Search for Tiffany lamps and you will mostly be told about auctions. Christie's, collectors' guides, how to spot a genuine Tiffany Studios piece made over a century ago. All of it is interesting and almost none of it helps if what you actually want is a coloured glass lamp for the hall.
So this is the other answer. We sell Tiffany style lighting, not Tiffany Studios antiques, and we list more than three hundred pieces of it. Here is what separates a good one from a poor one, what it costs, which fitting suits which room, and the two specifications to check before you buy.
The short version
- An original Tiffany Studios lamp is an antique sold at auction, not a new lamp from a lighting shop
- Tiffany style means the glass look and the nature-led patterns, made now
- Judge it switched off as well as on, because that is how it spends most of its life
- Check whether it is dimmable before you buy, because many Tiffany pieces are not
- Check the cap and maximum wattage too, because the lamps are almost never included
Original or Tiffany style, and why nobody is hiding it
An original is an antique made by Tiffany Studios, the decorative arts business associated with Louis Comfort Tiffany, who worked in the Art Nouveau tradition rather than Art Deco. Those lamps are bought and sold through auction houses and specialist dealers, and they are priced accordingly. We do not sell them.
What we sell is Tiffany style: contemporary fittings using the same copper foiled coloured glass and the same flowers, dragonflies and geometric fans. The phrase is not a hedge. It is the accurate description, and anyone selling you a new lamp as a genuine Tiffany is telling you something untrue. If you are buying an antique described as Tiffany Studios, take advice from an established specialist or auction house before any money changes hands, because a mark on the base is not proof.
What separates a good one from a poor one
Three things, in the order they matter.
- The glass. Good Tiffany style glass has depth and variation within a single colour, so the panel is not one flat shade. Cheap glass reads as plastic the moment it is lit.
- The leading. Look at the lines between the pieces. Even widths and clean joins are the sign of a well-made shade; wandering, lumpy leading is not.
- The proportions. A Tiffany shade is a strong shape. It wants a base and a scale that can carry it rather than one that disappears underneath it.
Then one test worth applying: look at it switched off. A Tiffany piece is a solid object in a room for most of the day and a light for a few hours in the evening. The Interiors 1900 Sullivan Tiffany Table Lamp in Satin Black (£146.85, checked 9th November 2026) is a fair example, because the shade holds its pattern in daylight rather than going dull and grey.
What it costs
Across the pieces in this guide, prices run from £80.85 for a two light wall light to £260.56 for a two light pendant, with most of the ceiling and table pieces between £120 and £180. That is the honest shape of the market for well-made Tiffany style lighting in Britain, and it is a long way from the auction room.
Inside that range, judge the amount of glass and the number of pieces it is cut into rather than the brand on the box. A shade made of many small pieces takes more cutting and leading than one made of a few large ones, and it shows.
Which fitting suits which room
Tiffany reads as warm and traditional, so it sits well in halls, snugs, bedrooms and period rooms, and it fights with a very plain modern scheme unless it is the only decorative thing in it. The practical choice is usually decided by the ceiling.
| Fitting | Where it works | Class | Projection or height | Bulb | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interiors 1900 Fargo 2 Light Tiffany Flush Ceiling Light in Satin Black | A low ceiling, where a drop is not possible | Class 1 | 170mm projection | 2 x 60W E27 max, dimmable | £163.95 |
| Interiors 1900 Dark Star 3 Light Tiffany Semi Flush Ceiling Light in Satin Black | A bedroom, or a hall with a ceiling above 2.4 metres | Class 1 | 315mm projection | 3 x 60W E27 max, dimmable | £125.75 |
| Quoizel Asheville 2 Light Tiffany Flush Ceiling Light in Valiant Bronze | A small room or a landing | Class 1 | 167mm high, 381mm across | 2 x E27, 60W max, compatible with dimmable smart lamps | £134.25 |
| Interiors 1900 Dark Star Tiffany Task Floor Lamp in Black with Iridised Glass Inserts | Beside a chair, for reading | Class 2 | 1540mm tall | 40W E14 candle max, not dimmable | £128.95 |
On a standard 2.4 metre ceiling the Fargo leaves 2.23 metres clear underneath and the Dark Star semi flush 2.09 metres, so over a walkway the flush fitting is the one that works. Our guide to what size ceiling light your room needs works the sum through properly.
The two specifications to check before you buy
Dimming. Tiffany lighting is at its best turned down, and a good many Tiffany pieces are not dimmable. The Dark Star floor lamp above is a non-dimmable fitting with an inline foot switch; the Dark Star semi flush on the same page is dimmable. The Details table on each product says which, and it is worth reading before you buy a dimmer to go with it. If you are adding one, our guide to dimming LED lighting covers what the dimmer has to do.
The lamps. They are almost never included, and the cap matters: the floor lamp takes an E14 candle to a maximum of 40W, the semi flush takes three E27 to a maximum of 60W each. A warm 2700K lamp is our starting point for Tiffany, because cooler light flattens the ambers and makes the glass look grey. Our guide to what bulbs your new light needs covers the caps.
Where it goes wrong
Two mistakes are easy to make. The first is scale: a Tiffany shade carries more visual weight than a plain one of the same diameter, so a piece that measured correctly can still overwhelm a small table. The second is buying on the lit photograph alone. Look for a daylight image before you commit, because every Tiffany shade looks good backlit and only a good one looks good switched off.
A third is weight. The Interiors 1900 Dark Star Tiffany Task Floor Lamp in Black with Iridised Glass Inserts (£128.95, checked 9th November 2026) is 4.86 kg, which is a sturdy floor lamp rather than one that moves easily, and that is usually a virtue in a house with a door that slams.
Frequently asked questions
Are Tiffany style lamps real Tiffany lamps?
No, and a reputable seller will say so. An original is an antique made by Tiffany Studios and is sold through auction houses and specialist dealers. Tiffany style means a contemporary fitting made in the same tradition, with leaded coloured glass and nature-led patterns. It is an accurate description rather than a hedge, and it is what a modern lighting shop sells.
How much should a good Tiffany style lamp cost?
Across the pieces in this guide they run from about £80 for a two light wall light to about £260 for a two light pendant, with most ceiling and table fittings between £120 and £180. Inside that range, judge the amount of glass and how many pieces it is cut into, because a shade of many small pieces takes more cutting and leading than one of a few large ones.
Are Tiffany lamps dimmable?
Some are and some are not, so check before you buy a dimmer. Many Tiffany table and floor lamps are non-dimmable fittings with an inline or pull cord switch, while most Tiffany ceiling fittings take dimmable lamps. The Details table on each product page states it. Tiffany glass looks its best turned down, so it is worth knowing which you have bought.
What bulb goes in a Tiffany lamp?
It depends on the fitting, and the lamps are almost never included. Most Tiffany table and floor lamps take an E27 cap, though some take an E14 candle, and Tiffany ceiling fittings mostly take E27. The maximum wattage varies from fitting to fitting, so read it on the product page. Choose a warm 2700K lamp. Cooler light flattens the ambers and reds and makes good glass look grey.
Is Tiffany lighting still in style?
It has never really been in or out, which is the useful thing about it. Tiffany style belongs to the Art Nouveau tradition rather than to a current trend, so it reads as deliberate in a period hall, a snug or a bedroom. Where it struggles is a very plain modern scheme, unless it is the one decorative object in the room.
