Lumen Milano Midcentury Italian Pendant Lamp
By Lumen
Located in CA, CA
Lumen Milano midcentury Italian pendant lamp, circa 1950.
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Metal
Lumen Milano Midcentury Italian Pendant Lamp
By Lumen
Located in CA, CA
Lumen Milano midcentury Italian pendant lamp, circa 1950.
Metal
Lumen Milano Rare Table Lamp
By Lumen
Located in Hanover, MA
Rare multi-directional table lamp by Lumen Milano, probably designed by Oscar Torlasco, mid-1940's.
Aluminum, Brass, Wrought Iron
Monumental Extending Wall Light by Lumen Milano
By Lumen
Located in London, GB
A wonderfully scaled 1950s Italian extending wall light by Lumen Milano. The arm swings on the wall bracket and extends to a maximum 170cm in length.
Aluminum, Brass
Large Scale Pendant Light by Lumen Milano, 1950
By Lumen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning Italian pendant light by Lumen Milano, 1950 in brass and egg shell colored enameled metal, the large scale suspended circular shade is perforated with brass rimmed frosted g...
Metal, Brass
Suspension Lamp by Oscar Torlasco for Lumen, Milano
By Lumen, Oscar Torlasco
Located in Hanover, MA
1950s Italian suspension lamp by Oscar Torlasco for Lumen, Milano with brass structure and color enameled distinctively formed aluminum cones.
Brass, Aluminum
Lumen Milano Desk Lamp Mod C429 by Oscar Torlasco
By Lumen, Oscar Torlasco
Located in Hanover, MA
An articulating desk lamp model C429 by Lumen Milano in brass, enameled aluminum and marble, late 1940s production.
Marble, Aluminum, Brass
50s Lumen Milano Italy Two Wall Lamp, Oscar Torlasco Lumi Italy, Set of 2
By Oscar Torlasco
Located in Biella, IT
Lumen Milano Italy prod, two wall lamp Oscar Torlasco design years '50 Lumi Italy Structure in brass and glass with one delicate shade cream/light green Very good condition f...
Brass
Lumen Milano Mid-Century Floor Lamp, Aluminum & Brass, Italy, 1959
By Lumen
Located in Cerignola, IT
Very elegant 1950s floor lamp with four adjustable lights enameled aluminum cones, brass details, rod and base covered with formica. Note the design that is still relevant despite b...
Aluminum, Brass
Oscar Torlasco attributed Table Lamp
By Oscar Torlasco
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Handsome table lamp with diffused shade and pivoting perforated cone with brass hardware. Lumen, Milano production Attributed to Oscar Torlasco Italy, 1950s Newly rewired
Marble, Brass
Pair of Petite Brass and Glass Tripod Bedside / Table Lamps by Oscar Torlasco
By Oscar Torlasco
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Petite bedside/table lamps designed by Oscar Torlasco for Lumen Milano (ca. 1950s, Italy). Composed of deeply sculpted brass curved frames forming a tripod base and a 'cradle' top su...
Brass
$1,334Sale Price|20% Off
Oscar Torlasco and Paavo Tynell style. Atomic Era gilt table lamp, Italy, 1950s
By Oscar Torlasco
Located in SANT ADRIÀ DE BESÒS, ES
Sculptural table lamp in solid gilded brass from the 50s, reminiscent of Oscar Torlasco's designs for Lumen Milano, and Paavo Tynel. Typical design of that time, with an inverted con...
Metal, Brass
$2,441Sale Price|20% Off
Ennio Chiggio floor lamp model MP by Lumen form Italy, 20th Century
By Lumen, Ennio Chiggio
Located in Milano, IT
Ennio Chiggio floor lamp model MP by Lumen form Italy, 1968 Sculptural and minimalistic with a mechanical approach almost brutalist floor lamp, heavy metal base with chromed details...
