Taper Candle Holders & Candelabra

In short: for a dining table, choose holders 12 to 22 inches tall with 12-inch tapers. For a coffee table or shelf, a low candelabra around 9.5 inches. For an empty corner or entry, a floor candelabra around 56 inches. Care for iron and aluminum with a soft, dry cloth and no water.

Taper holders and candelabra, explained

A taper candle holder keeps one slender candle upright in a narrow socket. A candelabra holds several candles from one base, on two or more arms. A single holder reads as an accent. A candelabra reads as a centerpiece, and it carries light across a longer table or into a darker corner.

Ours run from the 9.5-inch Ebony candelabra, low enough for a coffee table or a stack of books, to the Bardot floor candelabra, 56 inches of hammered iron with three arms set at three heights.

Choose by height

Height decides where a holder works. On a dining table, a tall holder with a 12-inch taper lifts the flame above a seated guest's eye line, so conversation runs under the light instead of through it.

• Dining table: Madrid at 12.5 and 15 inches, Suri at 16 and 22, Ferra Lily and Ferra Rose at 19.
• Coffee table or shelf: the Ebony candelabra at 9.5 inches.
• Mantel or console: two heights side by side, such as Suri's 16 and 22.
• Floor: the Serpe pillar holder at 30 inches, or Bardot at 56, beside a sofa, in an entry or at the end of a dining room.

Iron and aluminum, worked by hand

Ferra Lily and Ferra Rose begin as solid iron, twisted and shaped by hand, then finished in antique bronze. Serpe is forged iron in matte black and holds a pillar candle up to 3 inches across. Suri is aluminum, forged end to end in a small local forge and left with a vintage patina. Madrid is mottled gold aluminum with a small lip that catches wax. Bardot is hammered iron.

Because each piece is worked individually, texture and finish shift slightly from one to the next. That variation is the mark of the hand.

Styling a pair, a trio, a table

Set two heights on the dining table rather than a matching pair, so the light steps instead of lining up. On a mantel or console, group three off-center and let the tallest stand at the back. Leave room around sculptural pieces: Ferra and Suri read best with open space around their curves, and they hold their own unlit in daylight.

Plain ivory or white tapers let the metal lead. Our 12-inch Timber tapers and beeswax tapers suit the dining heights above.

Care

Dust with a soft, dry cloth. Keep water, abrasive cleaners and harsh chemicals away from patina and bronze finishes. To lift spilled wax, let it harden first, then ease it off by hand rather than scraping. All of our holders are for indoor use. For more, read how to clean a candle holder.