Years ago my friend Ted Wiederseim and I were hunting the antique shops on Antiques Row in Philadelphia. One shop had a huge number of antique lighting devices priced pretty strongly. Ted and I got to talking about how finding good quality period lighting for a home was one of the hardest things for any collector to do. Sure, going for a modern set of lights that hopefully blends into the background is easy, but finding a period set of fixtures is tough. The question bodes as to why lighting is such a challenge. Part of this is the change in aesthetics for interiors. When electricity came into homes in the late 19th century, people celebrated it by having bare bulbs and big cords (often run through the abandoned gas lines). It was the new technology, and everyone had to have it! Using those same fixtures today is jarring as we like indirect and soft lighting where the bulb is hidden and the light is soft. So that knocks out a lot of fixtures. Second is that color choices in shades have changed based on popular taste. I recall purchasing a wonderful kerosene table lamp with its original shade. The lamp was untouched and in original condition. Why? Because it was in the acid yellow that so appealed to late 19th-century decorators. Today, no one wanted it, and yet it was absolutely perfectly period. In my house, I have spent years finding the right fixtures. Sometimes you find the right lamp base but not the shade. And vice versa. Sometimes you get a good pair but then the light is just too harsh or too diffused. All in all, getting good fixtures remains one of the biggest challenges in decorating a home with antiques. For my choice, I favor the lighting fixtures that were popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Sure, they need to be rewired, but they often fit well into a modern interior. And the choices can range from Chinese to Art Deco. A favorite of mine are the wrought iron floor lamps, often called bridge lamps, that were so popular in this period. With a great shade, they look wonderful as outdoor fixtures for sure! Finally, I would recommend that folks who are looking for light fixtures take their time. I have been frustrated by rushing to get a fixture only to discover that it is just ugly. Look for what works best for your time. Select lamps that make a fashion statement and provide a pop to a dcor. Or conversely look for the understated that just catches the mood so well. Some years ago I was out antiquing and a friend pointed out a small patinated jug with a patinated shade, standing not more than 12 inches high. I had walked past it until my friend drew me back. The jug was bronze with a lovely green patina. The shade was patinated beautifully. Together it was a tour de force of 1920s expensive Colonial Revivalism. I still use it today as a bedside lamp. It is a treasure, and I am so glad that I was stopped to look at it a second time. Born to collect should be the motto of Peter Seiberts family. Raised in Central Pennsylvania, Seibert has been collecting and writing about antiques for more than three decades. By day, he is a museum director and has worked in Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Virginia and New Mexico. In addition, he advises and consults with auction houses throughout the Mid-Atlantic region, particularly about American furniture and decorative arts. Seiberts writings include books on photography, American fraternal societies and paintings. He and his family are restoring a 1905 arts and crafts house filled with years worth of antique treasures found in shops, co-ops and at auctions.