$2,500 / set
Elska Wall Mount Reading Lamps
By Blueprint Lighting
Located in Westport, CT
The Elska Wall Mount Reading Lamp is a stylish and functional fixture that draws inspiration from
Brass, Enamel
$2,700 / set
Elska Wall Mount Reading Lamps
By Blueprint Lighting
Located in Westport, CT
The Elska Wall Mount Reading Lamp is a stylish and functional fixture that draws inspiration from
Brass, Enamel
Scandinavian Mid-Century Wall Lamps
By EAE
Located in Karlstad, SE
Swedish wall lamps, manufactured in the 1950s by Eskilstuna Armatur Elektriska. Each lamp features
Brass
20th Century Gold Italian Brass Adjustable Reading Wall Lamp, Light by Stilnovo
By Stilnovo
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A gold-black, vintage Mid-Century Modern Italian reading wall lamp, light made of handcrafted
Metal, Aluminum, Brass
Vintage Mid-Century Modern Lightolier Baton High Intensity Desk Table Wall Lamp
By Lightolier, Michael Lax
Located in Topeka, KS
Awesome vintage Mid-Century Modern Lightolier Baton high intensity desk, table, or wall lamp
Aluminum
Danish Mid-Century Rosewood Scissor Wall Lamp, 1960s.
Located in Asaa, DK
Danish Mid-Century Rosewood Scissor Wall Lamp, 1960s. Lovely wall light with flexible arm, made in
Rosewood
1960s Danish Walnut & Glass Swing Arm Adjustable Reading Wall Sconce Lamp
By Vitrika, Louis Poulsen, Lyfa
Located in Bensalem, PA
Stunning, solid, walnut and frosted glass adjustable length wall lamp with dimmer switch installed
Blown Glass, Walnut
Swiss Lamps Gold Plated Brass Vintage Modernist 1970s Adjustable Floor Lamp
By Swiss Lamps International
Located in Landau an der Isar, Bayern
Rare Mid-Century Modern vintage European, Swiss made dimmable 'Haloprofil' floor lamp designed by
Metal, Gold Plate, Brass
Mid-Century Space Age Ball Floor Lamp, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
information: Materials: Metal Styles: Mid-Century Modern Color: Silver Item Type: Vintage, Antique or Pre
Metal
Mid-Century Chrome Swing Arm Wall Lamp, France, 1950s
Located in Hagenbach, DE
This elegant French wall lamp from the 1950s is a perfect blend of functionality and mid-century
Metal
Adjustable Mid-Century Wooden Wall Lamp with Rattan Shade, 1970s
Located in Praha, CZ
This adjustable mid-century wall lamp dates from the 1970s and showcases a harmonious combination
Rattan, Oak
Mid-Century Modern Danish Minimalist Floor Lamp from Abo Randers
By ABO Randers A/S
Located in Hamburg, DE
. This allows the lamp to be used as a reading lamp, ceiling lamp, or wall washer. There is a disc base
Metal
German reading lamp by Erco, 1950s
By ERCO Leuchten
Located in Delft, NL
German reading lamp by Erco, 1950s A German reading lamp with adjustable bracket in a brass
Aluminum
'Solana' Wall Mount Reading Lamp in Walnut, Brass and Enamel, Blueprint Lighting
By Arteluce, Stilnovo, Gino Sarfatti
Located in New York, NY
The "Solana" wall mount sconce or reading light shown in Natural Brass and Perfect White enamel
Brass, Enamel, Aluminum
1950's Industrial Cantilever Wall Lamp — Mid-Century Factory Salvage
By Elektrosvit
Located in Leicester, Leicestershire
This striking 1950's cantilever wall lamp hails from an industrial site in Czechoslovakia
Aluminum, Steel
'Elska' Wall Mount Reading Lamp in Walnut, Brass & Enamel by Blueprint Lighting
