The problem of lighting in our homes has long been reliably solved with the help of electricity. It would seem that candles have long lost their meaning as a source of light. And nevertheless, the feeling of solemn and festive atmosphere is created precisely by lighted candles set in graceful candlesticks. And dinner by candlelight sets you up for a sophisticated and romantic style of conversation at the table.

Candlesticks and candelabra: a little history

Candles can be simple or decorative and come in a variety of shapes and sizes. However, humanity has paid much more attention to the appearance of the candle holder. Candlesticks have evolved and changed, turning from an object to support a burning candle into a work of decorative and applied art.

In ancient candlesticks, candle nests traditionally took the form of a flower cup. The flower that gives birth to light and life symbolized the victory of light over the forces of darkness and darkness. Even in ancient Egyptian myths, it is told how in the initial chaos a lotus flower appeared, from which the sun god Ra was born.

The word "candelabrum" comes from the Latin Candela - candle. A candlestick is a fixture for one candle. But already at the time of the Etruscan culture, complex candlesticks for several candles appeared - candelabra. These are massive metal items over one and a half meters in height made of iron, silver or bronze.

Under the Romans, candelabra become an interior decoration, their wall, hanging and table options appear. And if the floor and wall lamps are fixed, then the table candelabra are more mobile, they are easy to move.

Candelabra came to Russia in the 18th century. Lamps are exquisite products, often using openwork floral ornaments. Often, candelabra were decorated with animal figurines, and compositions on antique themes were also used. For the manufacture of candlesticks, along with silver, bronze and tin, porcelain began to be used.

Types of candelabra and their care

Most often, there are modern candlesticks for two or three candles, but there are products with a large number of candles. A luxurious chandelier on a massive stand with lighting fixtures arranged in a circle on several levels is called a girandole. One of the oldest Jewish religious attributes is the menorah - a seven-barreled lamp that looks like a stem mounted on a stand.

The most common material for making modern decorative candlesticks is metal. Bronze, silver, brass, tin, various alloys are used. Such products are often stylized in antique style and require some personal care. So, bronze is cleaned with toothpaste, silverware can be washed with soapy water with the addition of ammonia, and special compositions for jewelry are also used to clean metal candelabra.

The festive table will look especially solemn if you decorate it with crystal candelabra or colored glass candlesticks made in the form of leaves, butterflies, and animal figurines.

In order for these products to shine brighter, it is recommended to wipe them with a soft cloth dipped in ammonia.

The main decoration of porcelain and ceramic candlesticks is a beautiful pattern; the Gzhel ornament is quite common. These items are easy to care for and can be washed in the dishwasher.

Candelabra in a modern interior

Chandeliers are more of a decorative item these days. Many modern designers consider the candelabrum to be a desirable attribute of the interior of the room, and the presence of a candle is not at all necessary. As a candle holder, candelabra began to be used for romantic dinners or for special moments of festive feasts. The aesthetic value of candlesticks lies in their ability to transform the interior, to give it a certain zest.

Candelabra are often antiques, luxury goods. Their presence in the house emphasizes a certain property status of the owner. Along with valuable works of art in stores, you can now find candelabra made from different materials, differing in cost and able to satisfy every taste. It all depends on the tasks and preferences that the buyer is guided by.

Candelabra should organically fit into the environment, their color and shape should be selected in accordance with the created interior. Products made of durable and aesthetic bronze look great in a classic interior. Massive metal candlesticks are good in rooms with high ceilings, especially if forging elements are used in the interior.

The candlestick is an original decoration of the mantelpiece. The classic version is a composition of a watch and a pair of candelabra, made in the same style. If the room is decorated in the Baroque style, then it is appropriate to display candlesticks with human or animal figurines, with various plant elements, decorated with bizarre and graceful curls.

The sparkle and shine of Art Deco or Empire style is perfectly complemented by sparkling crystal chandeliers. These products, as a rule, are purely decorative and are not used as a stand for burning candles, but create a certain atmosphere and decorate the interior of the room.

