Urban Primitive Robert Sonneman
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Steel
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2010s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel
20th Century Louis XVI Pedestals and Columns
Marble, Brass
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Beds and Bed Frames
Fiberglass
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Nickel, Brass
Mid-20th Century American Campaign Table Lamps
Brass
Antique 19th Century English Country Platters and Serveware
Pottery
1990s Italian Post-Modern Decorative Dishes and Vide-Poche
Silver Plate
Vintage 1960s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Teak
Vintage 1960s North American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Walnut
Vintage 1970s French Stools
Steel
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Wall Mirrors
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Georgian Cabinets
Copper
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Carts and Bar Carts
Brass
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Walnut, Upholstery
Late 20th Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
Walnut
Recent Sales
1990s American Mission Sideboards
Oak
Robert Sonneman for sale on 1stDibs
Though Robert Sonneman was quite literally born into the lighting business, it took working for another celebrated lighting maker for him to land upon the kind of boundary-pushing modernism for which the New York–based designer is known today.
At the age of 19, fresh off a stint in the U.S. Navy, Sonneman responded to an ad for a position working in the studio of George Kovacs on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, where he became the sole employee. “Although my parents were in the lighting business, they came from a traditional perspective, and Kovacs introduced me to modernism,” Sonneman once said. “It was 1961, and I was immediately captured by the movement.”
While working for Kovacs, Sonneman became captivated by the work of the Bauhaus, and he began experimenting with the influential art and design school’s ideas of functional simplicity in lighting. In 1967, he opened his own studio.
Though Sonneman Design Group produced furniture for a brief time, the designer eventually elected to focus on the one category that had always fascinated him; the brand became known for its floor lamps, sconces, pendants and chandeliers that feature unconventional treatments toward shape and balance, often inspired by modern architecture. Sonneman once said of his work: “I saw the lamps that I built as lighting machines that glorified the industrial aesthetic.”
Indeed, in the spirit of Bauhaus functionality — Sonneman has also cited Mies van der Rohe as being an inspiration — the designer’s work takes function-centric forms and motifs and elevates them while prioritizing technology. This spirit of forward thinking continues today, as Sonneman’s brand, renamed SONNEMAN – A Way of Light in 2003, works with LED bulbs to continue to push the boundaries of what functional lighting can achieve aesthetically.
Current-day releases by SONNEMAN – A Way of Light (still overseen by Sonneman himself) feature 95 percent LED lights and include interior and exterior lighting as well as modular suspended lights as an alternative to track lighting. Sonneman’s vintage pieces, however, are still widely collected on the secondary market.
Find vintage Robert Sonneman lighting on 1stDibs.