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.

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 — the Tripod floor lamp by T.H. Robsjohn-Gibbings, Greta Magnusson-Grossman's sleek and minimalist Grasshopper lamps and, of course, the wealth of postwar 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 on 1stDibs.

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.

Workstead’s Uncluttered Home Designs Put Top-Notch Craftsmanship on Full View

Honest materials, craftsmanship and bespoke furnishing solutions reign at this multidisciplinary Brooklyn-based firm.

How the Anglepoise Lamp Went from Desktop Companion to Hollywood Icon

Since its 1934 debut, the ingenious task light has become one of the most celebrated examples of industrial design.

In London, Eva Menz Creates Artisanal Lighting with Theatrical Flair

Working through her studio, Atelier001, the German-born lighting meister designs LED fixtures with thoughtfully crafted details that make each piece one of a kind.