Metal, Chrome
Set of Four Adjustable Mid-Century Brass and Opaline Glass Wall Sconces, 1970s
Located in Lisse, NL
Reminiscent of the designs of Stilnovo, Arredoluce, or Lumen Milano, these sconces are versatile pieces that suit both vintage-inspired and contemporary interiors.
Brass
Lumen Milano Desk Lamp
By Lumen
Located in Brugge, BE
Desk lamp by Lumen Milano, a rare example of 1950s Italian finesse.
Marble, Aluminum, Brass
Lumen Milano Midcentury Italian Chandelier Pendant
By Lumen
Located in Rovereta, Repubblica di San Marino
Lumen Milano midcentury Italian pendant lamp, circa 1950.
Aluminum, Brass
Italian Pendant Lamp by Lumen Milano
By Lumen
Located in JM Haarlem, NL
Pendant by Lumen Milano, Italy. Dimensions: Height from ceiling till drop 36.2 in. (92 cm).
Brass, Metal
Unavailable
H 15.75 in Dm 11.82 in
Desk Table Lamp Design by Oscar Torlasco for Lumen Milano, Made in Italy, 1950s
By Oscar Torlasco, Lumen
Located in Pambio Noranco, CH
Lamp designed by the famous designer Oscar Torlasco, winner of the Compasso D'oro in 1959. Desk / table lamp, wine color with reclining lampshade. Made in Italy circa 1950s, 1950-1...
Brass
1950s Red Table Lamp by Lumen
By Lumen
Located in London, GB
Elegant 1950s table or desk lamp by Lumen- Milano, black marble base, original colour.
Marble, Brass, Metal
Floor Lamp by Lumen, Italy, circa 1955
By Lumen
Located in Munich, DE
Rare vintage Italian floor lamp by Lumen, Milano Italy, circa 1950 Description: H. 171 cm, Ø 32.5 cm, Ø shade 36 cm, height 25 cm.
Marble, Brass, Metal
Lumen Milano Chandelier 1955
By Lumens, Lumen
Located in Chicago, IL
Lumen Milano Chandelier Pendant Lamp, Lacquered Aluminum Saucer form with inserted brass circles and frosted glass lenses, comes with original canopy.
Aluminum
1950s Floor Lamp by Lumen Milano
By Lumen
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Floor lamp manufactured by Lumen Milano in the '50s. Marble base, brass stem, massive brass adjustable arm, green lacquered metal shade.
Marble
Italian Suspension Lamp By Lumen Milano, 1950
By Lumen
Located in Brussels, BE
Italian Suspension Lamp By Lumen Milano, 1950
Metal, Brass
Ceiling Lamp Lumen Milano Design Italian, Mid-Century
By Lumen
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Ceiling lamp Lumen Milano design Italian, Mid-Century.
Metal, Brass
Italian Floor Lamp by Lumen Milano, 1950s
By Lumen
Located in London, GB
Italian floor lamp by Lumen Milano, 1950s. 1950s Italian floor lamp manufactured by Lumen.
Brass, Aluminum
Large Scale Pendant Light by Lumen Milano, 1950
By Lumen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning Italian pendant light by Lumen Milano, 1950 in brass and egg shell colored enameled metal, the large scale suspended circular shade is perforated with brass rimmed frosted g...
Metal, Brass
Lumen Milano Two Shade Table Lamp, Italy, 1950
By Lumen
Located in Rotterdam, ZH
Exceptional table lamp by Lumen Milano, Italy, 1950s. Sophisticated Italian design made of two bowl shaped shades and beautiful patinated brass stems mounted on a Carrara marble base.
Carrara Marble, Metal, Brass
Large Scale Pendant Light by Lumen Milano, 1950
By Lumen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Stunning Italian pendant light by Lumen Milano, 1950 in brass and egg shell colored enameled metal, the large scale suspended circular shade is perforated with brass rimmed frosted g...
Metal, Brass
Italian Sculptural Table Lamp By Lumen Milano, 1950's
By Lumen
Located in Antwerp, Antwerp
Beautiful Italian desk or table Lamp by Lumen Milano, 1950's. This lamp features a round adjustable perforated lampshade that is connected on a sculptural bent brass stem.
