1940s Ceiling Lights
Vintage 1940s French Wall Lights and Sconces
Steel
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal
Vintage 1940s Bauhaus Wall Lights and Sconces
Bakelite, Glass
Vintage 1940s Czech Bauhaus Wall Lights and Sconces
Bakelite, Glass
Vintage 1940s American Empire Revival Wall Lights and Sconces
Bronze
Vintage 1940s Czech Industrial Wall Lights and Sconces
Steel
Vintage 1940s Czech Industrial Wall Lights and Sconces
Steel
Vintage 1940s Czech Bauhaus Wall Lights and Sconces
Steel
Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1940s Bauhaus Chandeliers and Pendants
Glass, Bakelite
Vintage 1940s Italian Flush Mount
Metal
Vintage 1940s Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Flush Mount
Crystal, Iron
Mid-20th Century Italian Flush Mount
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Flush Mount
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
Wrought Iron, Gold Leaf, Iron
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal, Brass
Vintage 1940s Italian Flush Mount
Brass
Vintage 1940s Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal
Vintage 1940s French Wall Lights and Sconces
Sheet Metal
20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal, Aluminum
Vintage 1940s American Empire Revival Wall Lights and Sconces
Bronze
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
Vintage 1940s Czech Bauhaus Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal
Vintage 1940s Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Glass
Vintage 1940s Flush Mount
Brass
Mid-20th Century French Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
Vintage 1940s Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal
Vintage 1940s French Wall Lights and Sconces
Metal, Gold Leaf
Vintage 1940s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Iron
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
Mid-20th Century Spanish Brutalist Wall Lights and Sconces
Iron, Gold Leaf
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass
Vintage 1940s European Empire Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Wire, Brass
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Brass
Vintage 1940s American Chandeliers and Pendants
Brass, Steel
1940s Ceiling Lights For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are 1940s Ceiling Lights?
Finding the Right Lighting for You
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.
- What is a flush ceiling light?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021A flush ceiling light shines light downward and sits flush against the ceiling. Flush ceiling lights are good for areas with shorter ceilings and for keeping dust and debris away from the bulb and shade because there is no space between the ceiling and the light itself. Shop a range of antique and vintage flush ceiling lights on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 27, 2024The lights that are in the ceiling are called recessed lights. There are two main categories of these lights: can and canless. A can recessed light sits inside a metal housing, allowing you to adjust its angle and control where the light aims. Canless recessed lights lack this housing, so they provide general ambient lighting. Shop a large collection of lighting on 1stDibs.
- What is ceiling mounted light?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertAugust 17, 2021A ceiling mounted light can refer either to flush mount lights, which is mounted flush to the ceiling or recessed lighting, which is a bulb that’s installed into a hollow opening in the ceiling.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022A number of dresses were popular during the 1940s. Many women wore short-waist dresses with button necks, collars, fitted waists and full skirts. The classic A-lines with knee-length hems in red, white and blue colors were also a trend. Shop a collection of vintage dresses on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021In the 1940s, ladies wore clothes defined by clean and slim silhouettes. The jackets, blouses and sweaters often featured shoulderpads and had somewhat of a military feel. Most dresses were quite casual and pants and playsuits became part of a woman's everyday style.
- What is a 1940s style dress?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 5, 2021The most popular 1940s-style dress was the shirtwaist dress. It had a front opening like a men’s shirt, but with large buttons in the front of the dress, which was practical and easy to wear. The sleeves were short and necklines varied from shirt style to sweetheart and other necklines. Antique and vintage dresses from well-known designers are available on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021The best lighting depends on your space and style. It’s best to have multiple sources of light at different heights to ensure uniform illumination. With low ceilings, the ceilings should be painted white for a highly reflective surface. Flush mount lighting fixtures or a ceiling fan with a light is good for low ceilings. Shop a range of antique and vintage lighting fixtures on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertAugust 17, 2021As its name implies, a flush mount ceiling light is mounted flush to the ceiling. They’re a good alternative to recessed lighting.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 3, 2023Circle ceiling lights are called recessed light fixtures. In most spaces, they provide ambient light by focusing illumination down onto the room below. Shop a range of ceiling lights from some of the world's top sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021The best lighting for a kitchen ceiling is really a matter of preference. Some may opt for incandescent light, which provides a soft, warm yellowish light. Others may prefer halogen lights, which produce a crisp white light that is optimal for task lighting. Those who are concerned with energy use may prefer fluorescent lights, which have a long life.
- 1stDibs ExpertSeptember 23, 2024Claire McCardell was the designer often called the Mother of American Fashion in the 1940s. An American designer, she helped introduce women's sportswear to the United States and was particularly well-known for her bias-cut, loose-fitting Monastic dress. When World War II broke out in the 1940s, she designed pieces out of readily available materials like denim, calico and wool jersey, introducing new fabrics for women's clothing that would remain popular well after the close of the war. Many people point to McCardell as one of the first successful American fashion designers. Shop a collection of Claire McCardell apparel on 1stDibs.
Read More
This Paavo Tynell Chandelier Is a Radiant Bouquet
The alluring pendant light exemplifies the designer’s winsome mid-career work.
Ettore Sottsass Captures a Shooting Star in This Rare 1970s Floor Lamp
Before founding the Memphis Group, Sottsass bent the rules of lighting design with the wonderfully wavy Cometa.
You Don’t Need a Fictional Fairy to Get This Real Pinocchio Lamp
Warm chalet style meets cool Bauhaus functionality in Pietro Cascella’s cleverly carved creation.
Why Is Italy Such a Hotbed of Cool Design?
Patrizio Chiarparini of Brooklyn’s Duplex gallery sheds light on the lasting legacy of Italy’s postwar furniture boom.
With a High-Tech Flagship and Cool Collabs, Lladró Is Breaking the Mold for Porcelain Production
Thanks to its new leadership, the Spanish maker of figurines, busts and lighting is on a mission to update the art of porcelain for the 21st century.
Christopher Tennant’s Lamps and Dioramas Evoke Sunny Days and Seaside Locales
The former magazine editor blends elements of the Far East and America’s eastern shores, bringing wit and delight to his handmade, upcycled designs.
Paavo Tynell’s Snowflake Chandelier Warms Up Any Room
This circa 1950 piece by the legendary Finnish lighting designer spent the past several decades in a family's home in Michigan.
NASA Parachutes Inspired Lighting Designer Bec Brittain’s New Collection
In "Paraciphers," now on view at Emma Scully Gallery in New York, Brittain introduces works that were more than a decade in the making.