By Gino Sarfatti, George Nelson, Stilnovo
Located in New York, NY
available--just ask! The "Elska" wall mount sconce or reading light shown in unlacquered brass and Perfect
Brass, Enamel, Aluminum
$1,440Sale Price|20% Off
Rare! Mid Century Modern Lightolier Twin Articulating Lamp Gerald Thurston 1955
By Gerald Thurston
Located in Peoria, AZ
RARE & FABULOUS! MID CENTURY MODERN GERALD THURSTON TWIN FIBERGLASS SHADE ARTICULATING DESK LAMP
Metal
Set of Two Articulated Wall Lamps or Reading Lights by Florian Schulz 1970s
By Florian Schulz
Located in Munich, DE
Set of two elegant and articulated brass bedside wall lamps or reading lights. Adjustable height
Brass, Nickel
Set of Two Articulated Wall Lamps or Reading Lights by Florian Schulz 1970s
By Florian Schulz
Located in Munich, DE
Set of two elegant and articulated brass bedside wall lamps or reading lights. Adjustable height
Nickel, Brass
Mid-Century Adjustable Wooden Wall Lamp with Rattan Shade, Lipta, 1970s
Located in Praha, CZ
A refined mid-century adjustable wall lamp designed and produced by Lipta in Czechoslovakia during
Rattan, Oak
Italian Mid-Century Modern Adjustable and Articulated Floor Lamp by Reggiani
By Reggiani Lampadari
Located in New York, NY
Classic Italian Mid-Century Modern design standing lamp reflecting an interest in pure, minimal
Steel
Molto Wall-Mount Reading Lamp in Bronze and Enameled Mesh by Blueprint Lighting
By Blueprint Lighting, Stilnovo, Mathieu Matégot
Located in New York, NY
The Molto wall-mount reading lamp or wall sconce is a fresh take on Italian modernism, featuring a
Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Chrome, Nickel
Scandinavian mid century modernist wall lamp, brass & steel, Sweden, 1950s
Located in Forserum, SE
Elegant Scandinavian modernist wall lamp produced in Sweden during the 1950s. This piece features a
Brass, Steel
Mid-Century Dutch Articulating Wall Lamp, Teak and Chrome with Fabric Shade
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Dutch wall lamp combines teak wood and chrome metal in an articulating, extendable arm design. The
Brass, Chrome
Mid-Century Finnish Design Wall Lamp in Brass & Wooden Slatted Shades, 1950s
Located in Helsinki, FI
A sculptural mid-century Finnish wall lamp combining warm brass arms, a black painted metal
Metal, Brass
Italian mid-century modern metal wall lamp with directional arm, 1960s
Located in MIlano, IT
Arm wall lamp, with structure and adjustable stem in black metal, with support for wall fixing
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Brown Limestone Table Lamp by Jan Johansson, Sweden 1970s
By Jan Johansson
Located in Grythyttan, SE
about availability. The lamp is fitted with a Swedish electrical wall plug. We are happy to convert it
Limestone
Vintage Scissor (Sax) Wall Lamp with Adjustable Wooden Arm
Located in BERKEL EN RODENRIJS, NL
and visible grain, typical of Scandinavian mid-century design. The lamp is fitted with a pleated
Plastic, Teak
$322Sale Price|20% Off
Mid-Century Modern Swedish teak and brass Sconce, a Wall Lamp by Örsjö, Sweden
By Örsjö Industri AB
Located in Skarpnäck, SE
Vintage Swedish Mid-Century Modern Brass and Teak Wall Sconce by Örsjö A beautifully understated
Brass, Metal
1950s Black Bed Reading / Wall Lights Sconces 'Model 8260' By Falkenberg Sweden.
