Who we are…

Since 1993 we at Chameleon Fine Lighting have travelled the globe collecting the rarest and finest examples of 19th and 20th century American and European lighting.  From grand Georgian-style chandeliers to high deco wall sconces to mid-century modern Italian blown glass lamps, we’ve more than just traded in them…we’ve come to understand them, to appreciate their subtle nuances, to truly live them.  And we’ve always felt it’s only through the handling and appreciation of great antique lighting that you can create great new lighting.  So it’s in this spirit that we created a unique line of exciting, superbly crafted, hand-finished residential and commercial lighting…our Signature Line.  The key to the Signature Line’s broad appeal in the design community is that it takes styles steeped in tradition both classical and modern and gives them a bold fresh new twist.  And the attention paid to quality, precision in manufacturing and customer service is second to none. And we are proud to say this commitment to quality hasn’t gone unnoticed.  Our line is now represented in design showrooms in most major markets around the country and in Canada.  We’ve also expanded our Custom and Hospitality divisions completing often times complex custom lighting projects large and small for prominent residential designers as well as major hospitality firms including hotels and restaurants. 

As we begin out 19^th year of business, we wish to thanks all of the wonderful and talented people we have worked with over the years and look forward to building on these relationships and forging exciting new ones.

How we got here….

Owners John Harvey and Robert Nesle Degiarde began their journey almost 20 years ago in a small downtown NYC storefront on Lafayette Street in Soho where Chameleon became known to the design trade for fine antique chandeliers, wall lights and table lamps in myriad styles to suit or adapt to any environment...hence the company's name.

The business partners furthered their training in lighting excellence under the tutelage of Albert Nesle, Degiarde's grandfather and founder of the famed chandelier showroom on E. 57th Street in NYC which bears his name. That training took the form of auction viewings, estate sales and buying trips with Nesle around the country and around the world to countries as far as India in their hunt for important English and European lighting. Due in no small part to his guidance, Chameleon has also collected some of the finest examples of American lighting by such esteemed companies as E.F. Caldwell of NY, where Nesle actually worked early in his career.

Upon the company's move to East 59^th Street, the heart of the design district and across from the D & D building in 2002, Chameleon began evolving into its present form. The Signature Line became much more prominent, and has continued to evolve in range and depth, presenting a wide palate of both styles and materials. As Harvey and Degiarde both started with antiques as their reference points for quality, they have brought this awareness into the Signature Line, insuring high standards of craftsmanship are met. Although much emphasis has been placed on the Signature pieces as well as custom work, Chameleon has still maintained its prominence in having some of the finest antique lighting to be found in any showroom in the world.