Doria Copper

Following some of the darkest times in human history, mid-century furniture manufacturer Doria Leuchten emerged in post-WWII Germany as a purveyor of brilliantly designed table lamps, chandeliers and other lighting fixtures for homeowners of the era. 

Founded in 1945, the artisans at Doria Leuchten worked out of the Dynamit Nobel site in Fürth. Known during the first World War as one of the largest private primer manufacturing facilities in the world, it produced small-caliber cartridges for the German military during the second World War before being dismantled. The company moved to Werkstraẞe in Stadeln three years later, where their eye-catching high-end lamps — sculptural “cascading” chandeliers with Murano elements, hand-blown bubble glass table lamps mounted on chrome bases — would garner international acclaim. 

During the 1960s, Doria Leuchten attracted the talents of German industrial designer Wilhelm Braun Feldweg to create its celebrated Avus, Berlin-Serie and Modell 101 fixtures. Mid-century modern designer Klaus Slama was also brought on to design many lamps such as the Doria Mushroom table lamp. Many of the brand’s hanging lamps, including the 1968 Glass Tube Chandelier and the 1980 Pendelkrone, are winners of iF Design Awards. 

In 1986, owing to dwindling consumer demand for luxury lighting as compared to increasingly available cheaper alternatives, Doria Leuchten declared bankruptcy. It had been known by other names over the years such as DORIA-Werk, Beleuchtungsglas and Walter Donner GmbH & Co. KG. 

Find vintage Doria Leuchten flush mounts, floor 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.