Marble, Brass
Sold
H 58 in Dm 20 in
Lumen Milano, Rare Floor Lamp Brass Marble, Painted Metal, Acrylic, Italy, 1950s
By Lumen
Located in High Point, NC
An adjustable modernist floor lamp produced and designed by Lumen Milano. Italy, 1950s. In brass, black-painted metal, acrylic and marble.
Marble, Metal, Brass
1950s Oscar Torlasco Marble and Metal Table Lamp for Lumen Milano
By Lumen, Oscar Torlasco
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Lumen Milano was one of the most innovative lighting design companies in Italy during the midcentury era.
Marble, Aluminum, Brass
Lumen Milano Table Lamp in Brass and Marble, Italy, 1950s
Located in Brussels, BE
Lumen Milano table lamp in brass and marble, Italy, 1950s.
Metal
Lumen Milano Floor Lamp in Brass and Marble, Italy, 1950s
Located in Brussels, BE
Lumen Milano floor lamp in brass and marble, Italy, 1950s.
Metal
Sold
H 15.75 in W 13 in D 13 in
Mid-Century Italian Table Lamp by Oscar Torlasco for Lumen Milano, 1950s
By Oscar Torlasco
Located in Antwerp, Antwerp
Rare early 1950’s red table lamp designed by Oscar Torlasco for Lumen Milano. Emits a beautiful diffuse light. Both shades are connected to flexible brass arms resting on a round lig...
Marble, Metal, Brass
LUMEN - coppia di lampade da tavolo in ottone - ITALIA 1940
By Arte Lumen
Located in Milano, IT
LUMEN MILANO - Coppia di lampade in ottone di ottima qualità ,modello moderno prodotto negli anni 40/50, originali di quell’epoca-
Brass
Sold
H 16.5 in W 13 in D 17.5 in
Oscar Torlasco, Table Lamp, Lacquered Metal, Brass, Glass, Lumi, Milano, 1950s
By Lumen, Oscar Torlasco
Located in High Point, NC
A blue-green lacquered metal, brass, and glass desk light / table lamp, designed by Oscar Torlasco, produced by Lumen Milano, Italy, 1950s. All original unrestored condition.
Metal, Brass
Flamme, Floor Lamp by Gilles Derain for Lumen Center, 1980s
By Gilles Derain, Lumen Center
Located in Brussel, BE
Stunning wall-facing floor lamp, ideal for a corner, this model, named Flamme, was drawn in 1986 by French designer Gilles Derain for the Italian brand Lumen Center based in Milano. ...
Metal, Steel
Lumen Milano, Table Lamp, Brass, Italy, 1950s
By Lumen
Located in High Point, NC
An adjustable brass table lamp designed and produced by Lumen Milano, Italy, 1950s. Overall Dimensions (inches): 17.5” H x 12.5” D Stated dimensions include shade.
Brass
Extremely Rare Floor Lamp by Lumen Milano
By Lumen
Located in Hanover, MA
1950s Italian floor lamp by Lumen Milano. Flared ivory enameled spun aluminum uplight shade on a tapered ebonized mahohany stem, issuing three smaller articulating lights with ivory ...
Aluminum, Brass
Articulated Wall Light by Lumen Milano, 1950s
Located in London, GB
Articulated Wall Light by Lumen Milano, 1950s A 1950s Italian fully adjustable swing arm wall light.
Aluminum, Brass
Sold
H 35.44 in Dm 19.3 in
Lumen Milano Lampada a Sospensione in Metallo Laccato Bordeaux, Italia 1950s
By Lumen
Located in Naples, IT
Bellissima lampada a sospensione italiana di Lumen Milano, realizzata in ottone e metallo smaltato di colore bordeux ; il paralume circolare sospeso è traforato con 4 diffusori in v...
