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Finding the Right table-lamps for You
Well-crafted antique and vintage table lamps do more than provide light; the right fixture-and-table combination can add a focal point or creative element to any interior.
Proper table lamps have long been used for lighting our most intimate spaces. Perfect for lighting your nightstand or reading nook, table lamps play an integral role in styling an inviting room. In the years before electricity, lamps used oil. Today, a rewired 19th-century vintage lamp can still provide a touch of elegance for a study.
After industrial milestones such as mass production took hold in the Victorian era, various design movements sought to bring craftsmanship and innovation back to this indispensable household item. Lighting designers affiliated with Art Deco, which originated in the glamorous roaring ’20s, sought to celebrate modern life by fusing modern metals with dark woods and dazzling colors in the fixtures of the era. The geometric shapes and gilded details of vintage Art Deco table lamps provide an air of luxury and sophistication that never goes out of style.
After launching in 1934, Anglepoise lamps soon became a favorite among modernist architects and designers, who interpreted the fixture as “a machine for lighting,” just as Le Corbusier had reimagined the house as “a machine for living in.” The popular task light owed to a collaboration between a vehicle-suspension engineer by the name of George Carwardine and a West Midlands springs manufacturer, Herbert Terry & Sons.
Some mid-century modern table lamps, particularly those created by the likes of Joe Colombo and the legendary lighting artisans at Fontana Arte, bear all the provocative hallmarks associated with Space Age design. Sculptural and versatile, the Louis Poulsen table lamps of that period were revolutionary for their time and still seem innovative today.
If you are looking for something more contemporary, industrial table lamps are demonstrative of a newly chic style that isn’t afraid to pay homage to the past. They look particularly at home in any rustic loft space amid exposed brick and steel beams.
Before you buy a desk lamp or table lamp for your living room, consider your lighting needs. The Snoopy lamp, designed in 1967, or any other “banker’s lamp” (shorthand for the Emeralite desk lamps patented by H.G. McFaddin and Company), provides light at a downward angle that is perfect for writing, while the Fontana table lamp and the beloved Grasshopper lamp by Greta Magnusson-Grossman each yield a soft and even glow. Some table lamps require lampshades to be bought separately.
Whether it’s a classic antique Tiffany table lamp, a Murano glass table lamp or even a bold avant-garde fixture custom-made by a contemporary design firm, the right table lamp can completely transform a room. Find the right one for you on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 31, 2023The difference between a table lamp and a buffet lamp is the size. Although the two types of lamps come in similar heights, buffet lamps are usually narrower, so they take up less space on a buffet server filled with food. On 1stDibs, find an assortment of lamps from some of the world's top sellers.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 3, 2023The main difference between a table lamp and an accent lamp is its size. Generally, table lamps are larger pieces that people use for task lighting or to increase ambiance lighting in a room. Accent lamps tend to be smaller and provide supplemental light in spaces. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of lamps from some of the world's top sellers.
- What is a Handel lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 3, 2023A Handel lamp is a table lamp made by Handel Lamp Co. Philip J. Handel founded the company in Connecticut in 1885, and it quickly became known for making fixtures with colorful stained glass shades. Shop a range of Handel lamps on 1stDibs.
- What is a hanging lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertSeptember 28, 2021A hanging lamp is a light fitting that is suspended from the ceiling usually by a chain or a metal rod. They are generally used as a decorative fixture in homes, hotels and offices. Find a collection of antique and vintage hanging lamps on 1stDibs today.
- What is a bridge lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertAugust 17, 2021A bridge lamp is a floor lamp that has an adjustable arm and is used to light up the floor or a small side table.
- What is a pole lamp?2 Answers1stDibs ExpertAugust 16, 20191stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021A pole lamp is a type of floor lamp, which often extends to the ceiling, and is made up of a pole with attaching light fixtures coming off from it.
- What is an MCM lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022An MCM lamp is a lighting fixture produced during the middle of the 20th century. MCM stands for mid-century modern, the name associated with this era. The lamps include both tabletop and freestanding floor fixtures. On 1stDibs, shop a large selection of vintage lamps.
