Perriand Heat Lamp

A pioneer of modernism in France, Charlotte Perriand was one of the most influential figures in 20th-century design and architecture. In her long career, Perriand’s aesthetic grammar constantly evolved, moving from the tubular steel furniture of the Machine Age to a lyrical naturalism that is reflected in her enduring designs for chairs, sconces, daybeds and other works.

Perriand’s studies at the Ecole de L'Union Centrale de Arts Decoratifs left her enthralled by Charles-Édouard "Le Corbusier" Jeanneret and his vision of a new, rational architecture. In 1924, she joined his studio to design furniture along with Pierre Jeanneret, Corbu’s partner and cousin.

Together, they devised some of the finest examples of early modernist furniture, including two icons of the era: the B306 chaise — later renamed the LC4 —  with its swooping frame and hide upholstery; and the chunky, steel-framed Grand Confort club chair. Both pieces were part of the LC line, which saw the trio of designers carrying out bold experiments with tubular chromed steel, just as architect and Bauhaus faculty member Marcel Breuer had executed with his cantilever Cesca chair around the same time. (Furniture created by Perriand, Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret was originally produced by Austrian manufacturer Thonet but Italian firm Cassina acquired the production and sales rights to their works in 1964.) 

Collaborative design produced another Perriand triumph: in the early 1950s, she and Jean Prouvé were engaged to produce desks, worktables and bookcases for the University of Paris. The bookcases — slim pine shelves with brightly painted aluminum dividers — are minimalist mid-century masterpieces.

By the end of that decade, Perriand’s aesthetic had changed completely from the earliest days of her career. She produced a series of furniture in ebonized wood: chairs with gentle S-curve legs, front and back; tables with elliptical tops. In the 1960s, Perriand pushed the boundaries of prefab to produce high-quality housing and furnishings at low cost for the French ski resort Les Arcs. She also adopted an almost rustic look at the time, designing simple chairs with dowel-cut frames and rush seats. 

Everything in Perriand’s oeuvre is beautiful, whether it’s the centerpiece of a décor or an accent, and her work is in every great design collection, public and private.

The vintage Charlotte Perriand furniture for sale on 1stDibs includes stools, coffee tables, case pieces, lighting and more.

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.