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Flos Furniture

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.

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Creator: Flos
Gino Sarfatti Model No. 2065 Ceiling Light for Astep
By Flos, Gino Sarfatti, Astep
Located in Glendale, CA
Gino Sarfatti model no. 2065 ceiling lamp for Astep. Designed in 1950, this is an authorized re-edition by Alessandro Sarfatti, grandson of Gino S...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

FLOS Frisbi Pendant Light in Nickel by Achille Castiglioni
By Achille Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Its name invokes the iconic toy best played in a park, but this light is seriously smart. Offering three types of illumination—diffused, direct, and reflected—the FRISBI doubles down designed Achille Castiglioni’s ability to play with the power of illusion. Three barely-there, fine steel cables suspend the opal acrylic diffuser, making it appear as it if it is floating. A black metal stem and wire mesh basket...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Steel

White "Light Ball" by Flos, Italian Wall or Ceiling Lamp, Castiglioni 1960s
By Achille Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Roma, IT
Gorgeous white Light Ball, designed by Achille Castiglioni for Flos in Italy in the 1960s. in white metal and opal glass. This fantastic lamp was designed by Castiglioni for Arteluc...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Furniture

Materials

Metal

Castiglioni Modern Decorative LED Table or Desk Lamp in Orange & Black for FLOS
By Achille Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
LED Lampadina Lamp Its name means, literally, “bulb,” and it’s easy to see why with one look at this playful Achille Castiglioni design. This unique table lamp provides direct and d...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Stainless Steel

FLOS Tatou F Floor Lamp in White by Patricia Urquiola
By Flos, Patricia Urquiola
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Its name is French for “armadillo,” the unassuming animal whose brilliant structure keeps it protected—and makes it unique. Designer Patricia Urquiola conceptualized this floor lamp to play on the filtration of light, with remarkable results. The Tatou-F offers diffused light and has an exterior diffuser in PC (polycarbonate). Its internal diffuser is injection-printed opal PC. The support and base are painted steel. Inspiration behind the design: “The process began by looking for different ways to reconstruct membranes, conceived like Japanese armor...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Steel

Flos Bellhop Floor Lamp in Red Body with White Diffuser
By Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Floor lamp with indirect light. Stem in painted aluminium: shiny white, brick, cioko, green. Reflector in shiny opal white and grey blown glass. Electrical cable of 270 cm usable len...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

"Viscontea" Suspenion Lamps Achille & P. G. Castiglioni, Flos (First Edition)
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Argelato, BO
First edition Viscontea suspension light by Achille & Pier Castiglioni for Flos. Designed and manufactured in Italy, circa 1960's. This chandelier, made in the 1960s, is one of the ...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Furniture

Materials

Metal

FLOS Frisbi Pendant Light in Black by Achille Castiglioni
By Achille Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Its name invokes the iconic toy best played in a park, but this light is seriously smart. Offering three types of illumination—diffused, direct, and reflected—the FRISBI doubles down designed Achille Castiglioni’s ability to play with the power of illusion. Three barely-there, fine steel cables suspend the opal acrylic diffuser, making it appear as it if it is floating. A black metal stem and wire mesh basket...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Steel

Gino Sarfatti Model No. 2065 Ceiling Light in Black and White for Astep
By Gino Sarfatti, Astep, Flos
Located in Glendale, CA
Gino Sarfatti model no. 2065 ceiling lamp in black and white for Astep Designed in 1950, this is an authorized re-edition by Alessandro Sarfatti, grandson of Gino Sarfatti, who appl...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

FLOS Tatou S2 Pendant Light in White by Patricia Urquiola
By Flos, Patricia Urquiola
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Its name is French for “armadillo,” the unassuming animal whose brilliant structure keeps it protected—and makes it unique. Designer Patricia Urquiola conceptualized this table lamp to play on the filtration of light, with remarkable results. The Tatou-T offers diffused light and has an exterior diffuser in PC (polycarbonate). Its internal diffuser is injection-printed opal PC. The support and base are painted steel. Inspiration behind the design: “The process began by looking for different ways to reconstruct membranes, conceived like Japanese armor...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Steel

