ajc.com 2008 Holiday Guide

Among the most powerful mood-enhancers in a room is the glow of candlelight. It beckons guests to its warmth, mesmerizes with its flickering and lends mystery. It casts a romantic spell on an interior.

It's especially magical during the holidays, when it often summons nostalgic recollections of past family celebrations.

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A mix of different shapes and sizes creates a dazzling holiday display. Prices range from $29 to $39 for pillar holders and $6 to $24 for taper holders, depending on size, all from Pottery Barn.

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These candleholders are intriguing because of their transparency and their shapes -- rectangles and globes, with modern 'portholes.' For $4.95 each at CB2, the possibilities for enhancing holiday decor are rich.

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This season, candleholders are as sizzling as the dancing lights. From simple candlesticks to elaborate candelabra, table centerpieces and even wall-mounted containers, candleholders are decorative accessories that hold their own even when the votives, tapers or pillars they cradle are not lighted.

Candleholders can be luxurious, robust, sculptural and whimsical, some with motifs dedicated to the spirit of the holiday season. They are available in a variety of shapes, sizes and styles from glamorous to rustic.

The variety is considerable, ranging from low-slung holders for tea lights to sculptural candleholders as tall as a couple of feet. Hurricanes fully surround the candles they contain, and candelabra have branches that spread out, often in graduated heights. In addition, sconce and wall styles create still other dynamics.

Depending on the style, candleholders can be grouped in multiples, preferably in odd numbers of a like collection of glass, crystal, brass, bronze, pewter, iron, stainless steel, ceramic, wood or painted candlesticks of varying heights. More than one type can be used in a room on tabletops, sideboards and mantels. Some candleholders are designed expressly for use in the fireplace.

Historians suggest that early candlesticks from Egypt and Crete date to at least 3000 B.C. From glass to ornate metal candlesticks embellished with 22-karat gold and colorful enamel, some of the fancier early examples were consistent with elaborate furnishings fit for pharaohs.

The tradition of the Jewish Festival of Lights, or Hanukkah, begun in 165 B.C., has its own special candelabrum.

Kwanzaa, a more recent celebration based on African festivals, has its own seven-candle candelabrum, to hold one black, three red and three green candles.

Candles have been a part of religious ceremonies for millennia. The ancient Romans and Greeks also used candles as a source of lighting in decorating their homes and banquet rooms. So sconces for candles and elaborate torchiers were incorporated into the decor.

The earliest candlesticks held candles on a pricket (pointed spike) and are attributed to the 16th century. Candleholders long have been collectibles and span a rich history of design styles. Tall hand-carved, painted or gilded wood candlesticks from Italy and delicate enameled 18th-century French holders are sold at auctions and in antique shops for hundreds to thousands of dollars apiece. Antique candleholders, to be sure, are admired as much for their beauty as objets d'art as for their function.

Decorating with candleholders, as with other well-chosen accessories, can add personality and a note of grace, strength or elegance as an accent or focal point.

Among the most versatile designs is the hurricane, a tall glass cylinder that surrounds the candle within. From clean to traditional styles, some with curves, the simplicity transcends decor. Footed hurricanes are especially eye-catching. Metal bases can be coordinated to other metal accents in a room.

Molded and etched glass as well as crystal can add a jewel-like sparkle to a space as it interacts with warm candlelight. So do quartz crystals. Like little ice sculptures, rock crystal candleholders, available for tapers or tea lights, are especially appealing because of their connection to nature. Three-inch-tall votives are available .

Mosaic candleholders layer iridescent color as candlelight glows through tiny cut-glass pieces in a captivating way. Another kind of light play comes from holders with eyelet designs. Like pierced tin chandeliers, light shines through the openings, creating intriguing patterns. Candleholders with mirrored bases as well as those made of mercury glass also lend their reflective qualities.

Wood candleholders are perennial favorites. Dark woods have increased in popularity, as they have in furniture design, and their placement has a grounding impact similar to that of black. A contemporary option is a long, narrow container or tray with recessed spaces for a row of round tea lights.

Figural pieces are popular. These include angels, Santas and reindeer, among others. They can be dramatic, including the regally Florentine-style garbed angels with gold wings, each arm holding a candle, and Santas with flowing robes and golden staffs available.

Some figures are whimsical. One sitting reindeer candelabrum is fancifully painted and features six red-and-white candy-striped tapers. Sets of three Magi figures are another offering.

Some of the more modern candlesticks are available in metal. There's a little S-shaped candelabrum, especially bold because of its laser-cut black silhouette, all the more dramatic with black candles. Other candlesticks are shaped like antlers molded in gold-toned resin. Gold candles are perched at different heights, to create a unique piece of sculpture.

At this time of year, you're likely to find candelabra that are incorporated into elaborate centerpieces, appropriate for the dining table or mantel. Woven into holders are leaves, branches, cones and berries of the season, sometimes with ribbon.

Hanging candleholders are still another option. Handblown glass candleholders are classic, yet with contemporary shapes — rectangles or orbs with round cutouts to accommodate tea lights.

Candleholders also can be used as wall decorations. Hang individual holders in a group to create an arresting composition. Or use a single 3-foot-tall scrolled ironwork medallion that holds removable glass votive cups and serves as a piece of art.