Why Does Historic Home Lighting Cost More? (And What You're Really Paying For)

By Joshua Scheide | Updated November 1, 2025

When you’re working on your historic home, whether a restoration, addition or just a refresh, you want lighting that honors your home’s heritage. Then you see the prices.

A vintage-styled wall sconce at Home Depot: $90. A period-appropriate brass sconce from a specialty manufacturer: $1,100.

Why such a dramatic difference? And more importantly—which choice protects your home's look, value and integrity?

Here’s how who manufactures your fixture directly impacts its cost.

• Overseas workers supervising automated stamping machines
• High-volume production uses the same tooling across thousands of units
• Minimal hand-assembly required
• Lower international wage rates
• Assembly-line processes

Results:

• Per-unit labor cost stays low despite shipping expenses
• Fast production times (though overseas shipping can sometimes create inventory delays)
• Identical fixtures with no individual variation
• No customization during manufacturing

• American workers earning domestic wages
• Welding individual joints
• Hand-applying finishes one piece at a time
• Specialized skills (metalworking, glass artistry)
• Small-batch production
• Made-to-order manufacturing

Results:

• Labor can take days or weeks per fixture instead of minutes or hours
• Each piece receives individual attention
• Can accommodate custom requests during fabrication

The labor difference accounts for half or more of the price gap between mass-produced and handcrafted fixtures. For your project, this determines whether you're getting something made specifically for you or something pulled from warehouse inventory.

What your fixture is made from affects both cost and longevity.

• Less robust materials like thin steel or cast aluminum
• Mass-produced catalog parts (backplates, chains, canopies)
• Spray-on acrylic finishes
• Factory-molded glass shades
• Lightweight construction

Results:

• Lower material costs per pound
• Easier and cheaper to ship
• Faster to manufacture
• Typical lifespan of 5-10 years before corrosion or finish deterioration
• May rust in outdoor applications or humid climates
• Finishes can chip in inclement weather or with normal cleaning

• Sturdy base materials like solid brass or stainless steel
• Custom-machined components made to era-appropriate specifications
• Hand-applied chemical patinas
• Precious metal finishes (gold leaf, silver leaf, copper)
• Hand-blown or stained glass
• Multiple protective clear coats

Results:

• Higher material costs per pound
• Heavier shipping costs
• Typical lifespan of 100+ years
• Finishes resist chipping and wear

Your material choice determines replacement frequency. For historic homes where maintaining period authenticity over decades matters, material durability directly affects your long-term costs and the visual consistency of your home.

Design complexity and customization options affect manufacturing costs.

• Simple geometric shapes
• Repeatable molds used for high-volume production
• Generic "vintage-inspired" styling
• Standard sizes only
• Limited finish options (typically 2-3 choices)
• No customization during production

Results:

• Manufacturers spread design and tooling costs across thousands of units that are simpler to produce
• Quick production setup
• You select from existing inventory
• Your home must accommodate the fixture's fixed dimensions

• Research and experimentation around intricate, period-accurate details
• Custom tooling for specific design elements
• Designing for scalability to create a consistent look over multiple sizes
• Homeowner customization capabilities (scale, finish modifications, glass options)
• Celebrity designers
• Fully custom commissions

Results:

• Design and engineering costs are spread across fewer units
• Easier to match specific architectural styles accurately
• Fixtures can be scaled to your home’s proportions
• Extended lead times

For your historic home, design accuracy affects whether fixtures look original to the architecture or appear as afterthoughts. Many historic homes require scaling that standard fixtures cannot provide.

A minimal addition to cost, but important for historic homes.

• Self-certification without independent testing
• Minimal quality inspections
• Basic wiring meeting minimum electrical codes
• Single-point quality check before shipping

Results:

• Lower compliance costs
• Faster production
• Meets legal minimum requirements

• UL listing with independent third-party testing
• Ongoing UL compliance audits
• Multiple quality checkpoints throughout production
• Enhanced safety features (overload protection, surge suppression)
• Proper outdoor ratings requiring sealed components
• Additional weatherproofing for wet locations

Results:

• Higher certification and testing costs
• Multiple inspection points catch defects before shipping
• Enhanced protection in older homes with potentially stressed electrical systems
• Better performance in outdoor or high-moisture applications

While safety features create smaller price differences than labor or materials, they affect risk in vintage homes where electrical systems may be older or non-standard.

This is what we hear from many historic homeowners: “I don’t want to pick something that doesn’t fit my home.”

You've invested tens of thousands in your historic home. You've agonized over paint colors and hardware. The last thing you want is lighting that looks like an awkward addition.

This is where return on investment extends beyond durability and into confidence. When you first turn on your new fixtures and have to ask yourself, “Are these original to the home?” because they look like they were always there, you know your investment paid off.

You'll love working with us if:

• You're working on a historic home (1860s-1960s) and need period accuracy
• You want solid brass fixtures built for multi-generational durability
• You want to be able to match your home’s aesthetics exactly
• You can wait 6-10 weeks (sometimes longer) for made-to-order production
• Your budget accommodates $500+ per fixture for most rooms
• Supporting American manufacturing aligns with your values
• You want fixtures that look like original architecture

We're probably not your best fit if:

• You need fixtures installed within days
• Your budget is under $500 per fixture for most rooms
• You prefer contemporary aesthetics
• You're working on a spec home where period accuracy doesn't affect value
• You're comfortable with fixtures that function but don’t look great after five years, or replacing fixtures every five to ten years

If you're in that second category, that's perfectly fine. Your project has different priorities, and we'd rather you find the right solution than settle for something that doesn't fit your needs.

Since 1989 we've specialized in helping homeowners protect their historic home's architectural integrity with period-appropriate lighting. We’re still manufacturing the very first reproduction series we produced—you can see it here.

How we ensure authenticity:

• We study original fixtures from landmark homes like the Gamble House
• We reference period catalogs from the era your home was built
• We honor authentic proportions and lines appropriate to your architectural style
• We organize collections by architectural period for confident navigation

What every fixture includes:

• Solid brass construction
• Hand-applied chemical patinas
• Stylization to your home’s specifics
• Lifetime warranty on materials and workmanship
• UL listing with multiple quality checkpoints
• Handcrafted in Southern California by skilled craftspeople whose work becomes part of your home's legacy

Here's a sampling of investment ballparks from across our extensive, made-to-order product line:

• Landscape pathway lights: Starting around $250
• Simple pendants: Starting around $300
• Outdoor brass sconces: Starting around $1000
• Stained glass sconces: Starting around $2,500
• Wood chandeliers: Starting around $5,000
• Stained glass chandeliers: Starting around $8,000

We’re not the most expensive on the market, but with Old California you will invest more than mass-produced alternatives. You'll also have fixtures that your great-grandchildren will inherit in working condition—and the immediate satisfaction of knowing your lighting fits your home's architecture rather than compromises it.

Your historic home tells a story. The lighting you choose either honors that story or interrupts it. When you invest in Old California fixtures, you ensure that every room glows with authenticity.

Explore our collections organized by architectural style—making it straightforward to find fixtures that belong in your home:

• Craftsman & Arts & Crafts — For bungalows and prairie-style homes
• Spanish Colonial & Mediterranean — For Spanish Revival and Mission-style homes
• Tudor Revival & Storybook Cottage — For Tudor and Fairy Tale-style homes
• Prairie School — For Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired homes

Have questions about your specific project? Contact our team—we'll help you make informed decisions, even if that means recommending another maker who specializes in your particular architectural style. After all, we want your house to shine!