Antique style lights, or Edison bulbs, are all the rage at the moment. You don’t have to go far to find one being proudly featured, whether in a funky bar, a dining room or at the barbers, it seems they are loved by creatives and trendies everywhere!!
They are fun, fashionable and oh so cool… So, what should we think about before bringing the antique light bulb home? One thing to bear in mind is that antique lighting does not offer the same level of brightness, or the same Lumens per watt ratio, as standard incandescent lighting will.
Generally, the antique bulb is lower in terms of colour temperature and produces orange light, rather than the standard soft yellow glow of incandescent bulbs. The orange glow is then brought out further by the classically tinted glass of the antique bulb. The combination of these factors gives the antique bulb a similar colour to that of a flame or the warm glow of the sky at sunset.
As a rule, when purchasing antique bulbs, remember that a 60-watt antique bulb will omit approximately halve the number of Lumens (brightness) as a standard lightbulb. If you do opt for a higher wattage antique bulb, check your fixtures wattage rating to ensure that it can handle the extra watts.
Use antique lighting as part of your lighting design, rather than the only source of lighting in a room. Antique lighting should be used as an accent, rather than as task, lighting; and the level of lighting it offers is probably not sufficient to replace overhead lights.