning is very important for bedroom lighting, because relaxing is key.

Sconces, ceiling lights and chandeliers should be placed where they will give good lighting without getting in your eyes, but where they will give enough light for purpose.

2 - Brighter shades of pale

To create good mood lighting without being too dark, the right kind of shade is needed. You don't want the lights to be too bright or too dim, so using a shade that diffuses the light well will help strike that balance.

This French Art Deco nickel over wrought iron floral chandelier provides plentiful, but diffuse light, thanks to the frosted glass shade

On that point, choose lightbulbs in warm white rather than cool white, to help create a warmer, more relaxing atmosphere.

3 - More is more

Don't feel you need to limit yourself with bedroom lighting. There's no reason to have just an overhead light and a couple of beside lamps. By playing with different levels of lighting you can create multiple levels of mood. 

Depending on the size of your room, you can include everything from chandeliers to table lamps, sconces to standing lamps to help illuminate specific areas and tasks, and create levels of mood.

A well-placed French Art Deco figured wood and bronze floor torchiere can add just enough mood lighting to a dark corner

4 - Accentuate the positive

Now I know that, by definition, the bed really is the focal point of a bedroom and since I just said up in point one that you don't want to shine a light directly at it, the idea of accenting may seem counter-intuitive. 

There are, however, many different ways to accent something without lighting it directly. Try a little backlighting behind the headboard, or even incorporating lights right into it.

5 - Why so serious?

This pair of French Art Deco alabaster sconces could easily double as bedside lights

Have fun and get creative with lighting options. Are your bedside tables too small for a table lamp? Why not place a couple of sconces to serve as reading lights instead? Dressing area a little dark? Glam it up with an over-the-top chandelier.

Whether your bedroom is a high-traffic zone or a secluded area for one (or two), it's still a reflection on your personality and style. It deserves as much lighting attention as the rest of your home, so take time planning it and you'll have a bedroom to enjoy.