Comparing Light Fixtures for Your Historic Home: American-Made vs. Made Overseas

By Joshua Scheide | December 5, 2025

One of the biggest questions we hear all the time is “Why should I invest in American-made lighting vs. something that came from overseas?”

Totally reasonable question—especially when you're trying to make choices that won't feel like compromises every time you're walking up to your front door or into your dining room five or ten years down the road. At Old California, we've been manufacturing historic reproduction and historically inspired lighting since 1989, and we've seen the industry evolve over the intervening decades.

Now, when you search for light fixtures for your historic home, you know just how quickly you can bite off more than you can chew, especially for something that feels like it should be easier. One minute you're online looking at a sconce you like the look of, the next “minute” it's 2 a.m. and you have 18 browser tabs open showing fixtures with a wide range of prices, and everything claims to be high quality.

How do you make sense of that?

To help, we're comparing three outdoor-rated, Craftsman-style wall sconces. Two are made overseas and one here in the United States. We're not pitting these three fixtures against each other specifically to say which one is better than the other. We’re using them to stand in as examples of fixtures you would typically find manufactured abroad and domestically. Think of this as a case study to illuminate the variables that matter most to you when you're choosing lighting for your historic home.

• Design Classics Craftsman Outdoor Wall Light (SKU B001EFXHUA), purchased through Amazon
• Progress Lighting Residence Collection Antique Bronze Craftsman Outdoor Wall Lantern (SKU P6053-20), purchased through Home Depot's website
• Old California Woodfield Series Hook Arm Sconce (SKU 463-1), manufactured by us

We chose these three fixtures because they share similar proportions, letting us focus on what really drives the differences: labor, materials, construction, customization, and support. Your style preferences might lean Mission, Tudor, Victorian, Mid-Century Modern or any number of other styles. These specific designs might not match your taste, but the underlying quality factors we're examining here apply to fixtures regardless of style.

And to be transparent: we're Old California, so one of these fixtures is ours. Yes, we have a dog in the fight. But we also know we're not the right fit for every historic homeowner, and the last thing we want is someone regretting their purchase, whether it's our fixture or anyone else's.

Your right choice depends on your budget, timeline, how long you plan to own your home, and your priorities.

Want to see more details about any of these fixtures? View the Design Classics on Amazon | View the Progress Lighting at Home Depot | View the Old California on Our Site

There's an obvious increase in price for domestic manufacturing. American-made will always be more expensive, there's no getting around that. What's driving the difference in those prices? We have a full article explaining major cost factors in a light fixture and how those factors affect the life of the lights that you can read here. In the meantime, here's the short version:

Overseas Manufacturing

Why it costs less:

• Labor costs in overseas factories are significantly lower
• Large factories produce thousands of identical units which reduces tooling costs
• Global supply chains are optimized to reduce per-unit shipping

What this means for you: Lower upfront investments make lighting projects more accessible for a smaller or fixed budget. Manufacturing materials and processes used overseas mean the fixtures won't age gracefully, can't be customized or personalized to your home, and fixtures can be discontinued leading to an inability to find parts or replace them.

Domestic Manufacturing

Why it costs more:

• U.S. labor wages and benefits are substantially higher
• Made-to-order or small-batch production doesn't benefit from large overseas factory's scale
• Solid brass and other durable materials cost more than the alternatives often used overseas

What this means for you: There is a higher upfront cost, and often a longer lead time which require planning and may mean your project is completed in phases rather than all at once. You also usually have extensive personalization or customization options to fit your home and the materials are heirloom quality, durable enough to outlast multiple generations.

There is a separate model of the Progress fixture with a different finish (white), however, though it looks the same it has a different internal construction and uses an integrated LED. It’s a different product with different electronics. We're not including that model in this comparison, as the underlying technology is different.

Tangent: We generally recommend avoiding integrated LEDs for fixtures you want to install long term. See our guide about LED bulbs for an explanation.

You’re choosing between: Overseas-made fixtures usually offer minimal to no customization; you get what's in stock on the warehouse shelf. That often makes decisions simpler but limits your ability to match your home's specific needs. American-made fixtures often offer extensive customization to match your home’s architecture and your vision, which requires choosing from more options.

We know these technical details can quickly turn into gobbledygook. Stainless steel vs. brass? Powder coat vs. patina? But understanding these differences is what helps you avoid buyer's remorse. Let's break it down.

You’re choosing between: Fixtures made overseas are generally made using lighter, less expensive metals that resist rust but lack lifetime durability. American-made fixtures are often brass, which costs more, can last centuries and develops patina (and can be refinished decades from now if desired).

You’re choosing between: Powder coat finishes are durable and designed to protect the metal underneath. They’re not impervious to damage, no finish is. All three of these fixtures are shown with a powder coat finish.

On a related note, none of these fixtures have an acrylic finish, but you will run across that at times. Acrylic is especially vulnerable to damage and runs a higher risk of chipping or flaking off over time.

