Herve Van Der Straeten Athena

Remarkably sculptural but unexpectedly versatile, vintage Hervé Van der Straeten furniture and lighting is at home in all kinds of interiors. While the French designer’s chandeliers, tables and other works draw on everything from visual art forms in Japan to luxurious Art Deco–era furnishings to modernist icons such as Mies van der Rohe, Van der Straeten designs are unapologetically original and rather difficult to categorize.

Van der Straeten was born in Savigny-sur-Orge, France, in 1965. As a young man, he attended the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. He studied painting but began making jewelry, too. Van der Straeten’s inaugural accessories, constructed with brass and rubber, garnered immediate attention. In 1985, French fashion designer Thierry Mugler had included several of Van der Straeten's designs in a show, and before long, he was designing for names like Alexander McQueen and Christian Lacroix.

Despite the success of Hervé Van der Straeten jewelry, the visionary designer shifted his focus to interior decor. "For me, jewelry was more like a parenthetical," he told 1stDibs. "What I always wanted to do was to design furniture." So, in 1992, Van der Straeten launched a collection of dishes, sconces and candlesticks. He opened a showroom in the Marais district of Paris in 1999, followed by a workshop in the suburb of Bagnolet.

Today, Van der Straeten oversees approximately 30 artisans at his ateliers who help bring his furniture designs to life. His work is delightfully unconventional and will draw the focus in any space — there is a compelling emphasis on the use of industrial materials, such as anodized aluminum and steel rods, as well as an integration of traditional techniques such as marquetry in his sculptural mirrors, side tables and other pieces. Van der Straeten’s furniture — some of which can be found in the alluring apartment in Paris that the designer shares with his husband, former Roger Vivier artistic director Bruno Frisoni — is available in the United States through both Ralph Pucci and Maison Gerard.

Find extraordinary Hervé Van der Straeten furniture on 1stDibs.

Antique table lamps became a category of their own once electricity moved light off the wall and onto furniture. The form split quickly: task-driven designs like the Anglepoise on one side, decorative ceramic and glass on the other.

Styles to Know

Base material shapes the light as much as the shade does: ceramic and glass diffuse a softer glow, while brass and metal read more directional. Layer the look with a mid-century modern floor lamp for ambient light, or set a pair on a mid-century modern nightstand for a bedroom.

How to Choose the Right Vintage Table Lamp

Buying individually rather than as a pair allows more flexibility when mixing eras across a room. For those shopping by name rather than by shape, the history of the Anglepoise lamp is worth a read. Each piece comes from a vetted 1stDibs seller, with era, designer and condition detailed, and the 1stDibs Promise stands behind every purchase.