Ceramic and porcelain candlesticks perfectly complement a country or Provence style interior. The undoubted decoration of the Russian country style is the Gzhel painting on candelabra.

Apart from wine and champagne, one of the main attributes of a romantic evening is candles. They will help create coziness and mood in your apartment and soul. Of course, you can buy ordinary candles in the bazaar, but how to choose them correctly and use them in the interior of your home? Now let's try to figure it out.

The first rule is the right color. Despite the fact that candles are just details of the big picture, they play a rather important role. The color must be combined with furniture and other interior items. You can also use them as a contrast against a background of soothing tones.

The color of the candles plays a big role in the psychological impact.

For example, it is believed that:

Some people think that all this is not true and you should not pay attention to such things. There is no need to convince them otherwise. But if you personally find a response when choosing a particular color of a candle, it is better to listen to your thoughts and choose the most suitable option.

Decor rules with candles

There are some rules, following which you can achieve amazing results in terms of decor.

More ideas for decorating your home with candles can be found in this video:

Candlesticks for interior decoration

In addition, in order to choose the correct color of the candle, you also need to choose the right candlestick. Depending on what kind of atmosphere you are trying to create in the house, you can select options for a more festive or romantic setting. Here - you can use the ideas from there.

In addition, the candlestick will act as a protection against the ingress of wax on the table or on the surface where the candle is located.

Also, the choice of a candlestick will depend on the size and length of the candle. There are candles that are thin or thick, long and short, square, round, in the form of a spiral, etc. There are a lot of options today.

Another parameter is the material from which the candlestick is made.

Metal candlesticks

It can be any metal, but most often they use: bronze, steel, silver. The material of the frame itself is stainless steel, which is coated with different spraying. It is important to consider that any of the above materials require special care. One of the most popular forms is with glass walls. For example, you can find one in IKEA, and then decorate it by decorating the glass with a winter pattern or bright "stained glass".

Ceramic and porcelain candlesticks

Another version of a candlestick that looks like real works of art. Will fit into any interior style, from classics to retro. By themselves, they are usually low, and a drawing or ornament is applied to the surface.

Glass candlesticks

They look very interesting in modern design. Usually, this material is often used, as it does not require special maintenance, and the economic price is available to every buyer. All care consists in rinsing from time to time in warm water using detergent.

And here is a video master class on making candles and candlesticks with your own hands from scrap materials. For example, you can see how to make a coffee candle from coffee and wax, or a stylish candlestick from a regular glass jar and maple leaves.

Master class "How to make a candle with your own hands"

In order to make a candle yourself at home, we need the following materials:

Work progress will be as follows

As you can see, there is nothing complicated in this procedure. And to make it clearer, here's a video instruction on how to make a candle at home:

Therefore, in order not to run to the shops, you can do everything without leaving your home. Then your candles will turn out to be original and most beloved.

DIY candle decor from cinnamon sticks

If you are not ready to make a candle yourself, then you can decorate the candles that you have at home. The easy way is to use cinnamon sticks for this. This is done simply: we take cinnamon sticks and put them around the candle, and tie them on top with a ribbon or twine so that they hold better. As the candle burns, the cinnamon will heat up and add a pleasant scent to your home decor. And if you do not like the smell of cinnamon, but you liked the idea of ​​\ u200b \ u200bthe decor, use ordinary twigs and twigs instead:

What to decorate with candles in the house?

You can place candles in a house in a variety of places. For example, create a composition of three or five candles of the same color and shape, but different sizes or even different shapes, but the same color on the coffee table or dressing table in the living room or on the bedside table in the bedroom - you can light it in the evenings to enjoy the romantic atmosphere and lighting from live fire.

You can also add one or more scented candles to your relaxation bathroom to create a cozy atmosphere and pleasant scent. And if you are preparing a romantic surprise, then you can decorate almost the entire bathroom space with candles.