You’re choosing between: Overseas-made fixtures can be bought off a shelf or ship in days when in stock at a retailer, while American-made fixtures are often crafted to order (or in small batches) which requires advance planning on your part if you need to hit a deadline.

In our test run, the Design Classics fixture arrived with a broken glass panel. That's a normal risk with any light fixture from any manufacturer. We couldn't exchange it after it arrived, because the listing went out of stock and the Amazon page indicated a restock was uncertain as of this publishing date. We kept the fixture to finish this comparison and create the video above, but it highlighted one of the realities of mass-produced overseas fixtures: availability isn't always steady, and replacement parts can be difficult (or impossible) to locate. In fact, folks often call us to provide replacement parts for a mass market light fixture, and we're unable to help.

You’re choosing between: Overseas-made fixtures often offer longer return/exchange windows through major retailers, though the process of reboxing and shipping still takes time and effort. They also usually come with shorter warranties and unpredictable long-term availability. American-made fixtures often have stricter return policies due to made-to-order production, but usually offer more generous warranties and more stable long-term availability.

You’re choosing between: Overseas fixtures from major retailers can accumulate more reviews quickly due to high volume sales, giving you more customer feedback to browse. American-made fixtures will often have fewer reviews due to lower production volume.

Here are the nuts and bolts tradeoffs behind everything we've covered. Each manufacturing location and approach gives you some typical benefits and asks you for some typical compromises:

What you get:

• Faster delivery – when in stock can be picked up same day to shipped within a week usually
• Lower upfront cost – the initial payment is within reach of most budgets
• Easier returns - longer windows through major retailers
• Simpler decisions - limited options mean less time choosing

What you're trading away:

• Customization - you get what's in stock; no way to match your home's specific needs
• Durability concerns – depending on materials and your home’s environment, the fixture can become unsightly or fail and need to be replaced within a handful of years
• Support limitations - you're dealing with retailers if there's an issue, not the manufacturers
• Availability fluctuations - products can disappear from inventory without warning
• Shorter warranties - 1-year limited coverage means you're on your own after that

Best for: Homeowners with a lower budget, rental properties, temporary solutions, projects with fast approaching deadlines that can’t be negotiated, or spaces in your home that receive less visitor traffic.

What you get:

• Highly durable materials - solid brass construction is very common, designed to outlast us all; it can usually be refinished if needed or desired
• Extensive customization - you can match your home's specific details and work with the manufacturer for possible customization beyond typical options
• Direct manufacturer support – you can talk to the people who actually make your fixtures; no middleman
• Generous warranty – in some cases the manufacturing is covered for as long as you own your home
• Natural aging - brass develops character over time as it ages with your home
• Stable availability - made-to-order or small batch production means your configuration will almost always be available to produce on demand

What you're trading away:

• Higher upfront cost – domestic wages and durable materials mean each fixture costs more
• Longer lead times – made-to-order pieces aren't crafted until you place your order
• More decisions - choosing from a variety of options takes time and thought
• Stricter return policies — because each fixture is made to your home’s needs

Best for: Forever homes, high-visibility locations (front porches, entryways), homeowners who value authenticity, durability and craftsmanship, those willing to plan ahead and invest in long-term quality, preservation-focused projects, and homeowners who want to support American labor and businesses.

Absolutely—and for most historic homeowners, it's the smartest approach. We usually recommend tackling your home in phases.

If handcrafted, American-made fixtures make sense for your budget and style, start with high visibility areas like your front porch, foyer or driveway and landscaping—the fixtures that you (and guests) see when arriving and walking into your home. As your budget allows, tackle more rooms that are important to you like the bedroom, living room, dining room and kitchen. Some areas, like a mudroom or backdoor may never need anything but an imported, lower-cost option.

At the end of the day, these are the choices you're making between overseas-made and American-made fixtures:

• Upfront Cost vs. Longevity 
• Speed vs. Customization 
• Easier Returns vs. Made for You 
• Mass Production vs. Individualized Craftsmanship 

None of these decisions have a universal right answer. What matters for your home and project are your priorities, your timeline and your budget. The fixtures that work for a rental property aren't the same ones that make sense for your forever home. The approach that works for the laundry room might not be right for your front porch.

• If this raised more questions for you and you want to learn more, our article about historic home lighting costs breaks down the factors that drive prices beyond just manufacturing location.
• If you're interested in who the best American lighting makers are across a lot of different historic styles, check out our list here.
• And if you're curious about any issues you might have when buying American, check out our article about the three common problems ordering from Old California (the points in that article apply to many American lighting manufacturers, especially in the historic space).

We manufacture reproduction and period-appropriate lighting for your home built from the Gold Rush to the Space Race. We've been doing that in our Southern California factory (just south of Los Angeles) since 1989. If you're looking for American-made options for your home, you can explore our entire line across all styles here. If you have questions about whether our fixtures are the right fit for your project, our team is always happy to talk! Give us a call or send us an email.

• Historic Home Lighting Cost: A Look at What You'll Pay
• Three Problems Ordering from Old California (and How to Avoid Them)
• Best American Made Historic Lighting Manufacturers