Pittsburgh Painted Lamp
Vintage 1920s American Edwardian Table Lamps
Metal
Vintage 1930s American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Steel
Early 20th Century Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Iron
Early 20th Century American Art Nouveau Table Lamps
Brass
Vintage 1940s North American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Art Glass
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
Ceramic, Earthenware, Pottery
Mid-20th Century American Modern Lounge Chairs
Faux Leather, Plywood
People Also Browsed
2010s American Table Lamps
Brass, Copper
2010s Austrian Jugendstil Chandeliers and Pendants
Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Modern Floor Lamps
Wood
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Alabaster, Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Textile, Wood
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Metal
Vintage 1970s French Space Age Architectural Elements
Metal, Aluminum
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Table Lamps
Glass
Antique Late 19th Century American Windows
Wood, Stained Glass
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Vases
Glass
20th Century French French Provincial Dining Room Tables
Oak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Metal
2010s British Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
Sheepskin, Beech
Vintage 1910s French Art Nouveau Table Lamps
Art Glass
Vintage 1910s American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Bronze, Brass
Recent Sales
Vintage 1920s American Table Lamps
Metal
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Wire, Metal
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Metal
20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Metal
20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Glass
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Metal
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Metal
20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Metal
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Metal
20th Century American Table Lamps
Brass
Vintage 1920s North American Art Nouveau Table Lamps
Iron
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Metal
Early 20th Century American Table Lamps
Early 20th Century American Table Lamps
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Spelter
Early 20th Century American Art Nouveau Table Lamps
Silver Plate
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Glass
20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Glass
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Paint, Glass
Early 20th Century American Table Lamps
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Table Lamps
Brass
Early 20th Century American Table Lamps
Metal
Early 20th Century American Table Lamps
Glass
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dinner Plates
Ceramic
Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Table Lamps
Steel
20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Metal
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Metal
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Metal
Vintage 1920s American Other Table Lamps
Metal
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Metal
20th Century American Table Lamps
Metal
Vintage 1920s North American Art Nouveau Table Lamps
Glass
Early 20th Century American Table Lamps
Glass
Early 20th Century American Art Nouveau Table Lamps
Bronze
Antique Early 1900s American Arts and Crafts Wall Mirrors
Bronze
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dinner Plates
Ceramic
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dinner Plates
Ceramic, Pottery
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
Ceramic, Pottery
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dinner Plates
Ceramic, Pottery
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Tea Sets
Ceramic, Porcelain, Pottery
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Platters and Serveware
Ceramic, Pottery
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 ExpertAugust 24, 2021Yes, you can paint a glass lamp shade. You can use glass paints or acrylic paint to give old glass fixtures an inexpensive makeover. You can also use stencils for added visual appeal. Find a variety of lamp shades on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Yes, ceramic table lamps can be painted. In fact, many lamps come with hand-painted finishes. If you choose to paint a lamp yourself, you may need two or more coats of paint to get the results you desire. You'll find a collection of ceramic table lamps on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022To paint a ceramic lamp, most experts recommend using an acrylic paint that’s specially formulated for ceramics. However, other paints can work. Consult the paint brand’s website for more information about suitable surfaces. On 1stDibs, you’ll find a collection of vintage and modern ceramic lamps from some of the world’s top sellers.
Read More
You Don’t Need a Fictional Fairy to Get This Real Pinocchio Lamp
Warm chalet style meets cool Bauhaus functionality in Pietro Cascella’s cleverly carved creation.
Why Is Italy Such a Hotbed of Cool Design?
Patrizio Chiarparini of Brooklyn’s Duplex gallery sheds light on the lasting legacy of Italy’s postwar furniture boom.
With a High-Tech Flagship and Cool Collabs, Lladró Is Breaking the Mold for Porcelain Production
Thanks to its new leadership, the Spanish maker of figurines, busts and lighting is on a mission to update the art of porcelain for the 21st century.
Christopher Tennant’s Lamps and Dioramas Evoke Sunny Days and Seaside Locales
The former magazine editor blends elements of the Far East and America’s eastern shores, bringing wit and delight to his handmade, upcycled designs.
Paavo Tynell’s Snowflake Chandelier Warms Up Any Room
This circa 1950 piece by the legendary Finnish lighting designer spent the past several decades in a family's home in Michigan.
NASA Parachutes Inspired Lighting Designer Bec Brittain’s New Collection
In "Paraciphers," now on view at Emma Scully Gallery in New York, Brittain introduces works that were more than a decade in the making.
This Handsome Leather Pendant Light Is Crafted Using Saddle-Making Techniques
The Doma by L’Aviva Home nods to Colombia’s equestrian heritage.
Celebrate Spring Year-Round with This Lush Murano-Glass Chandelier
Hand-blown glass makes the Italian fixture glow like dew-covered leaves in the sun.