MV Island Venture Ocean Liner Ceiling Lamp by Hans-Agne Jakobsson
By Hans-Agne Jakobsson
Located in North Hollywood, CA
The sleek form mounted flush to the ceiling, casting a downward spot, and sideward glow. Light passes between the elements of patinated bronze and painted brass.
Sold|$795
Crouse Hinds Spot Light
Located in Spokane, WA
Guessing this industrial light was found on a ship. This Crouse Hinds spot light has been beautifully refurbished.
Brass, Aluminum, Steel
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.
Working with resin, a tricky material, has created moments of failure — and enlightenment.
Commissioned for the lakeside villa of a Finnish industrialist, it illuminated visits with dignitaries.
Across New York, there’s no shortage of statement lighting on view.
The 1920s design is a thrilling combination of saturated colors, ancient motifs and modern aesthetics.
Designed by a giant of Swedish lighting, the large-scale fixtures bring major drama.
The alluring pendant light exemplifies the designer’s winsome mid-career work.
Before founding the Memphis Group, Sottsass bent the rules of lighting design with the wonderfully wavy Cometa.
Warm chalet style meets cool Bauhaus functionality in Pietro Cascella’s cleverly carved creation.