The Century-Old Lamp That’s Making a Comeback in Homes Today

It’s no secret that the most successful designs find a balance between a modern feel and a classic touch. That’s why longstanding materials like checkerboard floors and cafe curtains look so good alongside the bold paints and curved furniture of the moment. But there’s one vintage find that’s unexpectedly making the rounds on my social feed: Tiffany lamps.

Tiffany lamps were made by artist and designer Louis Comfort Tiffany, whose father was the cofounder of jewelry landmark Tiffany & Company, beginning in 1893. Tiffany Studios’ lamps were so popular that they inspired many imitators, and the name Tiffany eventually became synonymous with this opulent-style lighting (not just the ones produced by Tiffany Studios!). Tiffanys have gone in and out of fashion over the years, but these creations are still revered today.

A true Tiffany lamp features a stained glass shade with an intricate leadwork frame surrounding small pieces of colored glass. Made using hundreds (and sometimes thousands) of small glass pieces, Tiffany’s designs are almost always inspired by nature — flowers, lily pads, dragonflies, and feathers. The shades are the primary showpieces of a Tiffany lamp, but their brass bases are works of art in their own right. Today’s “Tiffany lamps” feature the same aesthetic, but will likely be made from less substantial metals.

There’s been a recent new enthusiasm for Tiffany-style lamps (and other Art Nouveau-inspired lights), but not just the ones displayed in museums: The colorful glass lamps are now being celebrated on TikTok and Instagram. 

These designs are likely regaining popularity because they have (or at least have the illusion of) the human hand in their meticulous construction. “I think craftsmanship is being more appreciated, almost like a lost art, in this growing technological climate,” says designer Hollie Velten, owner of the design firm SPACES, who has used Art Nouveau-style lamps in her projects.

“Decorative arts add a charming layer right now,” says Velten, who recently used a Tiffany-esque lamp in a bathroom renovation. “Stained glass is a builder-grade antidote.”

A real Tiffany lamp is not something you’ll stumble across at a flea market or thrift store: They sell at auction for hundreds of thousands and sometimes millions of dollars. If you want to get in on this old-is-new trend, there are many knockoff Tiffany-style and Art Nouveau-inspired lamps available both new and used. 

You could cruise estate sales and vintage shops for imitations, or seek out dupes on eBay, Etsy, and the like. Shop a few here, and keep your eyes peeled for Tiffany-style lamps when you’re secondhand shopping out in the wild.