Metal, Brass
Lumen Milano 1950s Floor Lamp by Oscar Torlasco
By Lumen, Oscar Torlasco
Located in Hanover, MA
Oscar Torlasco (1934-2004) designed this double headed floor lamp for Lumen Società Anonima apparecchi di illuminazione razionale, via verdi 7, Milano.
Marble, Aluminum, Brass
1950s Italian Design Table Lamp attributed to Lumen Milano
By Angelo Lelii, Arte Lumen
Located in London, GB
1950s Italian table lamp with adjustable shade Rewired with black cotton-insulated cable Original bakelite socket including on and off switch.
Aluminum, Iron
Sold
H 14.57 in W 4.34 in D 7.09 in
Oscar Torlasco, Table Lamp, Lacquered Metal, Brass, Glass, Lumi, Milano, 1950s
By Lumen, Oscar Torlasco
Located in High Point, NC
Designed by Oscar Torlasco, produced by Lumen Milano, Italy, 1950s. All original unrestored condition.
Metal, Brass
Sold
H 8.27 in W 4.73 in D 5.52 in
Mid-Century Modern Oscar Torlasco "Parrot" Night Stand Lights Pair, Italy 1960s
Located in Trieste, IT
These cute bedside or table lamps were produced by the prestigious lighting manufacturer Lumi Milano (sometimes referenced as Lumen Milano) in Italy during the 1950s.
Brass
Italian Modernist Lamp
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Rare adjustable desk lamp in brass and marble with bulb reflector. Manufactured by Lumen of Milano.
Marble, Brass
Lumen Milano Midcentury Italian Chandelier Pendant
By Lumen
Located in Rovereta, Repubblica di San Marino
Lumen Milano midcentury Italian pendant lamp, circa 1950.
Aluminum
Italian Desk Lamp in Brass by Lumen Milano, 1950s
By Lumen
Located in UTRECHT, NL
Italian desk lamp made by Lumen in Milan, circa 1950s. This colorful desk lamp features a well-balanced and organic design. The two shades rest on two brass stems. One of them is ope...
Metal, Brass
Tito Agnoli 177a wall lamp Oluce Italy 1957
By Oluce, Tito Agnoli
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Rare adjustable 177a wall lamp designed by Tito Agnoli and manufactured by Oluce in Italy in 1957. This lamp is made with a beautiful blended use of materials. The lamp has a brass w...
Aluminum, Brass
$5,714
H 29.73 in Dm 10.24 in
Rare Max Ingrand Mod. 0556/B ceiling lamp for Fontana Arte, Italy 1960's
By Fontana Arte, Max Ingrand
Located in Milan, IT
Rare Max Ingrand Mod. 0556/B ceiling lamp for Fontana Arte
Brass
Midcentury Table Lamp/Napako, 1960s
By Napako
Located in Praha, CZ
Made in Czechoslovakia Made of metal, chrome Re-polished Fully functional Original condition.
Metal
Italian Mid-Century Modern Large Pendant Light 135cm/53.15in.
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Pendant light / chandelier, glass, brass, lacquered steel, acrylic, Italy, 1950s/1960s This lighting pendant, a mid-century Italian design from the 1950s or 60s, reflects postwar I...
Brass
Max Ingrand "2356" Ceiling Light for Fontana Arte, Italy 1960s
By Max Ingrand
Located in Argelato, BO
Max Ingrand 2356 ceiling light Fontana Arte Italy 1967 This rare and extraordinary Fontana Arte suspension chandelier is an icon of mid-century Italian design, made of solid brass a...
Brass
MicroLU FS Sconce PBB
By Lumfardo Luminaires
Located in Inglewood, CA
Beautiful patinated brass MicroLU Full Swing (FS) PBB articulating wall sconce by Lumfardo Luminaires. Made contemporary in the US. In all brass patinated finish with push switch. Mu...