FLOS Splugen Brau Pendant Light by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Invoking the busy, bustling energy of a beehive, the Splügen Braü—a creation by the famed Castiglioni brothers—feels both charming and decidedly powerful....
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Castiglioni Midcentury Metal "Light Ball" Italian Sconce for Flos, 1960s
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Roma, IT
Incredible mid-century "Light Ball large size" applique in smatised ivory metal and opal glass for Flos. This fantastic lamp was designed by Achille Castiglioni and produced in Italy for Flos in the 1960s. This fantastic light is unique because of the materials, made of ivory white enameled metal and opal glass. Requires an E27 bulb. A fantastic piece that will grace a mid-century living room or bathroom. Measures (cms): diameter - 42 height - 31 Literature: Casa Amica, 27 June 1972, p. 105 Octagon 30 September 1973, p. 149 Sergio Polano, Achille Castiglioni all the works, Electa, Milano, 2001, p. 224 Giuliana Gramigna, repertoire 1950-2000, Allemandi, Torino, 2003, p. 121. The beginnings of Flos (meaning “flower” in Latin) blossomed from a brilliant idea: to create objects, starting with a light bulb, that would change the way of life for both the Italian market and the foreign markets. Dino Gavina and the small Eisenkeil manufacturing facility in Merano, had already been creating furniture alongside design masters such as Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Afra and Tobia Scarpa. But by the early 1960s, Gavina became convinced the time had come to create new lamps. Using the same technology – conceived in the USA and tested at Eisenkeil – used for the Cocoon lampthe Castiglioni brothers and the Scarpa duo began creating lamps such as the Taraxacum or the Fantasma, with many other beautiful and surprising lamps to follow. And so, from day one, Flos was already reinventing the idea of artificial lighting. Achille Castiglioni (born February 16, 1918, Milan–died December 2, 2002, Milan) was a prolific furniture, lighting, and product Italian designer renown for his ironic, joyful, creative and functional designs that, at times, intersected with ideas explored by conceptual artists. Achille Castiglioni was born into a family with deep appreciation for the arts, as he was the third son of sculptor and coin engraver Giannino Castiglioni and his wife Livia Bolla. He first studied the classics at the Liceo Classico Giuseppe Parini, but then switched to study art at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan. In 1937, he decided to follow the steps of his two elder brothers, architects Livio and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, by enrolling in the Faculty of Architecture at the Politecnico di Milano, graduating in 1944–after having to interrupt his studies when he was stationed in Greece and Sicily during World War II. In 1944, immediately after graduating, Achille Castiglioni joined his brothers Livio and Pier Giacomo in the design studio that they had founded with Livio’s classmate Luigi Caccia Dominioni in 1937 in Milan. Fortunately for Achille, from the very beginning Livio and Pier Giacomo decided to focus almost entirely on designing exhibitions, furniture, housewares, and appliances since architectural commissions were difficult to come by during the war. This product-design focus, and the deep fraternal bound among the three brothers, would later allow the young Achille to experiment early in his career with emerging techniques and new materials that could communicate a fresh aesthetic sensibility suited for the positive outlook of the post-war European market. The Castiglioni brothers’ important collaboration with Phonola and Brionvega In 1940, Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Livio Castiglioni, and Luigi Caccia Dominioni, in collaboration withe the Phonola company, presented in the VII Triennale di Milano (Milan Triennial), titled Exhibition of the Radio, a research study of radio devices that included the Fimi Phonola 547 radio, the first radio encased in Bakelite instead of wood. Shortly after the exhibition, Luigi Caccia Dominioni suspended his professional activity to serve in the military during World War II and left the studio. The development of the FImi Phonola 547 radio would prove fruitful for the three brothers, as it allowed Livio Castiglioni to cement his role as the leading design consultant for Phonola from 1940 until 1960, and for Brionvega, from 1960 until 1964. These relationships brought in further collaboration among the three brothers, and would eventually result in several designs for radio and sound appliances with innovative materials and shapes for which Achille Castiglioni played a key role, such as the RR 226 stereo system for Brinovega (1965), the radio phonograph...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Furniture

Materials

Metal

1 of 4 "Padina" Wall Lamps by Achille Castiglioni for Flos, Italy - 1960s
By Flos, Achille Castiglioni
Located in Berlin, DE
1 of 4 Padina Wall Lamps in Aluminum by Achille Castiglioni for Flos. Good original condition. Please note: Lamp should be fitted professionally in accordance to local requirements.
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Furniture

Materials

Metal, Aluminum

FLOS Kelvin Edge LED Table Lamp in Chrome by Antonio Citterio
By Flos, Antonio Citterio
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The newest addition to the popular Kelvin LED family , the Kelvin Edge offers the innovation and sleek design of the collection in a smaller package—without sacrificing output. Featu...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

FLOS Miss K Table Lamp in Aluminized Silver by Philippe Starck
By Philippe Starck, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Created by innovative design master Philippe Starck, the Miss K table lamp brings a delightful duality to its work. When unlit, its transparent PC (p...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Plastic

