A brass lamp is a lamp whose metal parts (arm, stand, base or canopy) have the warm yellow colour of brass, either in solid brass or, far more often, as a brass finish over iron or copper. The same warm-metal family also includes gold, bronze and copper finishes, which look close in a photo but very different on a wall. This guide explains the five finishes, gives the real sizes of the brass, gold, bronze and copper lights we sell, and shows how to combine them in one room.
Solid brass or brass finish?
Product pages are worth reading closely. On our lights, the warm metal is a finish: the Vintage Brass Flower Wall Sconce is copper with an antique brass finish, the Classic Fabric Wall Sconce is an iron body in a brass (gold) finish, and the Tasselled Velvet Floor Lamp stands on an iron stand with a brass-tone finish. A finish keeps the look and the weight low (the brass flower sconce weighs about 0.5 kg), which makes a wall light easier to fix.
The five warm-metal finishes
| Finish | Colour | Mood | Our example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brushed brass | Soft yellow, matt | Classic, easy to mix | Classic Fabric Wall Sconce |
| Antique brass | Darker yellow-brown | Vintage, French | Vintage Brass Flower Wall Sconce, Cobalt Glass Bankers Desk Lamp |
| Gold / gilded | Bright, shiny yellow | Glam, decorative | Crystal Globe Pendant (gold), Botanical Glass Globe Table Lamp |
| Bronze | Dark brown, almost black | Old-world, mid-century | Scalloped Glass Globe Pendant, Mid Century Fabric Drum Wall Sconce |
| Copper | Reddish, warm | Rustic, crafted | Walnut & Hammered Copper Wall Sconce |
Real sizes of our brass, gold, bronze and copper lights
All figures come from our product pages. The lighting area is the manufacturer's guide for the space one light covers on its own.
| Light | Type | Finish | Size | Lighting area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vintage Brass Flower | Wall sconce | Antique brass on copper | H 25 cm, projection 25 cm | 3–5 m² |
| Classic Fabric | Wall sconce | Brass (gold) or black on iron | H 23 cm, shade Ø 17 cm, projection 25 cm | 3–5 m² |
| Ribbed Tulip Glass | Wall sconce | Brass-finish arm | H 42 cm, shade 12 cm wide | Not stated |
| Walnut & Hammered Copper | Wall sconce, up and down | Hammered copper | H 50.5 × W 19.7 × D 15.4 cm | 5–10 m² |
| Mid Century Fabric Drum | Wall sconce | Dark bronze-tone arm | Not stated | 3–5 m² |
| Cobalt Glass Bankers | Desk lamp | Antique brass tone, bronze finish | H 36 cm, shade 26.5 cm, base 18 cm | Not stated |
| Botanical Glass Globe | Table lamp | Gilded iron | Not stated | 3–5 m² |
| Crystal Globe Pendant | Two-light pendant | Gold or black | Dome Ø 15 cm, crystal Ø 8 cm, cords 150 and 120 cm | 10–15 m² |
| Scalloped Glass Globe | Pendant on a rod | Antique bronze | Globe Ø 30 × H 31 cm | Not stated |
| Tasselled Velvet | Floor lamp | Brass-tone stand | H 158 cm | 3–5 m² |
How to mix warm metals in one room
Pick one main finish. Use it on the largest or most visible piece, usually the ceiling light or a pair of wall lights, and repeat it at least once elsewhere in the room.
Add one accent finish. Antique brass sits well with dark bronze, because both are brown-based. Bright gold reads best next to black: the Crystal Globe Pendant and the Classic Fabric Wall Sconce both come in gold or black, so you can match them exactly.
Let the shade carry the colour. A warm metal looks strongest against glass that glows: amber, green or cobalt. The bankers lamp, the tulip sconce and the scalloped globe all pair a brass or bronze tone with coloured glass. Our glass wall sconce guide compares the glass types.
A worked example: a brass bedroom
Take a 12 m² bedroom. A pair of Classic Fabric Wall Sconces in brass on each side of the bed (3–5 m² each) plus one gold Crystal Globe Pendant in the centre (10–15 m²) gives 16–25 m² of rated coverage, more than the room needs, so the sconces can stay on alone in the evening. With a projection of 25 cm, each sconce needs a clear 25 cm in front of the wall; our guide to bedside sconce height gives the mounting height. For a desk in the same room, the Cobalt Glass Bankers Desk Lamp (36 cm high) repeats the antique brass tone.
Caring for a brass finish
As a general rule for metal finishes, dust with a dry, soft cloth and avoid abrasive pads or metal polish, which can wear through a finish to the metal underneath. Switch the light off and let it cool first. Our guide on how to clean lamp shades covers the glass and fabric parts.
Prefer a cool metal? Our guide to chrome and silver lamps compares chrome, polished silver and brushed aluminium. For an antique-brass look in a cottage room, the Vintage Brass Flower sconce and the Tasselled Velvet lamp also appear in our guide to cottagecore lighting.
Brass arms and bronze-tone bases are also a hallmark of Victorian lamps; that guide lists seven Victorian-style lamps with their real sizes.
The brass-finish sconces above also appear in our guide to vintage wall sconces, and our guide to wall sconces for the living room shows where to hang a pair beside a fireplace or a console.
FAQ
Are your brass lamps solid brass?
No. Our product pages describe brass finishes over metal: antique brass on copper for the Vintage Brass Flower Wall Sconce, a brass (gold) finish on iron for the Classic Fabric Wall Sconce, and a brass-tone finish on iron for the Tasselled Velvet Floor Lamp.
What is the difference between brass and gold lighting?
Brass is a softer, slightly brown yellow, often brushed or antiqued; gold is a brighter, shinier yellow. Our Crystal Globe Pendant comes in gold or black, and the Botanical Glass Globe Table Lamp has a gilded finish.
Can I mix brass and black light fittings?
Yes. Two of our lights come in both finishes: the Classic Fabric Wall Sconce (brass or black) and the Crystal Globe Pendant (gold or black), so the same model can be repeated in each finish.
See all our wall lights, our French classic lighting and vintage and mid-century lamps, and read our bankers lamp guide.