You can also add candles to the fireplace area. If you have a real or electric fireplace at home, then you can add candles to it by placing them on the mantelpiece and lighting along with the fire in the fireplace. Or you can create a false fireplace and put candles inside it, lighting them and simulating a real fireplace flame.

Regular tea lights, white or multicolored, in neat little glass candlesticks can be placed throughout the room to create a romantic setting. They can be placed on a table or on a chest of drawers, on a regular and on a coffee table, on shelves and open shelves - the main thing is that there are no objects near the fire that can ignite.

And of course, it is difficult to imagine a festive table setting without candles - even for the new year or birthday, even for March 8 or Valentine's Day, even for an anniversary. And if you are preparing a romantic dinner for your second half, then you definitely cannot do without candles on the table, because until now we have exclusively romantic associations with this type of lighting.

Also, candles can be placed in the kitchen on the windowsill or on the shelves in order to light them in the evening during a family dinner - who said that romance should be only on holidays? You can simply add them to various compositions that you create at home on a shelf, in a sideboard, on a dressing table or anywhere else, because candles can decorate a house not only when they are lit. Where do you use candles in the interior of your apartment or house?

No matter how luxurious and sophisticated the interior of the house is, no matter how perfection it is brought by professionals in the field of residential design, it will still remain a beautiful picture from a fashion catalog dedicated to design, if you do not give it individuality, do not emphasize its belonging to you, you will not make it your own in spirit.

And, believe me, without this you yourself will not be very comfortable in such a beautiful, but somewhat impersonal interior. Similar feelings arise when you find yourself in a hotel, even in a luxury hotel. After all, the point here is not at all in the price, but in the soul of the house, having settled which, you will immediately feel the warmth of the native walls.

To some, these abstract arguments will definitely seem like sheer nonsense, because not everyone knows what exactly needs to be done to "appropriate" the interior. There are quite a few ways, but first of all, “kinship” can be felt when the interior, in addition to well-designed design techniques, is filled with objects that characterize you personally, those cute little things that may not always suit the upholstery of furniture or the color of wallpaper on the walls , but for some subjective reasons are dear to you.

However, there is another technique that combines several factors at once that can help you make the interior not only stylish, but also cozy. And we will talk about candles and candlesticks.

Candlestick as a practical figurine

The history of the candlestick goes back centuries and has a fairly developed "biography". And this fact is easy to explain, because for many centuries the candle was the main and almost the only way to illuminate a living room in the dark. But people quickly ran into a problem.

In order for a burning candle to stand upright and not fall (which was fraught with serious fires, which, by the way, happened much more often than now), a device was needed that could hold it from all sides. The candlestick has become such a thing.

Candlesticks differed in their design depending on the country in which they were produced, from its culture and vision of beauty. Candlesticks were made mainly of metal, since it fit perfectly. It was heavy enough to provide stability to the candle on one side, and did not melt when exposed to the relatively high temperature. The degree of melting of most metals is tens of times higher than the temperature of a burning candle.

Candles were placed throughout the house, so the candlesticks were not supposed to destroy the cozy atmosphere in it. That is why, over time, candlesticks have become real works of art. To a certain extent, they partially replaced the statuettes and at the same time carried light in the truest sense of the word.

How to work with candlesticks in the interior?

After electric lighting became widely available, the need for candles and candlesticks disappeared. In any case, in their practical application. However, there remains a striving for beauty and comfort, which is given precisely by the warm light of a candle, in which ornate silhouettes of candlesticks mysteriously flicker. And today candlesticks are gaining popularity again, but in a different capacity, as a decorative interior design.

There is a place for a candlestick in any home. Another thing is that you need to select it in accordance with the chosen style of the room.

For example, in a country house designed in ethno or country style, you can use candlesticks of classical and even antique shapes. This will give the interior elitism on the one hand and create an atmosphere of rest and relaxation, which we are invariably looking for, breaking free from the bustle of the city.