- What are gourd lamps?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022A gourd lamp is a light fixture that features a bulbous body inspired by the shape of a gourd. Many fixtures are double gourds, meaning that they feature two rounded protrusions stacked one above the other. On 1stDibs, find a variety of gourd lamps.
- How do you date a lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022To date a table lamp or floor lamp, first look for any type of maker's mark. If you find one, conduct an online search to determine who the manufacturer was and when they were active. Cord and plug styles can also give you an indication of age. However, some antique and vintage lamps may have replacement cords. Materials and stylistic features can also help you determine the age of a fixture. On 1stDibs, shop a variety of antique and vintage lamps.
- What is a capiz lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022A capiz lamp is a light fixture with a base or shade decorated with a specific type of material. Capiz is the name for polished shells derived from windowpane oysters. On a capiz table lamp, the shell usually covers a base made of ceramic, porcelain or metal. Find a range of capiz lamps on 1stDibs.
- What is atomic lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022When it comes to home decor, an atomic lamp is a term used to define interestingly shaped lamps from the 1950s or the mid-century design period. This is a time when the atomic bomb was in the news and the telltale mushroom cloud was the inspiration for the shape of these lamps. It’s a loose description of the new shapes that were being seen in lighting in this era. Shop a collection of atomic lamps from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- What is a torchiere lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022A torchiere lamp is a type of floor lamp designed to provide ambient illumination. It consists of a column base and a shade that grows wider as the eye travels upward. The position of its bulb or bulbs focus light on the ceiling. Find a selection of torchiere lamps on 1stDibs.
- What is a stone lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertSeptember 28, 2021A stone lamp is a lamp made of natural geological materials such as Onyx, Agate, Selenite, and Himalayan Salts among others. These lamps are considered to be mood-alleviators through their natural qualities and are known to create a warm, inviting atmosphere in the spaces they are used in. Shop a range of antique and vintage stone lamps on 1stDibs.
- What is an atomic lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The atomic lamp was a favorite mid-century modern design. The lamp took on characteristics of the molecular composition of the atom, and were found in a variety of shapes, materials and colors. You’ll find a variety of atomic lamps from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- What is an ambient lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertSeptember 28, 2021An ambient lamp can be used to light up a certain room uniformly. Shop for antique and vintage ambient lamps on 1stDibs.
- What is an Akari lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Part art and part light source, Akari lamps were created by Isamu Noguchi in 1951. These lamps use traditional methods for Japanese Gifu lanterns with handmade paper being stretched over bamboo and illuminated from the inside. Shop a collection of Akari lamps from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- What is the harp of a lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021The harp of a lamp is a metal structure that connects the shade to the base of the lamp. Once the shade is on, you can't see the harp.
- What is a TV lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertOctober 19, 2021TV lamps were first used in the 1950s and were small figure lamps designed to look like animals, people, or other objects. The general idea was that TV lamps could protect a person from damaging their eyes from watching too much TV by diffusing the light.
- What are floor lamps?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2024A floor lamp is a tall standing lamp used to illuminate a space. A floor lamp should typically be between 58 and 64 inches tall. The bottom of the fixture's shade should be slightly below or approximately at the eye level of a person sitting nearby. This will help your guests avoid the lamp's glare.
In addition to illuminating large spaces, floor lamps can light specific seating areas and serve as task lighting (use a taller floor lamp if you wish to keep a fair amount of distance between the fixture and your seating). Visual artists and industrial designers have a penchant for floor lamps, possibly because they’re so often a clever marriage of design and the functions of lighting. A good floor lamp can change the mood of any room while adding a touch of elegance to your entire space.
Find antique and vintage floor lamps, table lamps and other lighting on 1stDibs. - What is a piano lamp?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022A piano lamp is a lighting fixture designed to illuminate sheet music and piano keys so that a pianist can see to play. Normally, the lights feature narrow rectangular or compact round or square bases that can easily fit on a piano top. Some have arms that allow their shades to hang down over the front of the instrument. On 1stDibs, shop a variety of piano lamps.
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