Tiffany Lamp FAQ

Q. What are the historical roots of Tiffany?
A. Louis Comfort Tiffany was the son of Charles Tiffany, the famous New York City jeweler. Tiffany became a legendary artist, painter, designer and architect who thrived in the late 1800s to the early 20th Century. He invented new methods of creating stained-glass lamps using a new type of glowing, Favrile iridescent glass, which is indelibly associated with the name Tiffany. He was a world traveler and was inspired by much of the art and antiques of Europe, and in response he created many Roman and Mediterranean designs, among several other styles.

Today, several different companies including Kichler, Quoizel, Meyda handcraft Tiffany reproductions using the same type of glass and designs that Tiffany himself used. These companies also create their own original designs as well.

Q. Who were some of the other important early pioneers of Tiffany-style lamps?
A. There were other studios doing various types of decorative lighting. One was Duffner and Kimberly, and Meyda Tiffany has a reproduction collection of its lamps in its line. Another was Handel Studios, well known for painted and leaded glass shades with quality that rivaled Tiffany's. In addition, the Pairpoint Corp. produced reverse-painted, three-dimensional floral table lamps during the 1920s. Other artists who were developing Nouveau and Mission designs were William Morris, Frank Lloyd Wright and Gustav Stickley. Their designs were a little different from Tiffany's, but they all used art and stained glass.

Another company, Quality Bent Glass, manufactured Tiffany-style lamps for Tiffany studios and is also credited with making the original Coca-Cola® chandeliers. Quality Bent Glass was founded around 1900. Meyda Tiffany acquired the company about a decade ago and continues to use the original tools, molds and techniques.

Q. What are some of the more popular styles in Tiffany and other art glass designs right now?
A. Stained-glass windows and fire-place screens, some of which are Tiffany or Frank Lloyd Wright designs, are popular. Quoizel also has their Autumn Ridge Series of outdoor lanterns and indoor lamps and fixtures with hand rubbed bronze frames. Additionally, Meyda offers the Old Forge Collection of American-made custom-crafted steel lighting and accessories that incorporate art glass shades with wildlife designs, featuring the Lodge look that is popular today.

Q. What style of decor compliments Tiffany?
A. Tiffany lighting works with almost anything. Perhaps the best word to describe the look is "eclectic." Using art glass and Tiffany's famous copper-foil construction process, Meyda has introduced many looks in decorative lighting. From the new Metro line with a contemporary look to fleur-de-lis, sunflower, grape and rose styles, Meyda integrates Old World craftsmanship with fresh, new looks and original designs. Most importantly, custom Tiffany and other art glass lighting and decor can be created in nearly any design and size imaginable

Q&A: Low Voltage Halogen Recessed Lighting

Q. Why use low voltage halogen recessed lighting?
A. Low voltage halogen recessed fixtures provide a high-quality, powerful light source with a small aperture trim. This allows the end user to achieve a more aesthetically appealing ceiling line while offering a number of illumination environments. In many cases, low voltage halogen also provides energy savings.

Q. Can low voltage halogen recessed lighting be used for general area lighting?
A. Absolutely. In today's typical 9-foot ceilings, low voltage fixtures are an excellent alternative to the large, obtrusive R30 or R40 incandescent fixtures commonly used in homes. Because miniature low voltage halogen lamps are available in a variety of beam spreads and wattages, you can illuminate any room, no matter the size, with greater flexibility and design.

Q. What should home owners look for when shopping for low voltage recessed lighting?
A. Numerous options are available when considering low voltage recessed lighting. Seek out a vendor with strong product knowledge who will be able to assist in suggesting the best product for the desired result. It is important always to consider a manufacturer that offers high-quality construction, ease of installation, extended warranties and a wide variety of trim finishes to match the desired decor and application.

Q. What about reliability?
A. It is very important to look into the reliability and quality of construction when considering low voltage recessed halogen fixtures. Cutting corners can become very expensive and frustrating down the road. Things to look for are extended warranties on electrical parts, such as transformers and sockets. This is an indication that the manufacturers stand behind their products. The quality of materials used in the construction of trims and housings as well as the design of moving parts will also be an indication if headaches are around the corner. Stick to reputable and long-established manufacturers.

What Makes us Different

I get a kick out of headlines like “dot-com opens brick and mortar showroom” or “online magazine buys print magazine”. It’s not that I don’t get the reasons why, it’s just that those examples are the exact opposite of what we did and I honestly can't imagine doing it the other way.

Well, to cut to the chase, our business model started with a real, physical storefront not the other way around. We’re taking twenty years worth of lighting expertise and bringing it to the web versus building a website and then growing into our chosen product.

That’s not to say I don’t believe those business models are capable of working, obviously they do (gross understatement) but their offering something altogether different than we are. Yes, they’re selling the same product we are but what about after the sale?

What does someone who started with the cart (no pun intended) in front of the horse say when asked about design considerations, practical advice, or heaven forbid first-hand knowledge of the product? I hate to break this to you but not only do some of the larger sites have extremely limited lighting knowledge, they also farm out their chat and phone support to companies with zero lighting knowledge.

This isn’t a knock on those companies, they have as much right to promote their products as the next guy. However, when all things are equal, equal pricing that is, why not go with the company that actually has a background in lighting, versus a background in sales? In a nutshell, what makes us different is that we started out and remain a lighting shop, a shop that specializes in personal service. Our goal is to bring that same experience online, one customer at a time.

Measuring Lamp Shades

Measuring your existing lamp shade (and determining its style) is critical in getting the best replacement match. The first step is to assess the style of the lampshade, empire, bell, coolie etc.

Lamp shades are meant to be decorative and thought should be given to the aesthetics and the look of the lamp base, not just the proportions.

For a good fit, you’ll want to measure the height of the lamp base. This will determine the diameter of the lamp shade. For example, if the base measures 14 inches in height, the shade should be 14 inches in bottom diameter.

Keep in mind that harps (the piece that shade actually connects to) come in different lengths, this can help you “fine tune” the way the shade looks on the lamp.

Our Retail Showroom

While digging through some old pictures I ran across a couple of shots of our lighting showroom and thought I’d share.

It’s considerably, how shall we say fuller since these photos were taken but they still do it justice.

Happy July 4th

The beauty of being an American is you can disagree with other Americans about what it means to be one. No matter what else we may or may not share in common that truth is what makes us citizens of this great nation.

This day above all others represents the history, the sacrifice and the promise of what it means to be an American. To all US citizens either at home and especially abroad we wish you a very happy and safe fourth of July.