5 Reasons Why Vintage Light Is Better Than New

When it comes to your home, lighting is one of the most important elements you need to pay attention to. You can choose from so many different kinds of lights, but sometimes it’s the vintage light that really makes your room come alive and stand out from the rest of your house. If you’re trying to decide what kind of vintage light will work best in your home, here are some tips to help you pick out just the right piece!

5 Reasons why vintage light is better than new

Whether you’re looking for vintage lighting in general or just a specific piece, keep these 5 reasons in mind. If you’re concerned about buying an antique or re-purposing old lighting fixtures, rest assured that there are plenty of advantages of vintage light over new pieces—plus they’re typically less expensive! Here are five reasons why vintage is better than new.

• This isn’t your typical Ikea shade

Antique and vintage lamps can add personality and detail to any room—new styles don’t always hold up when they’re mass-produced on assembly lines around the world. Many classic shades offer height and movement while still allowing light through; something most new shades lacks.

• Shopping at small vintage stores stimulates the local economy

While more and more people are shopping on websites like Etsy, buying vintage lamps from small stores keeps money in your community. The more you shop at small retailers, whether online or brick-and-mortar, the less money goes into big chains. This is good for your local economy—and good for your style. Plus, if you buy a vintage lamp from an individual owner instead of a store that resells items, it’s more likely that they’ll be willing to customize it for you. Most vintage furniture is one-of-a-kind; it helps keep business personal. So next time you go antique shopping, keep in mind that not all small businesses are created equal: Choose your purchases wisely!

You don’t have to travel far for great lighting: Many young designers choose vintage lamps over modern designs because old light fixtures often bring a sense of history and nostalgia to a space while avoiding a too trendy look.

• Reduce the risk of fire outbreak

There are a few tricks that you can use to avoid a burning hazard with vintage lamps. First of all, if you have an older lamp that hasn’t been serviced in a while, bring it in to a repair shop for a thorough checkup. If one of your bulbs is loose or broken, it could be easy for flammable materials inside your light fixture to ignite and cause a fire.

Having your old lighting fixtures serviced before you begin using them again will help to avoid these situations from arising. Also, make sure that any antique lighting fixtures in your home contain proper safety devices such as fuses or thermal cutoffs. A burned-out fuse will reduce power to specific parts of a lamp, whereas a thermal cutoff detects rises in temperature and automatically shuts off power completely when necessary.

• Provide an Aesthetic Appearance

No matter what purpose they’re intended for, vintage lamps should be selected based on their aesthetic appearance. You want to ensure that your home is well-lit; you want the lighting fixtures in your office to be conducive to business meetings, and you want your bedroom lights to make it easy for you and your partner (or children) to go about nightly routines. The point of choosing vintage lighting is visual appeal, so make sure that every light fixture complements its surroundings visually before making a purchase.

• Energy Efficient

Having low energy efficiency can drive up your electric bill, but it’s also not good for the environment. It’s worth it to buy vintage lamps that are well-made and will last a long time. Make sure your lamps are rated well by Energy Star, which means they’re high quality and designed to reduce energy use—it will save you money in both short-term bills and long-term effects on global warming. If possible, consider choosing some solar lamps or some with compact fluorescent bulbs; these are especially efficient since they don’t require electricity from utilities companies to function at all.