Retro electrician in the interior of the 19th century, what you need to know when choosing

The "Retro" style is more and more firmly included in our life. The very rhythm of the metropolis provokes us to create an atmosphere of coziness, warmth and comfort at home. The retro interior is perfect for this. Today you can model almost any variation: European, Asian, North American. The variety of materials is amazing. More often they choose either the European or the classic Russian style, typical for the interior of a noble house of the late 19th - early 20th centuries. But, if everything is more or less clear with the decoration and furniture, then what about the electrician?

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Electricity in Russian houses of the 19th century

In this article, we will talk about retro electrics, which are ideal for shaping an aristocratic Russian interior. Many of us mistakenly believe that electric lighting came to our country with the GOELRO plan. Far from it. The first use of electric lighting dates back to 1873, and already in 1883, at the coronation of Emperor Alexander III, electric illumination was actively used. It is not difficult to guess that the capital of the Russian Empire, g. St. Petersburg. Only there it was possible to find the necessary technologies and high-precision production facilities. In 1886, the first commercial company began its work in St. Petersburg, selling equipment for lighting houses and apartments.

The features of electricians of that time were:

• ceramic cases. For the manufacture of sockets and switches, the famous St. Petersburg porcelain was used;
• rotary mechanisms. Turning on and off the lamp or chandelier was carried out by turning the knob of the switch to the left, right;
• external mounting type. The cable was not laid inside the wall, but outside and was fixed to the wall with porcelain insulators;
• the use of wooden linings where switches or sockets are attached to the wall. Both noble types of wood and ordinary hardwood of the middle lane were used.

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Retro electrician creating 19th century interior

To model a real retro interior in the Russian aristocratic style, we need to go the same way. At a minimum, you need to repeat the materials (St. Petersburg porcelain and wood), the rotary type of switching mechanism and the shape of the products of that time. There is a little trick - for a fully-fledged interior modeling, it is not necessary to bring the wire to the outer surface of the wall. Modern materials allow you to create an imitation of external wiring with a real retro wire and real porcelain insulators, while real electricity will flow into the outlet through the hidden in the wall cable.

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Now let's go back to the 21st century. What has brought us technical progress applicable to the theme of "retro"? First of all, he brought us safe wires, modern durable mechanisms that do not require replacement for decades. And the most interesting thing is the ability to use prefabricated structures that allow without the help of a specialist combine various elements of retro electrics with each other, creating your own unique interior solution.

Did you know that in Russia, since the time of the first electric lamps, there were some of the most stringent requirements for fire safety of electricity in the world? You will be surprised, but the situation, in principle, has not changed, which cannot but please us. Now we are faced with an important question - where to look for retro electrical elements so as not to purchase an expensive, and possibly inadequate, fake. The best answer is to buy only from the manufacturer or from those companies that the manufacturer officially recommends. Believe me, this simple advice saves you a huge amount of nerves, time and money.

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You need to know when choosing retro electrics

What is happening to the market? There are about 20 manufacturers of retro electrics operating on the Russian market. The first of them came to us from Europe, but did not receive wide demand due to the narrow range of products presented, high cost and instability of product supplies.

Already at the beginning of the 2000s, a real stream of low-quality Chinese replicas flooded the entire market. Only a decade later, our own manufacturers began to appear. Some of them are guided by the Russian-ethnic style, others - by the Russian style with European roots. Therefore, if you want to simulate the interior of a Russian aristocrat of the XIX-XX centuries, it is on them that you should pay your attention first of all. According to our practice, there are several criteria by which it is worth choosing a manufacturer of retro electrics for your home. Here are the most important ones:

1. For the modeling of the Russian aristocratic style, it is very important to respect the authenticity. Products from St. Petersburg porcelain are perfect. You can find out where the production is located, as a rule, on the manufacturer's website (for example, as here mezonini.ru), or clarify by asking a question directly;
2. Self-respecting manufacturers use reliable mechanisms. The criterion for reliability is the guarantee of durability, which must be very long-term or indefinite;
3. A manufacturer who keeps up with the times tries to provide for the possibility of self-composing elements in design mode. You need to be able to put together your unique piece, which is often necessary for a designer's job. First of all, we are talking about a collapsible design of the socket and switch, which allows you to separate the upper part of the case from the installation frame;
4. The use of different types of material within the same enclosure is a bad sign. If you buy a porcelain product, then the body and all its elements should be made only of it. No plastic, wood or metal inserts. The only exception is the mechanism itself and the fittings;
5. We have our own production of certified retro braids. On the non-combustible PVC insulation of the wire, the mandatory marking must be applied - wire brand, cross-section, GOST number, plant name, year of manufacture, trademark logo manufacturer. Wire is an essential element not only of style, but also of safety. A manufacturer who does not braid the retro wire himself or is afraid to put his logo on it should be avoided;
6. A wide range of products is a sign of a serious company. A large manufacturer usually has a wide range of product collections, some of them are even ready to make products with your individual design. What else could be more attractive than fulfilling your own dream?
7. And the most important thing... you must like it! A retro electrician should harmoniously complement your interior and in no way contradict it.

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We hope our article was helpful. We, in turn, would like to wish you successful implementation of your design idea! Remember, even the most complex interior is possible!