But a candlestick in the shape of a lantern will look luxurious on open areas like a veranda or loggia and will add warmth and romance to your stay there.

Candlesticks for weddings and church festivals are most often styled to match and can also help create a festive atmosphere. They can be not only metal. Today, candlesticks are also made from refractory ceramics, or you can make them yourself from improvised means.

And candelabra are increasingly used for decoration, and not for their intended purpose - room lighting. They will become a real decoration of any room, add romance and elegance.

The history of candelabra

Candelabra have been known to mankind since ancient times. They appeared, most likely, at the same time when they appeared candles... The most widespread candelabra as an exquisite piece of furniture were obtained in the Middle Ages. During the Renaissance, candelabra began to have a much richer decor - their shaft was decorated with ornaments, leaves and even miniature figures. The most commonly used candelabra are bronze. In the 16th century, candlesticks were most often made of silver and tin.

In the 18th century, iron candlesticks became more popular, they looked especially impressive in the Rococo style. These candle holders were used to illuminate ballrooms. Later in the 19th century, cast iron replaced iron. Bedrooms were often porcelain models.

Types of candelabra

The most common types of candlesticks are designed for two or three candles - they are called dikirii and trikirii. There are also candelabra and more candles. If they are used for lighting dining table, it is better to use low models so that guests can see each other. There are wall and table candlesticks (fireplace candelabra), depending on where they are installed. Wall candlesticks are rarely used today, as they can leave traces of soot on wallpaper or paint.

The main difference between all candelabra is the style of decoration and the material for their manufacture. The most commonly used types of materials are:

• Metallic. Antique candlesticks or semi-antique ones are most often made of metal. To create them, bronze, silver, brass, tin and various alloys are used. Such candlesticks should be carefully looked after. Forged steel items can be washed from dust with warm water and detergent, bronze can be cleaned well with toothpaste or powder, silver should be washed with soapy water and ammonia. There are also special jewelry cosmetics that are great for cleaning candelabra.

• Glass and crystal. Such items are more solemn in nature. Crystal candlesticks look especially impressive when serving the festive table crystal dishes. They should be washed in lukewarm water and wiped with a soft cloth with ammonia. Then the candle holders will sparkle especially brightly. Glass candlesticks are often colored and fit almost any decor.

• Ceramic and porcelain. They are used in simpler interiors, often candelabra made of porcelain or ceramics have a beautiful pattern, in Russia the most common ornament is Gzhel. Porcelain must be looked after very carefully, washed in cool water and wiped dry. Ceramic candle holders are less whimsical and can be cleaned with a cloth or dishwasher safe.

Candelabra in the interior - how to choose

A beautiful candelabrum will decorate the interior even if there is no candle in it. It is worth choosing a candlestick based on the general style of the room. So, to classic interior the bronze model is perfect. In a room in style

Many years ago, candles were a very common method of lighting a home. Candlesticks were indispensable in their function of securely fixing a burning candle and transporting it. This is not to say that candle holders appeared simultaneously with them, but a whole story led to their appearance.

At first, no one paid attention to the appearance of the candlesticks, their role could be played by any objects suitable in shape and structure; stone, solid wood, or pieces of metal.

Times changed, and people wanted to brighten up their gray life, so they began to pay attention to the shape and beauty of ordinary household items. Candlesticks are no exception.

How did candlesticks come about?

The first candlesticks were very massive. Such a support was held by metal tripods or large stands. At the top of the item were small bowls, like molds for candles and wax flowing down them. There were several such nests, how many there will be, depends on the purpose of the object itself.

For example, two or three candles were enough for a house on such a stand, but to illuminate large halls and crowded banquets, several dozen candles were lit. The candlesticks themselves were then made of wood.

Visitors to Venice's Italian museums can now be amazed by the luxurious candlesticks of the European Renaissance. Often they were inlaid with leaves, various ornaments and beautiful figurines. Many bronze candlesticks that have come down to us from those times and covered with an impressive layer of patina can be seen at crowded exhibitions.