By Falkenbergs Belysning
Located in Silvolde, Gelderland
Beautiful pair tubular reading lamps / wall lights 'model 8260' in hammered black combined with
Metal, Brass
'Monolith' Italian Reading Lamp Brass & Bright Blue Enamel Blueprint Lighting
By Blueprint Lighting, Stilnovo, Gino Sarfatti
Located in New York, NY
The Monolith sconce or wall-mount reading light with articulating arm and moveable head shown in
Brass, Bronze, Copper, Enamel, Chrome, Nickel, Aluminum
Pair of Brass Plated Adjustable Reading Wall Lights with Swing Arm, Italy 70s
By Florian Schulz, F. Fabbian
Located in Roma, IT
We offer for sale a pair of elegant wall lights with a classic and timeless style. Made in Italy
Metal
$1,450 / item
Magari Wall Lamp
By Blueprint Lighting
Located in Westport, CT
The Magari wall lamp or reading light is handmade to order. Magari is adjustable to suit your needs
Brass, Enamel
Stilnovo Wall Lights Italian mid century modern polished chrome shade
By Stilnovo
Located in Dronten, NL
Beautiful adjustable Stilnovo wall lamp, in white enameled steel and polished chrome. Very
Steel, Chrome
$2,350 / set
Monarch Articulating Wall Lamps
By Blueprint Lighting
Located in Westport, CT
Monarch is a large scale wall-mount reading lamp or sconce with articulated arms. The wide brass
Brass, Enamel
Matheny Wall Lamp - Delightfull
Located in Rio Tinto, PT
bedside reading lamp, Matheny wall lamp will add a smooth lighting effect to every single room of your
Brass
Mid 20th Century Italian Adjustable Wall Lights in Brass & Creamy White Metal
Located in Roma, IT
We are offering for sale stunning Italian wall lights dating back to the 1950s or early 1960s
Aluminum, Brass
$1,199 / item
BL10 Wall Lamp, Chrome
By Robert Dudley Best
Located in Berkeley, CA
BL10 wall lamp – chrome Initially adopted by tailors due to its flexible arm and the possibility
Aluminum
Mid-Century Modern Brass Wall Light with Painted Shade, Valinte, Finland, 1960s
By Valinte Oy
Located in Karis, Nyland
A Finnish mid-century wall light produced by Valinte Oy, featuring a long, wall-mounted brass arm
Aluminum, Brass
Pair of Mid-Century Articulating Wall Sconces by George Hansen for Metarlarte
By George W. Hansen, Metalarte Spain
Located in New York, NY
This brilliant pair of Mid-Century Modernist Articulating Wall Sconces in Polished Brass by George
Brass
$1,450 / item
Magari Wall Lamp in Nickel
By Blueprint Lighting
Located in Westport, CT
The Magari wall lamp or reading light is handmade to order. Magari is adjustable to suit your needs
Enamel, Nickel
$959 / item
Bl10 Wall Lamp, Chrome, White
By Gubi, Robert Dudley Best
Located in Berkeley, CA
BL10 wall lamp, chrome $959 Initially adopted by tailors due to its flexible arm and the
Aluminum
Arlus wall lamp with counterweight, 1950
By Arlus
Located in JASSANS-RIOTTIER, FR
wall lamp is a refined example of mid-century modern design. The piece features a dual wall-mounted
Metal, Chrome
Stilnovo Wall or Table Adjustable Lamp
By Stilnovo
Located in Padova, IT
Superb and very rare wall or table adjustable lamp. Clean and current design. Well preserved, it
Metal
$576Sale Price|43% Off
1960s Floor Arc Lamp
By Artifort
Located in Den Haag, NL
a result, this vintage floor lamp is can be used as a direct light for reading or to bounce of a
Metal
$1,730Sale Price|20% Off
Magnificent french Counterweight Wall Lamp, 1960s
Located in BARCELONA, ES
an appreciation for mid-century design. By adding this magnificent counterweight wall lamp to your
Metal, Chrome
$2,223 / set
ORNO Lisa Johansson-Pape wall lamps, model 3054
By Lisa Johansson-Pape
Located in Hyvinkää, FI
lighting design. Her designed wall lamp pair model 3054 represents her typical style, combining
Metal, Brass
$5,407 / set
Gino Sarfatti 595/P Wall Lamps Arteluce 1961
By Gino Sarfatti
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
reading lamps. The chrome has some slight loss on the wall plate, the shades however have no significant
Aluminum, Chrome
Gianfranco Frattini 'Aspide' Table Lamp for GUBI
By Gianfranco Frattini, Gubi
Located in Glendale, CA
direct light for work or reading or turned toward the wall to create a softer, ambient glow. Originally
Metal, Chrome, Iron
Lightolier Lytegem off White Task Lamp
By Michael Lax, Lightolier
Located in New York, NY
20th century's 100 great product designs. The Lytegem emits localized light for reading and other tasks
Metal
$440Sale Price|20% Off
A 1950s Danish Brass And Bakelite Telescopic Wall Lamp