Aluminum, Brass
1940s Stunning Six-Light Pendant Attributed to Pietro Chiesa
By Pietro Chiesa
Located in Schoorl, NL
Elegant 1940s pendant curved glass decorated with floral motifs. It holds six lights and is in excellent condition.
Brass
Franco Buzzi for O-Luce Wall Light in Brass and Aluminum
By Franco Buzzi, O-Luce
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Franco Buzzi for O-Luce, wall light, model 'B3', enameled aluminum, enameled steel, brass, Italy, 1949 This exceptional Italian wall-mounted wall light is the B3 model designed by F...
Aluminum, Brass, Steel
1950 Large wall lamp by Maison Arlus
By Maison Arlus
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Composed of a rectangular wall bracket equipped with two golden brass cylinders, supporting a large cylindrical arm that can rotate 180 degrees, which in turn supports another large ...
Brass, Metal
$2,340 / item
H 32.6 in W 20 in D 32.6 in
Large Pierre Guariche 'G25' Articulating Wall Lamp for Sammode Studio
By Sammode, Pierre Guariche
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Large Pierre Guariche 'G25' articulating wall lamp for Sammode Studio. Originally designed by Pierre Guariche, this iconic wall lamp is newly produced in an authorized re-edition b...
Brass, Aluminum, Steel
Fabio Lenci Pendant Lamp
By Fabio Lenci, Guzzini
Located in South Charleston, WV
Italy 1960's signed made in Italy. An uncommon model from Fabio Lenci for Guzzini. Provides an unexpected glow of illumination above the center line of the sphere through refraction ...
Steel
Mid-Century Modern Ceiling Lamp, Italy, 1960s
By Stilnovo
Located in Hagenbach, DE
This striking ceiling lamp from 1960s Italy showcases a unique blend of materials and a sophisticated Mid-Century Modern design, characteristic of classic Italian craftsmanship. At ...
Metal, Brass, Copper
B3 Wall lamp by Franco Buzzi for Oluce, Italy, 1950
By Franco Buzzi, Oluce
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Extendable and adjustable Model B3 wall lamps, designed by Franco Buzzi for Oluce. Featuring an elegant structure in brass and metal, each lamp is equipped with a large lacquered alu...
Metal, Aluminum, Brass
$6,628
H 21.26 in W 48.82 in D 66.93 in
Wall Lamp by Designer Cosack Leuchten from the 50's in Lacquered Metal, E539
By Cosack Leuchten
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
German telescopic lamp from the 50's by the designer Cosack Leutchen. The arm, counterweight and shade are made of black or beige lacquered metal. The system of counterweight and pul...
Metal
$6,050
H 31.5 in Dm 7.88 in
Italian wall light 50's counterweight in brass and metal attributed to Oluce
By Oluce
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Wall lamp of the 50's attributed to the Italian publishing house Oluce. Structure in steel and solid brass, black lacquered metal shade (original paint). Brass counterweight allowing...
Metal, Brass
$7,762
H 43.31 in Dm 9.45 in
Angelo Lelii certified brass and glass pendant light by Arredoluce, Italy, 1950s
By Arredoluce, Angelo Lelii
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
A rare chandelier in brass and opaline glass, designed by Angelo Lelii, produced by Arredoluce in the 1950s, with original authenticity label issued by the Arredoluce archive. The l...
Brass
Timeless Art Deco Carved Alabaster Pendant Lamp, Black Veining, 1920s
Located in Benalmadena, ES
This pendant lamp reflects the Art Deco style of the 1920s, built around a wide, dish-shaped alabaster piece with dramatic black and grey veining running through the pale stone. The ...
Alabaster
$2,971 / set
H 13 in W 4.34 in D 13 in
Pair of Vintage Hans-Agne Jakobsson Adjustable Brass Scones C2796/1 Sweden 1970s
By Markyard, Hans-Agne Jakobsson
Located in Helsinki, FI
A striking pair of Hans-Agne Jakobsson Swedish modern wall lamps / Scones model C 2796/1 by Markyrad from the 1970s, crafted in solid brass with hard plastic wall brackets. These scu...