With the movement of time, one cultural style was replaced by another, and now its fashion for everything, candlesticks are no exception, dictated the Rococo style. Gilded porcelain figurines of angels gained popularity; they were also used as candle holders.

Later, some of the products began to be called candelabra and iron was used for their manufacture. At that time, such products began to illuminate huge buildings, central city squares and narrow streets. To save expensive metals, at the end of the nineteenth century, candelabra began to be made of cast iron.

Each nation had its own history of the evolution of this product. The ancient Greeks loved to make candlesticks out of clay, burned and covered with a layer of varnish. Other peoples could make them from ivory, cedar and other plants. For luxury, materials such as marble and granite were used.

Often such candlesticks illuminated the temples and dwellings of very wealthy people. The faster progress moved and the processing of a particular material improved, the more materials they could be made of. Over time, porcelain, colored glass and crystal did not remain on the sidelines.

To move the fire, small, low candlesticks with wide edges were used, which made it easy to catch drops of molten wax. The craftsmen divided the candlesticks into types, depending on the materials from which they are made: metal, ceramic, candlesticks and candelabra made of crystal, salt, glass and wood.

Also, candlesticks are divided into types according to the type of their attachment to the surface. For example, wall products can be shaped like one candle or several. It would be appropriate to place such decorative elements on two sides of a beautiful painting or wall mirror.

Table candlesticks can often be an attribute that defines the owner's relationship with Judaism, but this is not required. The candelabrum is beautifully combined on the table set for a festive dinner. Guests will be pleasantly surprised by your interior if one of its elements is a beautiful candelabrum on an old piano.

Floor sconces will also add a touch of sophistication to your living room or bathroom. The main thing is not to spare money and buy a product that is not small in size. These candlesticks are best placed in the corners of rooms.

Nowadays, electric imitation of candlesticks are gaining great popularity among buyers, which also look quite impressive, but are safe and economical. At the heart of such a device is almost always an ordinary Edison bulb. Photos of such candlesticks can be found on the net.

Forged candlesticks are considered to be of the highest quality. They are loved for their strength and wonderful appearance. They are often purchased for interior design. If your home is dominated by the style of your ethnic group, this will suit you. Candelabra are often used as scented lamps, although they are not very traditional.

After electricity became available to the general public, candelabra and candlesticks lost their practical necessity. Although, they can easily create a relaxed romantic atmosphere of coziness and romance.

How to choose a candlestick for your home?

It is easy to find candlesticks for every taste in specialty stores of decor and home accessories. The shape can be almost anything like color and size. Do not assume that a candlestick is only suitable for a romantic date. A beautiful and well-chosen candlestick for the kitchen table is very useful for the design of the kitchen.

Yes, the candlestick will fit any style of your home, even hi-tech or modern. One has only to choose products of the appropriate shape. For example, for the aforementioned situation, it will be helpful to choose an object in the style of minimalism, the shapes should be predominantly correct, straight legs, it is possible at an angle and cubic or square supports for the candles themselves.

If your apartment is in a classic style, it is better to stop at the aforementioned inlay with figures or elements made in the form of bay leaves. You can always go hand-made. There are many tips on how to make your own candlestick.

Homemade candlesticks

If your finances are very limited or the assortment of a decor store does not satisfy your creative needs, you can try to make a candlestick or candelabrum yourself.

A candlestick made of birch logs can very organically complement the atmosphere of your room. For manufacturing, you need three birch hemp of different sizes from 5 to 15 centimeters in height. When the material has already been picked up, it should be processed.

With a chisel or a special chisel with a hammer, hollow out the core to the depth and diameter of your candle, grind the formed indentations. The hemp at the end for style can be tied with a strong solid rope of a neutral color (black, white, or the color of a regular bag fabric).

Photo of a candlestick