Light up your life with lanterns

Photos courtesy of Google Images, Hooker Furniture and Sacksteder’s Interiors

Whether they are ornamental or for a utilitarian purpose; lanterns can be a wonderful enhancement to just about any home decor. With the warm glow of oil burning, soft crystal lighting or the flickering flame of a candle; romantic ambience is created by these decorative gems offering a soothing atmosphere for rest and relaxation.

Encyclopedia Britannica defines lanterns as a case, ordinarily metal, with transparent or translucent sides, used to contain and protect a lamp.

So along with their timeless beauty is a certain amount of functionality that should never be taken for granted. Lanterns are meant to house flame in some cases, but always take into consideration the volatility of open flame when using them. Don’t forget that safety should always come first, so never leave them unattended and be sure to place them in a safe location.

The right combination of lanterns can tailor your spaces with a vintage theme that speaks of a by-gone era, reminding us of a time before modern conveniences, but still offering an enduring grandeur that we never tire of.

The perfect purge of the day’s cares can transpire from a few moments in a room aglow with the soothing light of candles grouped with lanterns. And due to their recent increase in popularity; retailers are offering a huge selection of styles, colors and sizes making the use of them for interior design customization more simplified.

The four door,  three drawer console table with a visage finish from Hooker Furniture’s Sanctuary Collection is a splendid decorative example of what could become the perfect anchor piece for displaying a collection of ornate and old world lanterns. The serene feel of this gold and silver piece will become even more enhanced in the evening as the warm glow of the candlelight is captured by the metallic finish.

With a nostalgic look of weathered rough edges; old world lanterns can add just the right amount of visual detail and interest to your decor; blending hard and soft elements that can create just the right amount of aesthetic balance when properly arranged together.

The Antonella Floor Mirror from the Melange Collection by Hooker Furniture with a distressed finish can contribute charm and depth to most spaces.  So when combined with rustic old world lanterns; this classy mirrored furniture can add just the right amount of artistic chic without losing sophistication while giving you the perfect backdrop for capturing the illumination of candlelight.

Lanterns have a history that has served us well with many uses. We so enjoy the soft pleasant light they radiate, and it is no wonder that we still find uses for them even today.  We have come a long way from using lanterns to light our path along a darkened street or to provide a resource of light attached to a horse drawn carriage.

So whatever your use may be for lanterns, be sure to enjoy their classic style, as well as their marvelous and innovative contribution to our history. And with such staying power… there is a real possibility of your purchase becoming tomorrow’s antiques at some point.