Brass
$1,096Sale Price / item|15% Off
H 35.82 in W 8.26 in D 17.72 in
Lumina ClassiC Black Daphine Led Floor Lamp by Tommaso Cimini
By Tommaso Cimini, Lumina
Located in New York, NY
Floor lamp in metal with an articulated arm and a diffuser pivoting on 360°. The base of cast iron always comes black varnished. Available with halogen or LED light source. Two step...
Metal
$2,400 / set
H 19.69 in W 27.56 in D 15.75 in
Twins Polished Side Table contemporary design by Giordano Viganò
By Giordano Viganò
Located in Meda, Lombardia
Twins are two side tables that can be placed one above the other. They are available in three colors: Bordeaux, black and dark green. The minimal style and classics colours make them...
Wood
Antique pedestal table
Located in Houston, TX
Rustic and Organic French antique stone and wood pedestal table. It has a hand turned base in a rich walnut. The stone top is in a nice grey, with a worn but very nice finish. This t...
Stone
$5,534 / set
H 25.6 in W 23.63 in D 27.17 in
Mid-Century Modern Low Chairs by Adrien Audoux & Frida Minnet, France
By Adrien Audoux and Frida Minnet
Located in Henley-on Thames, Oxfordshire
A rare French mid-century pair of Audoux Minet low chairs featuring robust stained beech frames and beautifully hand-woven rope seats and backs in the signature Audoux-Minet pattern....
Rope, Beech
$2,309 / set
H 19.69 in W 5.12 in D 7.09 in
Pair of thick single sheet Brass Curve wall sconces in Antique Brass
Located in London, GB
This stunning pair of wall sconces from Andrew Kornat Designs are 100% handmade from scratch from a single sheet of hand cut thick grade sheet brass, curled by hand into a scroll sha...
Brass
$1,598 / item
H 9.45 in W 6.3 in D 5.91 in
Italian "Lancia" Wall Sconce in Brass and Opaline Glass by Stilux Milano, 1960s
By Stilux
Located in Brescia, Brescia
Refined and sculptural, this striking wall sconce — informally referred to as “lancia” for its resemblance to a wall-mounted lance — was produced by Stilux in the 1960s. The fixture ...
Brass
$4,099
H 34.65 in W 28.75 in D 59.06 in
Original Osvaldo Borsani P40 Reclining Chair, Tecno, Italy, 1950s/60s
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Lewes, East Sussex
An original Osvaldo Borsani P40 Reclining Chair, Tecno, Italy, 1950s. All hardware in working order. Reclines and adjusts into a huge array of positions. Original fabric with a coupl...
Brass, Steel
Whiskey Wall Mounted Console
By George Nakashima, George Nelson
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The hidden chamber for your rare bourbon collection. The base to an elegant living room. A centerpiece for those records you saved for that meditative time when you could look out in...
Walnut
$4,200
H 30.5 in W 70 in D 31 in
French Art Deco Chaise Longue, Carved Walnut, Upholstered, Circa 1930
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
Fans of the pioneering furniture designer Emile-Jacque Ruhlmann will delight in this glamorous French Art Deco period chaise with a swooping crest of a seat back that rises from the ...
Textile, Walnut
Pink Murano Glass Spheres Sputnik Chandelier with brass finish
Located in Florence, IT
Pink Murano Glass Sputnik Chandelier with brass finish. The glass spheres are in "incamiciato" handblown Murano glass, meaning there is a double layer of glass, pink outside and whit...
Brass
$710
H 11.82 in W 16.93 in D 16.54 in
Patinated Brass Swing Arm Wall Light in Style of Maison Jansen, France
By Maison Jansen
Located in London, GB
An elegant patinated brass classical French 1960’s swing arm wall light. Rewired and sold with shade( not new, vintage)
Brass, Bronze
$1,200Sale Price|25% Off
H 5.25 in W 2.25 in D 4.5 in
Seguso Murano Red Orange Gold Flecks Italian Art Glass Double Mouth Flower Vase
By Archimede Seguso
Located in Kissimmee, FL
Beautiful and rare vintage Murano hand blown red-orange and gold flecks Italian art glass double spout flower vase. Documented to designer Archimede Seguso, and created in the "Pulve...
