Vintage light bulb

A vintage light bulb with LED filament comes down to three things: the E27 base, the wattage of 5, 6 or 16 W depending on the model, and the size, globe or teardrop, from 4 to 14 cm. It gives off a warm white light around 2700 to 3500 K, with a visible filament under clear, smoked or amber glass. Here is how to choose it, place it and look after it.

What light does a vintage LED filament bulb give?

A vintage light bulb with LED filament gives off a warm white light, around 2700 to 3500 K, close to an incandescent bulb. The filament stays visible through the glass, clear, smoked or amber, and the light spreads without glare. The E27 base and the IP20 rating make it an indoor bulb, away from very damp rooms.

Vintage LED bulb: what colour of light?

Warm white sits between 2700 and 3000 K for an amber look, and rises towards 3500 K for a slightly crisper white. In a living room, this kind of lighting leaves wood and natural fabrics alone without yellowing them. If you want to compare the results, 2700K bulbs and 3000K bulbs show you both temperatures side by side.

Vintage E27 bulb: how do you recognise it?

You recognise it by the visible filament, the globe or teardrop shape, and the large screw base that fits most pendants and table lamps. Every bulb in this selection has an E27 base and LED technology, with an IP20 protection rating. The E27 LED filament bulbs range gathers this type of model, and all our lighting lets you see the fittings they go into.

How do you choose your vintage E27 bulb?

Start with the shape and the size: globe or teardrop, from 4 to 14 cm depending on the model, so it fits inside the fitting. Check the E27 base, then the wattage, 5, 6 or 16 W, and dimmer compatibility if your switch is on a dimmer. The glass finish comes last, once those three points are settled.

Which wattage should you choose between 5, 6 and 16 W?

A 5 W bulb is enough for a side lamp, a wall light or ambient lighting. 6 W suits a pendant above a table when you want to keep the room readable. 16 W, as on the Éclat d'Antan retro bulbs, lights a large table or a living room more strongly. Wattage is therefore chosen according to the surface to be lit and the height of the fitting, not the size of the glass.

Vintage E14 or E27 bulb: which base for which socket?

The E27 base fits ceiling lights, pendants, table and bedside lamps. The small E14 base is for wall lights, small lamps and compact fittings: since this collection is entirely E27, look to small E14 base bulbs or to the other G4 and G9 bases if your socket is smaller, and to GU10 bulbs for a recessed spotlight.

Only some of the models accept a dimmer. If your switch is on a dimmer, compare the dimmable LED bulbs first: you will avoid buzzing and sudden steps at low brightness. The Ambra II smoked glass bulb is one of those compatible models, with a clearly visible spiral filament.

Where should you install a vintage bulb?

These bulbs mainly light the living room, the dining room and the bathroom, as main or additional lighting. The IP20 rating limits them to indoor use, in a dry area: for a terrace, a porch or outdoors, you need a bulb designed for damp and temperature swings.

Which vintage bulb for a bedside lamp?

A low wattage bulb, in clear or smoked glass, suits a bedside lamp: it gives a warm white light without glare when you read. Go for a dimmer compatible model, and measure the height available under the shade before ordering, because a teardrop bulb of 12.5 to 14 cm sometimes sticks out of the holder. The bedroom bulbs range gathers the models suited to this use.

Can you install an E27 bulb outdoors?

Not the models in this collection, all IP20, so reserved for dry indoor spaces. A bulb installed outside has to withstand rain and temperature changes, which decorative glass does not guarantee. For a terrace or a porch, a complete outdoor fitting is better than a vintage bulb on a bare socket.

In a living room, these bulbs go as well on a floor lamp as in a chandelier. The living room bulbs range helps set the wattage, and chandeliers and pendants for bulbs shows the fittings where the filament stays visible.

How do you match a vintage bulb to a vintage interior?

Smoked, amber or clear glass and gold, brass or silver finishes go with wooden furniture and patinated metals. A visible bulb, without a shade, becomes a decorative feature in its own right: pendant, chandelier or wall light. One family of tones per room is better.

Smoked or amber glass bulb: which mood?

Smoked glass softens the light and darkens the filament, which works well in a contemporary or industrial interior. Amber warms things up more and pairs with pale wood and beige tones. Clear glass, for its part, leaves the filament sharp and suits bright rooms. The glass bulbs range gathers these finishes, and the filament bulbs let you compare globe and teardrop shapes.

Which fittings go with a retro bulb?

A visible socket, a textile cable or a brass frame show the bulb off; an opaque shade hides it and loses the point of the filament. For a consistent look, keep the same family of tones in a room: gold with gold, silver with silver, without mixing the two on the same level. The retro bulbs range and the Éclat Doré E27 filament bulb, beige and gold, illustrate this idea of matching.

How do you install and maintain a vintage bulb?

Switch off the power, let the old bulb cool, then screw the new one into the E27 socket without forcing it. Clean the glass dry, with the power off, to keep the filament clear. For several light points, each socket is wired in parallel from the supply, never in series.

How do you wire 3 bulbs in parallel?

Three sockets are wired in parallel: live and neutral reach each one, without passing from one to the next. A series circuit would lower the brightness and cut the circuit as soon as one bulb is missing. Switch off at the breaker before working, and check that each socket is E27 before screwing in. All our bulbs run on mains, with no transformer.

How do you replace and clean a filament bulb?

Wait until the bulb is cold: LED glass heats up less than incandescent, but is still delicate to handle. Unscrew without forcing it, wipe the glass with a dry cloth, then screw the new one in until it makes contact, without tightening further. Clean glass keeps the filament sharp, especially on a smoked or amber model.

Why choose a vintage bulb from Designix?

Every bulb in the selection comes with a 2 year guarantee, with secure payment, tracked delivery and returns. Designix customer service answers before and after the purchase, to check the base, the wattage and dimmer compatibility before you order.

What guarantees come with the bulbs in this selection?

The 2 year guarantee covers all the models shown here. Payment is secure, delivery is tracked and returns are possible if the model does not suit your fitting. To compare more widely before deciding, the Designix bulb range and all LED bulbs give an overview of the families available.

How do you prepare your vintage bulb order?

Note three things before ordering: the base of your socket (E27 here), the space available inside the fitting in centimetres, and whether or not there is a dimmer. Once those are checked, the choice comes down to shape and finish. The pack of 15 round warm white E27 vintage LED bulbs is a good fit when several light points need to match, with dimmer compatible models.

Discover the decorative filament bulbs in the collection

Frequently asked questions about the vintage bulb