Illuminating the Staircase: Transforming Two Modern Lamps into Art Nouveau Luminaires

An Aesthetic Continuity Throughout the House

When my wife and I began decorating our house in the south of France in 2022, we gradually oriented the overall design toward the Art Nouveau style. Floral lines, organic forms, and the importance given to light became central elements of our approach.

On the ground floor, several rooms now reflect this inspiration. The Tiffany stained-glass window installed above the entrance door even serves as a focal point, visible as soon as one arrives.

However, when walking up the staircase toward the bedrooms, two modern wall lamps created a stylistic disruption. Functional and understated, they consisted of frosted semi-cylindrical glass mounted in a polished grey steel frame. Their minimalist aesthetic stood in strong contrast to the Art Nouveau atmosphere of the rest of the house.

Rather than replacing them, we decided to transform them.

The two modern wall lamps in the staircase before their transformation.

Designing a Motif Adapted to the Existing Shape

The objective was to preserve the structure of the lamps while integrating a central Tiffany glass motif.

I first drew inspiration from the Château Laurens in Agde, a remarkable example of Art Nouveau architecture located about thirty kilometers from our guest house. The initial design incorporated an architectural motif visible in the château.

However, after discussing it with my wife and daughters, we gradually simplified the drawing. We were aiming for a more organic and fluid motif, and above all one that would remain sufficiently transparent to preserve the brightness of the staircase.

Four versions were printed at full scale to match the dimensions of the lamps. The final motif, more refined and vegetal in character, was selected.

Study of the different Art Nouveau motif versions. The final model on the right was selected for its fluidity and transparency.

Adapting the Tiffany Technique to a Curved Surface

The main challenge lay in the shape of the support: a semi-cylinder.

A Tiffany stained-glass panel cannot be bent after assembly without a significant risk of breakage. The classical solution used for Tiffany lamps is to work on a plaster mold corresponding to the final shape, usually a half-sphere.

In our case, I created a semi-cylindrical mold using modeling plaster. After protecting the original glass with transparent plastic film, I used it to imprint its curvature into the fresh plaster. Once dry, the mold was sanded in order to obtain a smooth surface and a perfectly accurate fit.

Creation of the semi-cylindrical mold, allowing the Tiffany technique to be adapted to the original shape of the lamp.

Cutting the Original Glass: A Point of No Return

In order to insert the motif, it was necessary to cut the original glass into three parts: two lateral strips to be preserved, and a central section intended for the stained glass.

As we did not know where the previous owner had purchased these lamps, mistakes were not an option.

The marking was carried out with precision, followed by the cut itself. This was the most delicate moment of the project. Once the glass had been cleanly separated, the relief was immediate: the transformation could truly begin.

Precise marking before cutting the original glass.

Cutting the glass into three parts. A decisive moment in the project.

Cutting and Adjusting the 75 to 80 Pieces of the Motif

The motif, initially designed on a flat surface, had to follow the curvature of the semi-cylinder.

Some of the stems in the design, oriented perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder, had to be divided into smaller segments in order to allow a gradual adaptation to the curve. In total, approximately 75 to 80 pieces were required for a single lamp.

Each piece was:

• cut using a glass cutter,

• carefully adjusted,

• and then polished with a machine.

The very small pieces proved particularly delicate to handle and to hold during polishing.

An entire day was devoted to this phase for just one lamp.

Securing the original glass pieces onto the motif and the plaster mold.

Final positioning of the pieces on the plaster mold, held in place with pins.

Applying the Copper Foil

Once all the pieces had been cut and adjusted, each one was wrapped with self-adhesive copper foil, in accordance with the Tiffany technique.

This step is essential: it enables the subsequent soldering process and contributes to the overall rigidity of the structure. Thicker copper strips were added to firmly connect the left and right sections of the original glass and to reinforce the construction.

Careful application of the copper foil along the edges of the glass.

The motif fully edged with copper foil, ready for soldering.

Soldering and First Light Test

Soldering truly marks the birth of the piece. Before this stage, the assembly remains fragile, and it is difficult to imagine the final effect of the light.

After completing the exterior soldering and reinforcing the structure, the entire piece is carefully turned over in order to solder the inner side.

The true moment of revelation will come with the final installation in the staircase. For now, a first test in front of a light source has offered a glimpse of the interplay of transparency and color.

After soldering and the application of the patina.

A Transformation Still in Progress

This project is part of our ongoing approach: gradually integrating elements inspired by regional Art Nouveau—particularly the Château Laurens in Agde—into our home.

The second lamp is currently being crafted. The final installation in the staircase will mark the completion of this transformation.

We look forward to seeing the light accompany each step toward the bedrooms, now in harmony with the rest of the house.

Perhaps some of our future guests will be among the first to discover the final result during their next stay.

Preliminary light test before final installation in the staircase.

A Light Yet to Come… and a Promise to Discover

At this stage of the project, the first lamp has been completed, while the second still remains to be crafted. The final installation in the staircase has not yet taken place. This journal therefore remains deliberately open — awaiting the moment when the light will fully reveal the work accomplished.

When the two lamps finally cast their glow along the staircase, they will extend an aesthetic thread already present throughout the house: an Art Nouveau spirit inspired by nature, fluidity, and the dialogue between material and light.

This inspiration finds a particular resonance just a few kilometers from here, in Agde, where the Château Laurens stands as one of the most remarkable examples of Art Nouveau in the south of France. Built at the end of the 19th century by Emmanuel Laurens, the château combines architecture, decorative arts, stained glass, furniture, and gardens into a coherent vision in which every detail contributes to a luminous and symbolic composition.

Its recent restoration now allows visitors to rediscover the spirit of a time when art was not confined to paintings on walls, but infused the architecture itself, the ironwork, the painted decorations, and the play of light through glass.

It is within this regional continuity that our modest transformation takes place: adapting contemporary lamps so that they may, on their own scale, enter into dialogue with this artistic heritage.

Perhaps some of our guests will have the opportunity to visit the Château Laurens during their stay, and later, upon returning in the evening, recognize a discreet echo of that universe in the light of the staircase.