Michael Anastassiades Modern Minimalist Chrome & Glass Table Desk Lamp for FLOS
By Michael Anastassiades, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
FLOS IC Lights T2 Table Lamp in Chrome by Michael Anastassiades Like the other pieces in his IC Light Series, the IC Lights T balances designer Michael Anastassiades’ love of indust...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Steel

Gino Sarfatti Model No. 2065 Wall Lamp for Astep
By Gino Sarfatti, Flos, Astep
Located in Glendale, CA
Gino Sarfatti model no. 2065 wall lamp for Astep. Designed in 1950, this is an authorized Astep/Flos re-edition by Alessandro Sarfatti, grandson ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Steel

FLOS 2097/30 Pendant Light in Chrome by Gino Sarfatti
By Flos, Gino Sarfatti
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Since 1958, this iconic Gino Sarfatti design has served as an ultra-modern representation of the traditional mid-century chandelier. Every detail of this state-of-the-art ceiling lig...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Brass, Steel

Suspension chandelier inspired by cocoon xx century
By Flos, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
Located in Palermo, IT
1970s Resin Cocoon Chandelier The object presented is an emblematic example of mid-century Italian design, particularly the production of lamps made of resin, an innovative material ...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Furniture

Materials

Brass, Iron

FLOS Toio Floor Lamp in Red by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Its designers named it for the English word for “toy,” for good reason: This inventive lamp inspires the imagination, blending an industrial style with a timeless and whimsical desig...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Stainless Steel

FLOS Toio Floor Lamp in Black by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
By Flos, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Its designers named it for the English word for “toy,” for good reason: This inventive lamp inspires the imagination, blending an industrial style with a timeless and whimsical desig...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Stainless Steel

Bouroullec Modern Black Hanging Pendant Small Aim Three Light & Canopy for FLOS
By Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
FLOS Aim Small Black Three-Lamp Light Set w/ Canopy by Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec Created by the Bouroullec brothers in 2010, the AIM ceiling light is a design stripped to its most ba...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

FLOS Stylos Floor Lamp by Achille Castiglioni
By Flos, Achille Castiglioni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
First designed by Achille Castiglioni in 1984, the Stylos floor lamp illuminates with a striking simplicity that is anything but ordinary. A halogen ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Steel

Flos Skynest Suspension Light in Almond
By MARCEL WANDERS, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Diffuse pendant light fixture: a combination of luminous and dark elements arranged into a network and formed of core structures covered with a thin i...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary European Flos Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Black Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni Snoopy Table Lamp
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Achille Castiglioni, Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni Snoopy table lamp. Dimmer operated lamp from 1967, with marble base and enameled metal shade. Up to 150 watts E27...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Furniture

Materials

Marble, Metal

Michael Anastassiades Modern Tall Floor lamp, Brass Base & Glass for FLOS
By Michael Anastassiades, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
FLOS IC Lights F2 Floor Lamp in Brass by Michael Anastassiades Radiant light, delicate balance: Like the other pieces in his IC Light Series, ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Brass

FLOS Romeo Soft T1 Halogen Table Lamp by Philippe Starck
By Flos, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Part of the Romeo family created by industry innovator Philippe Starck, this stunning and strikingly simple table lamp provides diffused light through a plissé cloth shade and acid-etched pressed borosilicate glass internal diffuser. The steel stem is grey painted, and the base and yoke are die-cast aluminum. There is an injection-molded transparent PC (polycarbonate; UL-94 V2) diffuser support. The on/off switch is located on the cord. Inspiration behind the design: “Design, at best, can try to improve life,” says designer Philippe Starck. With an eye on innovation and a passion for ethical living, Starck creates pieces—like the Romeo Soft...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Steel

FLOS Small Circle and Line Arrangements Light by Michael Anastassiades
By Flos, Michael Anastassiades
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Arrangements is a modular system of geometric light elements that can be combined in different ways, creating multiple compositions into individual chandeliers. Each unit simply atta...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

FLOS Fantasma Piccolo Floor Lamp by Tobia Scarpa
By Tobia Scarpa, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Created by master Tobia Scarpa, this inspired floor lamp feels like a functional piece of art. Its striking silhouette glows with a diffused light that illuminates without overpowering, while the dimming feature allows you to choose the right intensity for its environment. To create its stunning diffuser, the internal steel structure is coated with white powder and sprayed with a unique “cocoon” resin before being protected by a transparent spray finish. Inspiration behind the design: Inspired by the transformative environment of a cocoon, the Fantasma Piccolo...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Steel

