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Flos

Imaginative lighting is a longtime hallmark of modern Italian design. Following in the footsteps of innovative companies such as Artemide and Arteluce, the company FLOS brought a fresh aesthetic philosophy to the Italian lighting field in the 1960s, one that would produce several of the iconic floor lamp, table lamp and pendant light designs of the era.

FLOS — Latin for “flower” — was founded in the northern town of Merano in 1962 by Cesare Cassina (of the famed Cassina furniture-making family) and Dino Gavina, a highly cultured businessman who believed that artistic ideas espoused in postwar Italy could inform commercial design. The two enlisted brothers Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni as their first designers.

Even before FLOS was formally incorporated, the Castiglionis gave the firm one of its enduring successes with the Taraxacum pendant and associated designs made by spraying an elastic polymer on a metal armature. (George Nelson had pioneered the technique in the United States in the early 1950s.) For other designs, the brothers found inspiration in everyday objects. Suggestive of streetlights, their Arco floor lamp, with its chrome boom and ball-shaped shade sweeping out from a marble block base, has become a staple of modernist decors. Designing for FLOS since 1966, Tobia Scarpa has also been inspired by the commonplace. His folded-metal Foglio sconces resemble a shirt cuff; his carved marble Biagio table lamp looks like a jai alai basket.

In 1973, FLOS purchased Arteluce, the company founded in 1939 by Gino Sarfatti, and it continues to produce his designs. In recent decades, FLOS has contracted work from several noted designers, including Marcel Wanders and Jasper Morrison. As instantly recognizable as they are, many FLOS designs remain accessible. While FLOS lighting is the essence of modernity, its sleek, subtle designs can be used to strike a sculptural note in even traditional spaces.

Browse a broad range of FLOS lighting fixtures at 1stDibs.

Average Sold Price
$2,650
Styles
Materials
Related Creators
Set of two Padina Wall Lamps by Castiglioni for Flos, Italy, Circa 1970
Set of two Padina Wall Lamps by Castiglioni for Flos, Italy, Circa 1970

Set of two Padina Wall Lamps by Castiglioni for Flos, Italy, Circa 1970

By Flos, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni

Located in München, DE

Pair of original 1970s wall lamps by the famous Italian designer brothers Achille and Piergiacomo Castiglioni. Model: Padina. Manufactured by Flos. Made in Italy. Great minimalist It...

Category

1970s Italian Space Age Vintage Flos

Materials

Aluminum, Metal

Velella Flush Mount or Wall Lamp by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos
Velella Flush Mount or Wall Lamp by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos

Velella Flush Mount or Wall Lamp by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos

By Flos, Achille Castiglioni, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni

Located in Milano, IT

The Velella lamp, designed by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos in 1967, is an iconic example of Italian mid-century lighting design. Its distinctive circular silhouette, c...

Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos

Materials

Metal

Tab Floor Lamp by Barber & Osgerby - Modern Aluminum Design, Italy
Tab Floor Lamp by Barber & Osgerby - Modern Aluminum Design, Italy

Tab Floor Lamp by Barber & Osgerby - Modern Aluminum Design, Italy

By Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, Flos

Located in Rhinebeck, NY

Tab / Floor Lamp by Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby A brand new edition of the Tab family. This new edition of Tab floor lamp has an adjustable head with a 90-degree rotation capabili...

Category

2010s Italian Modern Flos

Materials

Aluminum

Mid-Century Beige Taraxacum Cocoon Pendant by Castiglioni for Flos, Italy 1960s
Mid-Century Beige Taraxacum Cocoon Pendant by Castiglioni for Flos, Italy 1960s

Mid-Century Beige Taraxacum Cocoon Pendant by Castiglioni for Flos, Italy 1960s

By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos

Located in Roma, IT

Spectacular vintage mid-century "Taraxacum" cocoon pendant. This charming and incredibly rare chandelier was designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni and produced by Flos in ...

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos

Materials

Metal, Steel

Italian Frisbi 850 Pendant Lamp by Achille Castiglioni for Flos, 1970s
Italian Frisbi 850 Pendant Lamp by Achille Castiglioni for Flos, 1970s

Italian Frisbi 850 Pendant Lamp by Achille Castiglioni for Flos, 1970s

By Flos, Achille Castiglioni

Located in Hagenbach, DE

The Frisbi 850 pendant lamp, designed by the renowned Italian designer Achille Castiglioni for Flos in the 1970s, is a striking example of minimalist elegance and innovative lighting...

Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos

Materials

Metal

Large Gatto Cocoon Table Lamp by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, 1960s
Large Gatto Cocoon Table Lamp by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, 1960s

Large Gatto Cocoon Table Lamp by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, 1960s

By Flos, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni

Located in Hagenbach, DE

A masterpiece of Italian mid-century design, the “Gatto” table lamp was created by the renowned Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos in the 1960s. This sculptural lamp feature...

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos

Materials

Metal

Pair small cocoon Gatto Table Lamps Achille & Pier Castiglioni Flos Italy 1960
Pair small cocoon Gatto Table Lamps Achille & Pier Castiglioni Flos Italy 1960

Pair small cocoon Gatto Table Lamps Achille & Pier Castiglioni Flos Italy 1960

By George Nelson, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Goldkant Leuchten, Friedel Wauer, Flos

Located in Brussels, Brussels

Pair of small cocoon Table Lamps, model Gatto Piccolo. Design by Achille & Pier Castiglioni for Flos, Italy in 1960. Made in the 1960s or 1970s. Both are signed. A great example of m...

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Flos

Materials

Steel

Castiglioni Red Metal "Light Ball" Wall or Ceiling Lamp for Flos, Italy 1970s
Castiglioni Red Metal "Light Ball" Wall or Ceiling Lamp for Flos, Italy 1970s

Castiglioni Red Metal "Light Ball" Wall or Ceiling Lamp for Flos, Italy 1970s

By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos

Located in Roma, IT

Amazing midcentury "Light Ball" wall or ceiling lamp in wonderful red enameled metal and opaline glass. This iconic piece was designed by Achille Castiglioni and manufactured in Ital...

Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos

Materials

Metal

Browse all Furniture from Flos
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Flos Sale Prices

Sold DateSold PriceCategoryMaterialCreation Year
2026$1,503Wall Lights and SconcesSteelContemporary
2026$2,700Chandeliers and PendantsPlexiglass, AluminumContemporary
2026$2,144Flush Mount, Chandeliers and PendantsMetal, Resin1960s
2026$2,873Floor LampsMetal, Glass, Fabric, Steel1985
2026$3,200Floor LampsAluminum1993
2026$5,200Chandeliers and PendantsBrass, Steel1961
2026$2,372Chandeliers and PendantsAluminum, Metal1970s
2026$1,650Table LampsMetal, Wood, Resin1960
2026$986Floor Lamps, Table LampsMetal, Opaline Glass, Glass1965
2026$5,897Chandeliers and PendantsMetal, Resin1960s
2025$1,201Wall Lights and SconcesMetal1960s
2025$2,300Wall Lights and Sconces, Flush MountBrass, Opaline Glasscirca 1960s
2025$569Chandeliers and PendantsSteel, PlasticContemporary
2025$1,318Wall Lights and Sconces, Flush MountMetal, Opaline Glass, Glass1965
2025$1,884Table LampsCeramic2024
2025$395Table Lamps, More LightingAluminumContemporary
2025$1,620Flush MountBrass, Glasscirca 1960
2025$1,746Table LampsMetal, Pine, Wood, Resin, RattanCirca 1974
2025$679Chandeliers and PendantsGlass, BrassContemporary
2025$535Table LampsMetal1983
$2,650
Average sold price of items in the past 12 months
$270-$12,902
Sold price range of items in the past 12 months

Creators Similar to Flos

More Flos Designs
Arco Lamp
Arco Lamp
Average Price
$3,840
Number Available
11
Materials
Metal, Marble, Stone, Steel, Aluminum
Styles
Mid Century Modern
It was a humble street light that inspired Achille Castiglioni (1918–2002) and his brother Pier Giacomo Castiglioni (1913–68) to design their Arco lamp. The two men, along with their eldest brother, Livio, were the sons of prominent Milanese sculptor Giannino Castiglioni, and all became trained architects. Achille graduated from the acclaimed Polytechnic University of Milan in 1944 and joined Pier Giacomo and Livio in the design studio they'd opened with Luigi Caccia Dominioni. With large arc...
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Flos furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Flos furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Flos furniture, although black editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 206 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 695 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original furniture by Flos were created in the modern style in europe during the 21st century and contemporary. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Philippe Starck, Vistosi, and Patricia Urquiola. Prices for Flos furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $200 and can go as high as $17,550, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $2,273.
Questions About Flos
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Flos has manufacturing partners in multiple countries. For example, they acquired American developer Lukas Lighting in the 2010s to serve Flos’s North American audience. Shop a collection of vintage and contemporary Flos lighting from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Yes, the arc of the Flos Arco floor lamp is designed to allow you to adjust it with ease. Designed in 1962, this iconic style features telescoping detail built into the gracefully arched arm, making it simple to increase or decrease the height. Browse a collection of Flos Arco floor lamps on 1stDibs.