Every vintage light we sell at It's a Light has been through the same careful process before it reaches you: assessed, cleaned, refitted where needed, and rewired to a standard we're confident in. Nothing leaves us in a condition we wouldn't be happy to hang in our own homes.
We get a lot of questions about what that restoration actually involves — what we do, what we look for, and what it means for you as a buyer. This is our answer.
It Starts with the Glass
The glass is always the first consideration. Before anything else, we examine each piece carefully in good daylight — looking for cracks, chips, stress fractures around the fixing points, and any damage that might affect how the piece hangs or how it looks when lit. If you want to know what to look for yourself before buying, our guide on how to identify a genuine Flycatcher glass bowl covers the key markers of authenticity in detail.
Small chips on the rim — one of the most common forms of wear on a piece that's been handled and rehung over decades — are diamond ground back by hand. This removes the sharp edge, restores a smooth profile to the rim, and makes the chip far less visible. It's a technique borrowed from traditional glass restoration, and on a well-executed grind, the result is barely noticeable. Where a chip is too large or too structural to address this way, we say so in the listing.
Hairline surface marks that don't affect structural integrity are left as they are — they're part of the piece's history. Anything we have genuine doubts about doesn't go on sale.
Cleaning is carried out using specialist glass-safe solvents, selected to lift decades of grime, oxidation, and residue without affecting the glass surface or the integrity of the marbling beneath. This isn't a wipe-down — it's a considered process that takes time and care, and the difference it makes to how a piece looks when lit is significant. The warm translucency of a genuine period bowl, properly cleaned and illuminated, is one of the things that makes these lights so compelling.
Fittings: Original Where Possible, Replaced Where Necessary
Most vintage pendant lights in circulation have had their fittings replaced at some point — often more than once. Original period fittings are frequently fragile, corroded, or simply no longer safe. Where original fittings are present and sound, we clean and retain them. Where they're not, we replace them with quality reproduction fittings that are appropriate to the piece.
The bowl hooks — the fittings that cradle and suspend the glass — are matched carefully to each bowl. Hooks that don't sit correctly put uneven stress on the glass, which on a piece of 1920s pressed glass is not a risk worth taking. Every set of hooks is checked for secure, even contact with the bowl before we move on.
Rewiring: Always
Every light we sell is rewired. No exceptions. Period wiring — cloth-covered flex, rubber-insulated cable — degrades over time and should never be trusted, regardless of how it looks. We replace it with new twisted fabric-covered flex, chosen to suit the piece: natural cotton for Art Deco and earlier styles, coloured twist where it complements the design.
Each light is wired with a new lampholder and tested before listing. The flex is properly secured so that any tension is taken by the cord grip, not the terminals. It sounds like a small detail — it isn't.
Critically, every rewired light is independently PAT tested before it leaves us. That's not a formality — it's an objective, third-party check that the electrical work is safe. You'll find the PAT test result noted in each listing.
A Note on Bulbs
We always recommend LED bulbs for vintage glass pendants — particularly enclosed bowls. They run cool, which matters for older glass and fittings, and they're available in warm colour temperatures (2700K–3000K) that work beautifully with the amber and opaline tones of period glass. Avoid cool white LEDs: they tend to look harsh and clinical through vintage glass, and they don't do justice to the piece.
What You Receive
When a light arrives from us, it's ready to hang. The glass is clean, the bowl hooks are secure, the flex is new, the lampholder is wired and tested, and the whole piece has been independently PAT tested. All that's needed is connection to your ceiling rose — we recommend using a qualified electrician for this final step.
Every listing includes an honest description of the piece's condition, its glass and marbling, and any restoration work carried out. If you have questions about a specific piece before buying, we're always happy to discuss it. Once your light is up, our guide to caring for reclaimed glass shades covers everything you need to keep it looking its best.
Browse our current stock of restored Flycatcher and Art Deco ceiling lights and Mid-Century Modern lighting — each one individually sourced, assessed, and ready to use.