Achille Castiglioni 'Light Ball' Wall/Ceiling Lamp by Flos, 1960s Italy
By Achille Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Milano, IT
This exquisite large flush mount light fixture, known as the "Light Ball," was designed by the renowned Italian designer Achille Castiglioni for Flos in 1965. This vintage piece feat...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Furniture

Materials

Brass

FLOS Tatou T1 Dimmable Halogen Table Lamp in Bronze by Patricia Urquiola
By Flos, Patricia Urquiola
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Its name is French for “armadillo,” the unassuming animal whose brilliant structure keeps it protected—and makes it unique. Designer Patricia Urquiola conceptualized this table lamp to play on the filtration of light, with remarkable results. The Tatou-T offers diffused light and has an exterior diffuser in PC (polycarbonate). Its internal diffuser is injection-printed opal PC. The support and base are painted steel. Inspiration behind the design: “The process began by looking for different ways to reconstruct membranes, conceived like Japanese armor...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Steel

FLOS Rosy Angelis Floor Lamp in Grey by Philippe Starck
By Flos, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Rosy Angelis floor lamp providing diffused light. A light weight polyester fabric diffuser is embroidered with Starck signature. Aluminum tripod legs in g...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

FLOS Taccia Small Table Lamp in Bronze by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
By Flos, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Castiglioni brothers often created designs that challenged our perspective, and the Taccia, which gives the illusion of an upside-down hanging lamp, is an inspired example of tha...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Table Lamp "Gatto" by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos, 1960s
By Flos, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
Located in bruxelles, BE
Table lamp designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni . Large Model Gatto. Stamped Flos inside. Wear due to time and age of the lamp. FOR SHIPPING, REQUEST US FOR RECEIVE THE B...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Furniture

Materials

Metal

Mid - century design Flos Flush mount , 1970's Italy
By Flos
Located in Delft, NL
Minimalist style Flos ceiling or wall lamp , 1970's
Category

1970s Italian Space Age Vintage Flos Furniture

Materials

Metal

Flos Pochette Up LED Wall Light by Rodolfo Dordoni
By Rodolfo Dordoni, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Rodolfo Dordoni's work draws inspiration from a Minimalist aesthetic: like Rodolfo Dordoni’s most beloved designs, the Pochette makes good use of less material to create a piece that...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Tobia Scarpa Flos "Tamburo" Green Outdoor Lighting Fixtures ( 11 available )
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Flos
Located in Sacile, PN
11 Tamburo available Flos Tamburo is a series of Classic outdoor lighting fixtures. A beautiful light which is is ideal for the patio or outdoor walki...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

FLOS Taraxacum 88 Pendant Light by Achille Castiglioni
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Achille Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Based on the original Taraxacum created in 1960, the Taraxacum 88 reflects the iconic design’s 1988 update and includes a mixture of deep incandescent lig...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Steel, Aluminum

Flos Medium Glo Ball F2 Floor Lamp in Glass and Steel, by Jasper Morrison
By Jasper Morrison, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Part of the popular Glo-Ball Series, the Glo-Ball F was created in 1998 by artist Jasper Morrison to invoke the radiant calm of a full moon. This contemporary floor lamp fits natural...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Glass

Postmodern Philippe Starck Luci Fair Sconces for Flos, 1st edition, 1980s.
By Flos, Philippe Starck
Located in Lille, FR
Postmodern Philippe Starck Luci Fair Sconces for Flos, 1st edition from 1989.
Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Flos Furniture

