Collection

French Lustre Collection

Curved arms, long drops and a bowl of light: the Parisian chandelier in its purest form.

A lustre is simply the French word for a chandelier, but the form it names is specific: arms curving out from a central crystal column, each carrying a candle light on a crystal bobèche, hung with long faceted drops and finished below with a crystal ball or bowl. It is the chandelier of the grand Parisian apartment and the great hotel, and it has been copied everywhere because it is so difficult to improve.

Our lustres are made in clear crystal and in black, red and amber, from twelve-light pieces for a dining room to forty-eight-light fixtures for a lobby, with sconces, table lamps and floor lamps to match. The frames are chrome or gold; the crystal is hand-cut and polished.

A coloured lustre, in black or red, is one of the most striking things you can hang in a room with pale walls.

Questions we are asked

Is coloured crystal fashionable?

Black and red lustres were a mid-century Parisian statement and have come back strongly in hotel and restaurant interiors. In a home they work best as the single coloured element in an otherwise quiet room.

What bulbs do these take?

Candelabra (E14) lamps, which we recommend in 2700K dimmable LED candle form, four to six watts each.

Do you make matching sconces?

Yes. Every lustre chandelier has a one- to three-light sconce in the same crystal and finish.