Will Buying Mission Style Lighting Put a Dent in Your Credit Card?

Buying beautiful, handmade Mission Style lighting fixtures for the home is bound to put a dent in your credit card, right? You figure, these fixtures are made in the USA, they’re handcrafted with natural materials like mica, solid copper – what’s cheap about that.

But like anything, you get what you pay for. And if fine craftsmanship is what you prefer, then you’ll find that spending a little more money to buy a replicate turn of the century Dirk Van Erp bungalow style light is worth it!

And isn’t that what the arts and crafts movement at the turn of the 20th century was all about (inspired artists who believed that industry was destroying the spirit and quality of consumer goods and sought to create objects, including lighting, that involved human craftsmanship.)

But we’re talking budget here, and it may well be that there’s no more room on your credit card for "sky is the limit." And, if that’s the case, you can do well looking at mid-priced brands like Maxim and Kichler, who have a good selection of Mission Style light fixtures. For outdoor fixtures: sconces and wall lights, you can buy at Lamps Plus Kathy Ireland brand fixtures for as little as $80 per light. You can also find Mission style string lights for about $19 per light.

However, if you want to take it up a notch, take a look at Arroyo Craftsman, and you will be very impressed. These fixtures can be found on architectural landmarks like, Frank Lloyd Wright Homes, and are individually hand-crafted from raw brass. Oxidized finishes such as Verdigris and Mission Brown are hand-applied and take several days to cure. see: http://www.chandeliers-and-home-lighting.com/tiffany-chandelier.htm

Other lighting companies that may dent your card: The Mica Lamp Company; Arts and Crafts Hardware (Gus Lanterns); Frank Lloyd Wright Yamagiwa; and Franz GT Kessler Designs.

About the Author:
Nicole Martins, a contributing writer to Chandeliers and Home Lighting, is busy decorating her new home in the mountains. Read more about Mission Style lighting here.