Gold Leaf
Ceramic Tissue Box square in White
By Project 213A
Located in Macieira de Sarnes, PT
Ceramic Tissue Box Square in brushed White Designed by Project 213A in 2023 Artisanal ceramic tissue box created by skilled artisans in Project 213A's own ceramic workshop. The tiss...
Ceramic, Clay
$4,280 / item
H 49.22 in Dm 49.22 in
Mid-Century Modern Stilnovo Style Brass and Lacquer Italian Chandelier 12 Lights
By Gino Sarfatti, Stilnovo
Located in Bochum, NRW
Introduce sculptural elegance to your space with this artisanal Italian chandelier, a striking reinterpretation of Stilnovo-era design. Twelve dome-shaped shades orbit a central bras...
Aluminum, Brass
Organically shaped, clean-lined and elegantly simple are three terms that well describe vintage mid-century modern furniture. The style, which emerged primarily in the years following World War II, is characterized by pieces that were conceived and made in an energetic, optimistic spirit by creators who believed that good design was an essential part of good living.
ORIGINS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
CHARACTERISTICS OF MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGN
MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNERS TO KNOW
ICONIC MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE DESIGNS
VINTAGE MID-CENTURY MODERN FURNITURE ON 1STDIBS
The mid-century modern era saw leagues of postwar American architects and designers animated by new ideas and new technology. The lean, functionalist International-style architecture of Le Corbusier and Bauhaus eminences Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Walter Gropius had been promoted in the United States during the 1930s by Philip Johnson and others. New building techniques, such as “post-and-beam” construction, allowed the International-style schemes to be realized on a small scale in open-plan houses with long walls of glass.
Materials developed for wartime use became available for domestic goods and were incorporated into mid-century modern furniture designs. Charles and Ray Eames and Eero Saarinen, who had experimented extensively with molded plywood, eagerly embraced fiberglass for pieces such as the La Chaise and the Womb chair, respectively.
Architect, writer and designer George Nelson created with his team shades for the Bubble lamp using a new translucent polymer skin and, as design director at Herman Miller, recruited the Eameses, Alexander Girard and others for projects at the legendary Michigan furniture manufacturer.
Harry Bertoia and Isamu Noguchi devised chairs and tables built of wire mesh and wire struts. Materials were repurposed too: The Danish-born designer Jens Risom created a line of chairs using surplus parachute straps for webbed seats and backrests.
The Risom lounge chair was among the first pieces of furniture commissioned and produced by celebrated manufacturer Knoll, a chief influencer in the rise of modern design in the United States, thanks to the work of Florence Knoll, the pioneering architect and designer who made the firm a leader in its field. The seating that Knoll created for office spaces — as well as pieces designed by Florence initially for commercial clients — soon became desirable for the home.
As the demand for casual, uncluttered furnishings grew, more mid-century furniture designers caught the spirit.
Classically oriented creators such as Edward Wormley, house designer for Dunbar Inc., offered such pieces as the sinuous Listen to Me chaise; the British expatriate T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings switched gears, creating items such as the tiered, biomorphic Mesa table. There were Young Turks such as Paul McCobb, who designed holistic groups of sleek, blond wood furniture, and Milo Baughman, who espoused a West Coast aesthetic in minimalist teak dining tables and lushly upholstered chairs and sofas with angular steel frames.
Generations turn over, and mid-century modern remains arguably the most popular style going. As the collection of vintage mid-century modern chairs, dressers, coffee tables and other furniture for the living room, dining room, bedroom and elsewhere on 1stDibs demonstrates, this period saw one of the most delightful and dramatic flowerings of creativity in design history.
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.