A New Addition!

I purchased a pair of deliciously over-scaled sconces on eBay. I was the only bidder! I think the scale scared most people but that is exactly why I wanted them! Sadly, one sconce arrived damage so it is going to the repair shop. The chandelier however competes visually with the sconces but as it is too large for the space, and way too fancy for a receiving room, I will not regret removing it.

 

I am uncertain when the sconces were made but am guessing 1950s. 

 

The sconces are richly detailed. I really love them. 

 

 

20 Comments

  1. Mike on April 14, 2018 at 8:10 pm

    They look like they were intended to be in that space. Mr Squires would approve.

  2. Suzanne on April 14, 2018 at 8:10 pm

    Quite dramatic those sconces….where did they originate!! And I recognize that lovely gas/electric chandelier (see…we pay attention!!)

  3. Brendan on April 14, 2018 at 8:11 pm

    They are beautiful and extravagant! I particularly like the sun king motif!

  4. Sandra Lee on April 14, 2018 at 9:49 pm

    The Sun King motif & the dramatic flair are perfect— look wonderful in the parlor!

  5. Michael Bazikos on April 15, 2018 at 1:57 am

    I don’t think they look appropriate- at all. But it is your house.

  6. Dan Goodall-Williams on April 15, 2018 at 7:40 am

    Awesome! So detailed, which goes along with the house. Great find!

  7. Penny on April 15, 2018 at 8:38 am

    Absolutely beautiful!

  8. ken on April 15, 2018 at 5:51 pm

    I love them.

  9. Annette on April 15, 2018 at 6:14 pm

    They are so cool.

  10. Peter J on April 16, 2018 at 5:25 pm

    One of the “joys” of owning a huge Victorian. Oversized, colossal furniture is dirt cheap! It can’t fit into “regular” homes so, you usually get a deal on it!!

  11. Kim on April 17, 2018 at 8:37 am

    Cool. They’re well sized and I like them in general but, there’s something odd about them. I could say what issues I have with them artistically but suffice to say, they look like a movie prop – like something made to look like it fits in to fill a space.
    Damn – so wonderfully sized but, they almost feel distracting – to me.
    I love them, too. They are a bit of lavish & downright giddy, bling. So, you know very well, you can make them work, Ross. 😉 The question is: where?

  12. Architectural Observer on April 18, 2018 at 12:58 pm

    Hmmm. I do like the sconces, but I’m not sure I like them where you put them. The seem painfully thin situated between your beefy windows. I’d rather see them on a mirrored wall in a Hollywood Regency powder room. Perhaps removing the non-original ceiling fixture will help, but I’m not sure. However, as Kim notes above, I’m confident you can make them work. I look forward to seeing the finished space!

    • Ross on April 19, 2018 at 12:29 pm

      Yes, they are a little thin but this will be visually corrected when I paint the walls as I plan to recreated the inset panel effect from the parlor. And then all will be well in the land!

  13. Suzanne on April 19, 2018 at 12:16 pm

    I cannot wait to see what Ross has in mind for the receiving room…inspired by the Hollywood Regency sconces. More eclectic with a dash of 1894!

  14. Sandra Lee on April 19, 2018 at 6:15 pm

    Oh gees this is the entry—I saw the red couch & thought parlor—of course nothing about the finished parlor is in evidence😱

    Of note I am recovering from two concussions last month (#5&6)— so brain freezes are to be expected 😱

  15. Katie Petersen on April 20, 2018 at 3:19 pm

    I really like them, but I’m terribly confused. You made a huge deal of only selecting antiques from a certain era as to not confuse the timeline… and now these? Explain yourself, sir! 🙂

    • Ross on April 24, 2018 at 1:22 pm

      Yes, ma’am!

      I have always said that I want the Cross House to reflect its 123 years, and I have no desire to have the completed house frozen in a early 1890s look.

      As well, I have said that I do not wish to confuse the historical narrative.

      I appreciate that these two statements seems to contradict one another!

      Regarding the former statement, I have placed decidedly contemporary items in the parlor, such as the rug and wall pictures. The round table is an iconic late 1950s piece. To me, these items make it clear that, while the house was built in 1894, it is today 2018.

      Regarding the second statement, I have no desire for antiques from which pre-date the Cross House by a decade or decades. So, too, with antiques from a decade after the house, or several decades after. I am only interested in century-plus antiques which are specific to the early 1890s so that such item will complement the house and its mantels and doors and trim.

      The sconces in the receiving room are 1950s Hollywood Regency. I don’t think anybody looking at them will think they are from the 1890s. The sconces complement the five 1970s Hollywood Regency pendants hanging in the library, and will complement the twelve 1970s Hollywood Regency pendants which will one day hang above the main staircase.

      In short, I am fine with antiques which are clearly decades and decades newer than the house, like post-1950. As I am fine with contemporary pieces. But century-plus antiques? I want these to be specific to the early 1890s.

      • Katie Petersen on April 25, 2018 at 4:26 pm

        I forgot about your expertise in lighting… so I would have no idea that these were only from the 50s. To my inexperienced eye, these could totally be from the 19th century, which is why I was so confused.

        • Ross on April 25, 2018 at 4:37 pm

          Ahhh! Well, that destroys my belief that nobody will confuse the sconces for 19th-century antiques!

          Drat!

  16. Nancy from Georgia on August 20, 2018 at 3:23 pm

    Geez! This is like auditing a course on interior design and art and architecture! I’m learning so much! Can’t wait to get my certificate in the mail!

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