Chandeliers: New Trends And Designs

Everything really does come back in style, and chandeliers are again high fashion for homeowners. The elegant lighting fixtures lost points in recent decades for their ornate "fussiness" and the (incorrect) perception that they required onerous maintenance.

As with anything that comes back in vogue, though, today's chandeliers feature a few changes from their predecessors, most notably price. Lightening manufacturers have made the beauty of chandeliers more accessible by offering attractive designs for hundreds?instead of thousands?of dollars.

Much of this has to do with the manufacturer's newfound willingness to deviate from the standard brass and crystal design. While plenty of traditional models are available, homeowners can now purchase chandeliers made from rustic iron, as well as fixtures made of alabaster and stone and even tropical-themed bamboo styles.

Pastoral antler chandeliers are also making a comeback, popular with both the country sophisticates and those who appreciate a fair amount of kitsch. Tiffany-style and stained glass chandeliers?the kind found in casual eateries and barrooms throughout the 1970s?are back too, but with a twist. New color palates featuring the softer, nuetral hues used in many home decors are replacing the gaudy patterns from years ago.

Mottled paper shades featuring pressed flowers, vibrant colored crystals in abstract shapes and modern "wire" chandeliers are also popping up in households everywhere.

Perhaps most interestingly, where as years ago homeowners were loathe to hang any chandeliers, a new trend is to double up. Designs show that many people are opting to use two smaller chandeliers to light a space, rather than one grand fixture.

The best rule of all, though, is that clean, simple lines never go out of style. After all, no homeowner wants to be stuck with a chandelier comparable to acid washed jeans or bouffant hair.

With all the new styles out today, finding a stylish chandelier shouldn't be hard.

Learn more about chandeliers at the Chandelier Blog