Continued from Page 18
be supplemented by a table or floor lamp.
For the best historic results, vintage
and antique light fixtures should be era,
style and period appropriate. Some spaces
may need more elaborate, high-end fix-
tures. To start, select design motifs found
in other areas of the home, or look for
materials and finishes consistent with
original fixtures.
Common lighting styles include Vic-
torian, Classic Revival, Colonial Revival,
craftsman, art deco, midcentury modern
and Hollywood Regency.
The grand staircase of the Forsstrom
House, dating to 1915, was previously
lit by a single wall sconce, an inadequate
amount of light for the space. Instead, I
located a battered six light 1960s Holly-
wood Regency chandelier. A bargain, it
had been stored in a barn for decades.
I ordered replacement parts, but soon
found that the project was above my skill
set and instead hired a lighting restoration
professional. He rewired, repaired it and
painted the fixture an antique gold. I later
applied black glaze and installed black
candle covers on it for a finishing touch.
My husband, along with an electri-
cian, wired the fixture through the home’s
attic, then installed a push button dimmer
switch and ceiling medallion.
It is pure joy to light the grand staircase
with dim or strong light, depending on the
setting and time of day. The light fixture
is quite glamorous for the space, espe-
cially with the 24 inch ceiling medallion.
Though the selection breaks my general
guidelines for matching age and era, I find
that it works well.
The antique gold paint coupled with
black glaze tones down the Regency style,
helping the piece retain its statement qual-
ity while blending in. The shape of the
candle holders mimics the home’s candle
wall sconces, echoing design motifs found
throughout the house.
My neighbor, Kasey White, is an art-
ist, as well as a fellow old house enthu-
siast. I gave her a 1920s era ceiling pan
fixture. Its body was of a stamped, tin col-
ored metal, so stripping the paint to reveal
brass was not an option.
Instead, she painted it in polychrome
for her Victorian home and purchased
replacement ceramic bulb sockets at City
Lumber Co. The polychrome paint helps
the fixture become more Victorian in
theme. The fixture is a nice example of
artistry, thrift and reuse.
Lauri Kramer Serafin is the owner of the
Forsstrom House in Astoria’s Shively-Mc-
Clure Historic District. For more about her
restoration work, contact forsstromhouse@
gmail.com or visit theforsstromhouse.com.
Photos by Lauri Kramer serafin
ABOVE: A restored chandelier fixture, as seen in the Forsstrom House grand staircase from an
upper floor sitting room. RIGHT: Stamped metal ceiling pan fixture as found.
THE SHAPE OF THE CANDLE HOLDERS MIMICS
THE HOME’S CANDLE WALL SCONCES, ECHOING
DESIGN MOTIFS FOUND THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE.
Thursday, June 16, 2022 // 19