Felci Fern

Born in the northern Italian town of Salò on the sparkling shores of Lake Garda, Fabio Bergomi (b. 1977) was surrounded by beautiful objects from an early age, an upbringing that led to Fabio Ltd.’s elegantly innovative lighting.

The son of antique and vintage dealers, Bergomi would often tag along on visits to workshops and museums. In 1998, after completing his studies in international business management, he opened his first showroom in London, the well-received Rainbow London. A decade later, he opened his eponymous showroom in Palm Springs, California.

Fabio Ltd. may not be a household name, but Bergomi’s bespoke chandeliers, wall lights and other fixtures have been covered by The World of Interiors, Financial Times and British Vogue, and added atmosphere to sets for the FX TV series American Horror Story: Hotel. Bergomi makes his lights the old-fashioned way, combining handcrafted metalwork with the ancient Murano glassmaking techniques of Venice. The union of colorful glass with bronze and chrome gives Fabio Ltd.’s lights a vintage and glamorous feel as if they came from a movie set. One piece with crystal bars on a chrome metal frame is even called the Hollywood floor lamp (and had its star turn on American Horror Story).

The Sputnik chandelier, designed by Bergomi with glass globes on a metal frame, looks like a relic from the space age, while the brass Hive Flush Mount, complete with amethyst handblown bubbles, would fit in Don Draper’s office on the meticulously well-appointed set of Mad Men. Along with these mid-century modern throwbacks are contemporary statements, such as his sleek Uno sconce with a Murano glass shade dotted with bubbles. The right lighting is essential to creating an attractive room, and Fabio Ltd. fixtures bring both style and function to any interior through a sculptural aesthetic and fine craftsmanship.

Find Fabio Ltd. table lamps, lanterns and other lighting on 1stDibs.

The right table lamp, outwardly sculptural chandelier or understated wall pendant can work wonders for your home. While we’re indebted to thinkers like Thomas Edison for critically important advancements in lighting and electricity, we’re still finding new ways to customize illumination to fit our personal spaces all these years later. A wide range of antique and vintage lighting can be found on 1stDibs.

Today, lighting designers like the self-taught Bec Brittain have used the flexible structure of LEDs to craft glamorous solutions by working with what is typically considered a harsh lighting source. By integrating glass and mirrors, reflection can be used to soften the glow from LEDs and warmly welcome light into any space.

Although contemporary innovators continue to impress, some of the classics can’t be beat. 

Just as gazing at the stars allows you to glimpse the universe’s past, vintage chandeliers like those designed by Gino Sarfatti and J. & L. Lobmeyr, for example, put on a similarly stunning show, each with a rich story to tell.

As dazzling as it is, the Arco lamp, on the other hand, prioritizes functionality — it’s wholly mobile, no drilling required. Designed in 1962 by architect-product designers Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, the piece takes the traditional form of a streetlamp and creates an elegant, arching floor fixture for at-home use.

There is no shortage of modernist lighting similarly prized by collectors and casual enthusiasts alike — there are Art Deco table lamps created in a universally appreciated style, the Tripod floor lamp by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Greta Magnusson Grossman's sleek and minimalist Grasshopper lamps and, of course, the wealth of mid-century experimental lighting that emerged from Italian artisans at Arredoluce, FLOS and many more are hallmarks in illumination innovation. 

With decades of design evolution behind it, home lighting is no longer just practical. Crystalline shaping by designers like Gabriel Scott turns every lighting apparatus into a luxury accessory. A new installation doesn’t merely showcase a space; carefully chosen ceiling lights, table lamps and floor lamps can create a mood, spotlight a favorite piece or highlight your unique personality.

The sparkle that your space has been missing is waiting for you amid the growing collection of antique, vintage and contemporary lighting for sale on 1stDibs.