You can find chandeliers in many luxurious properties around the world, but do they add value to a home?
Chandeliers certainly can add value to a home, particularly if they’re an expensive installation from the start. Chandeliers can add elements of elegance and opulence to a home, and will often be made with fine crystal and precious metals. The better the chandelier, the more value added.
Read on to learn more about chandeliers and how they help boost the value of a property.
I’m Gonna Swing From The Chandelier
Chandeliers might be less common today, but once upon a time, they were dramatically popular, particularly among the world’s royalty. The history of the chandelier can be traced back several hundred years, to a time when they were little more than candles hanging from the rafters.
Throughout Europe, master craftsmen worked to make chandeliers increasingly valuable and extravagant. They began working with glass, precious metals, and jewels, meaning chandeliers ultimately became an indicator of luxury, wealth, and status.
Innovations in the lighting industry led to the modernization of chandeliers; the use of gas and electric lighting would become the norm. Today, you can find miniature chandeliers in smaller spaces, or gargantuan, overwhelming creations in large, more sumptuous rooms.
While modern chandeliers are prevalent among the luxurious properties of the world, there are those that still feature antique chandeliers. Some of these creations can be hundreds of years old, and command dramatically high prices at auction.
In fact, single chandeliers have been known to sell for millions of dollars. The best example is the Givenchy Royal Hanover chandelier, originally designed in 1736 and sold at auction in 2011.
This example was commissioned by the King of Great Britain at the time and handed down through generations of royalty. It boasted an eight candle capacity and was crafted out of fine silver, featuring ornate designs throughout.
At the auction, it was given a conservative maximum value of around five million dollars, but it subsequently sold for more than seven million. The majority of the world’s antique chandeliers come from the 18th century, at a time when the industry was at its strongest.
Making Modern-Day Value
Today, there are countless options for lighting in and around the home. There are traditional incandescent bulbs, more contemporary LED lights, or even WiFi-connected RGB bulbs.
However, chandeliers are still a common enough option for those who want to add a touch of class and value to their homes. Thankfully, you can install a chandelier without breaking the bank, but it’s worth remembering that the less you spend on your chandelier, the lower the value added to your home.
In the United States, you can walk into almost any home improvement store and pick small chandeliers right off the shelf. At the lowest end of the spectrum, a small four-light chandelier can cost as little as fifty dollars.
If you’re looking for a more opulent design, the retail scale can accommodate you with chandeliers that easily cost over a thousand dollars. At that point, if you’re seeking something even more expensive, you’ll need to find a specialist and have them design and build bespoke chandeliers.
Even the smallest and most subtle chandeliers will change the look of a room, adding a sense of class, style, and uniqueness. While they’re typically included in a living room or dining area, they can be used in almost any room in a property.
Extravagant Examples
There have been many iconic and memorable chandeliers throughout history. At least, they’re considered memorable among those who actually know a thing or two about chandeliers.
For example, there’s a string of incredible antique chandeliers that line a particular room in the Palace of Versailles in France. This room, known as the Hall of Mirrors, attracts some three million tourists every year.
The crystal chandeliers that hang from the ceiling of the Hall reportedly lit the room where the Treaty of Versailles was signed, marking the end of World War I. They’re still active today, lighting the space as effectively as they did over a century ago.
If we travel a little further around the world, we can see the gargantuan chandeliers that hang in the Dolmabache Palace in Istanbul, Turkey. Allegedly, this palace boasts the most expansive collection of Bohemian crystal chandeliers on the planet.
The largest of the collection is staggeringly huge and comes equipped with more than seven hundred lights. It weighs around four and a half tons and was gifted to the palace by the British monarchy in the 19th century.