By Lyfa
Located in Søborg, DK
A 1950s brass and Bakelite telescopic wall reading lamp. A classic period piece of lighting with a
Brass
Swiss Lamps Gold Plated Brass Vintage Modernist 1970s Adjustable Floor Lamp
By Relco Milano
Located in Landau an der Isar, Bayern
Rare Mid-Century Modern vintage Swiss made dimmable 'Haloprofil' floor lamp designed by Viktor
Metal, Brass, Gold Plate
$2,277 / item
Stilnovo bed lamps made in Italy 1950
By Stilnovo
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
used as wall-hanging fixtures, adding a touch of mid-century modern flair to your space. Perfectly
Aluminum, Brass
Wall Lamps a Pair of Falkenbergs Lighting Sweden 1960
By Falkenbergs Belysning
Located in Paris, FR
Wall lamps a pair of Falkenbergs lighting 1950/60s. sconces, picture light, reading lights Model
Metal, Brass
Vintage Halo 250 Floor Lamp by Rosemarie & Rico Baltensweiler, 1970s
By Swisslamps International AG
Located in Hamburg, DE
floor lamp can take over the tasks of a reading light as well as a wall and ceiling washer. This piece
Metal
Vintage Halo 250 Floor Lamp by Rosemarie & Rico Baltensweiler, 1970
By Rosemarie & Rico Baltensweiler
Located in Hamburg, DE
light. So the floor lamp can take over the tasks of a reading light as well as a wall and ceiling washer
Metal
Lisa Johansson-Papé Adjustable Wall Lamp 50-056-2, Orno 1960s
By Orno Oy, Lisa Johansson-Pape
Located in Helsinki, FI
A charming double wall lamp by Lisa Johansson-Papé for Orno, model 50-056-2, combining brass
Brass, Aluminum
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.
From the kitchen to the bedroom and everywhere in between, there is one major part of home decor that you definitely want to master: lighting. Carefully selected vintage sconces and wall lights can do wonders in establishing mood and highlighting your distinctive personality.
We’re a long way from the candelabra-inspired chandeliers of the medieval era. Lighting is no longer merely practical, and lighting designers have been creating and reinventing lighting solutions for eons. Because of the advancements crafted by these venturesome makers, we now have the opportunity to bring unique, customizable lighting solutions into our homes.
It’s never been easier to create dramatic bedrooms, cozy kitchen areas and cheerful bars than it is today. Think of an elegant wall sconce as functional and as a work of art, adding both light and style to your hallways, whimsical kids’ rooms and elsewhere.
When choosing a lighting solution, first determine what your needs are: Will you opt for a moody or a bright feel? The room that will serve as your home office will need adequate lighting — think “the brighter, the better” for this particular setting.
For the bedroom, bedside wall lamps with warm-temperature bulbs instead of bedside table lamps could be the way to go to induce a sense of calm or intimacy. Try to match the style of the wall light or sconce that you’re installing to the overall design scheme of your room. It’s never “just a light.” You should approach the lighting of a room with a mindset that is one part practical and one part aesthetics-driven.
Let 1stDibs help you set the mood with the right antique and vintage wall lights and sconces for your home. Our collection includes every kind of fixture, from sculptural works by Austrian craftsman J.T. Kalmar to chic industrial-style wall sconces, from adjustable painted aluminum wall lamps designed by Artemide to a wide variety of minimalist mid-century modern masterpieces.
The alluring pendant light exemplifies the designer’s winsome mid-career work.
Patrizio Chiarparini of Brooklyn’s Duplex gallery sheds light on the lasting legacy of Italy’s postwar furniture boom.
There are many lessons to be learned from the lofts, apartments and townhouses of architects and decorators in Manhattan and beyond.
Having created extravagant homes for reality TV’s biggest stars, the designer is stepping into the spotlight with his first book.
The Louisiana-born and -bred architect talks to 1stdibs about the art of making timeless places that matter.
The Palm Springs interior decorator developed a mid-century style that defined the vacation homes of celebrities and other notables, including Bob Hope and Lucille Ball.
The houses from this New York studio cloak modernist tendencies within what are often more traditional trappings.
In the market for a fantastic fixture from the 1940s, ’50s or ’60s? Here are some names to know.