A client in South West London asked us to install a Dutch brass chandelier in the principal reception room of their home. The piece had been prepared in our workshop in advance of installation.
The Piece
A traditional Dutch chandelier of solid cast brass, with scrolled arms arranged around a central baluster stem and a finial below, in the form long associated with seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Low Countries production.
Work Carried Out
- Workshop preparation of the chandelier and electrical components
- Protection of floors and furnishings within the reception room
- Lifted floorboards in the room above and fitted a new timber noggin between the joists, with a dedicated hook fixed to its underside to carry the chandelier chain through to the reception room ceiling below
- Safe lifting and suspension of the chandelier from the new fixing
- Levelling, wiring termination and lamp fitting
- Final electrical check and adjustment
Approach
The chandelier was assembled and tested in the workshop so that on-site time was kept to a minimum. To carry the weight of the piece safely, floorboards were lifted in the room above the reception room and a new timber noggin was installed between the joists, with a hook fixed to its underside. The chain was then dropped through the ceiling below, allowing the chandelier to hang from a secure structural anchor rather than the original ceiling fabric. The piece was levelled and aligned to the room before final connection.
Outcome
The chandelier hangs squarely and securely in the reception room, suspended from the new noggin above, lit and ready for use with no disturbance to the surrounding decoration. Comparable installations and reinstatements include our Knightsbridge to North Kensington relocation and the pair of Albert tiered chandeliers passed between family homes.