Materials

Metal

FLOS Bon Jour Unplugged Chrome Lamp w/ Rattan Crown by Philippe Starck
By Philippe Starck, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The smaller table version of the Bon Jour table lamp, the Bon Jour Unplugged truly moves with the user and can be used in any environment. The base ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Castiglioni Metal "Light Ball" Italian Sconce for Arteluce and Flos, 1960s
By Achille Castiglioni, Flos, Arteluce
Located in Roma, IT
Incredibly rare first edition of the famous "Light Ball" applique by Castiglioni in white metal and opal glass. This fantastic lamp was designed by Castiglioni for Arteluce and produced in Italy by Flos in the 1960s. This fantastic lamp was designed by Castiglioni for Arteluce and produced in Italy by Flos in the 1960s. This fantastic light is unique because of the materials, made of white enameled metal and opal glass. It can be mounted on the wall or on the ceiling. The wall light has been tested, it uses an E27 light bulb. It is signed on the backplate by both Arteluce and Flos. A fantastic piece that will grace a mid-century living room or bathroom. Measures (cms): diameter - 42 height - 32 Literature: Casa Amica, 27 June 1972, p. 105 Octagon 30 September 1973, p. 149 Sergio Polano, Achille Castiglioni all the works, Electa, Milano, 2001, p. 224 Giuliana Gramigna, repertoire 1950-2000, Allemandi, Torino, 2003, p. 121. The beginnings of Flos (meaning “flower” in Latin) blossomed from a brilliant idea: to create objects, starting with a light bulb, that would change the way of life for both the Italian market and the foreign markets. Dino Gavina and the small Eisenkeil manufacturing facility in Merano, had already been creating furniture alongside design masters such as Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Afra and Tobia Scarpa. But by the early 1960s, Gavina became convinced the time had come to create new lamps. Using the same technology – conceived in the USA and tested at Eisenkeil – used for the Cocoon lampthe Castiglioni brothers and the Scarpa duo began creating lamps such as the Taraxacum or the Fantasma, with many other beautiful and surprising lamps to follow. And so, from day one, Flos was already reinventing the idea of artificial lighting. Achille Castiglioni (born February 16, 1918, Milan–died December 2, 2002, Milan) was a prolific furniture, lighting, and product Italian designer renown for his ironic, joyful, creative and functional designs that, at times, intersected with ideas explored by conceptual artists. Achille Castiglioni was born into a family with deep appreciation for the arts, as he was the third son of sculptor and coin engraver Giannino Castiglioni and his wife Livia Bolla. He first studied the classics at the Liceo Classico Giuseppe Parini, but then switched to study art at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan. In 1937, he decided to follow the steps of his two elder brothers, architects Livio and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, by enrolling in the Faculty of Architecture at the Politecnico di Milano, graduating in 1944–after having to interrupt his studies when he was stationed in Greece and Sicily during World War II. In 1944, immediately after graduating, Achille Castiglioni joined his brothers Livio and Pier Giacomo in the design studio that they had founded with Livio’s classmate Luigi Caccia Dominioni in 1937 in Milan. Fortunately for Achille, from the very beginning Livio and Pier Giacomo decided to focus almost entirely on designing exhibitions, furniture, housewares, and appliances since architectural commissions were difficult to come by during the war. This product-design focus, and the deep fraternal bound among the three brothers, would later allow the young Achille to experiment early in his career with emerging techniques and new materials that could communicate a fresh aesthetic sensibility suited for the positive outlook of the post-war European market. The Castiglioni brothers’ important collaboration with Phonola and Brionvega In 1940, Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Livio Castiglioni, and Luigi Caccia Dominioni, in collaboration withe the Phonola company, presented in the VII Triennale di Milano (Milan Triennial), titled Exhibition of the Radio, a research study of radio devices that included the Fimi Phonola 547 radio, the first radio encased in Bakelite instead of wood. Shortly after the exhibition, Luigi Caccia Dominioni suspended his professional activity to serve in the military during World War II and left the studio. The development of the FImi Phonola 547 radio would prove fruitful for the three brothers, as it allowed Livio Castiglioni to cement his role as the leading design consultant for Phonola from 1940 until 1960, and for Brionvega, from 1960 until 1964. These relationships brought in further collaboration among the three brothers, and would eventually result in several designs for radio and sound appliances with innovative materials and shapes for which Achille Castiglioni played a key role, such as the RR 226 stereo system for Brinovega (1965), the radio phonograph RR 126 for Brinovega (1965), and the radio and record player RR 128 for Brionvega (1966) In 1952, Livio decided to build his own practice, independent from Achille and Pier Giacomo, to pursue a deeper exploration of radio waves, music, and technology. But the three brothers would continued to collaborate closely in several projects, and the partnership between Achille and Pier Giacomo became so tight that from 1952 until 1968, when Pier Giacomo died, they co-authored most of their designs. Achille Castiglioni Long Career as Light Designer During this period, the Castiglioni brothers participated in the Italian Exhibition of Furniture (RIMA), where they successfully introduced a series of curved-plywood furniture, and presented important designs, such as the Tubino lamp (1949), originally produced by Italian light maker Arteluce from 1949 until 1974, and reintroduced by FLOS since the late 1970s; and the Luminator lamp (1955), originally produced by Gilardi & Barzaghi, but reintroduced by FLOS in the late 1960s. A new, successful, and long-lasting collaboration developed in 1960, when Pier Giacomo and Achille Castiglioni were reached by entrepreneurial Italian designer Dino Gavina and business man Arturo Eisenkeil with the idea to create a completely new kind of lighting fixtures utilizing a polyamide. The material, which they called “cocoon,” in the hands of the Castiglioni brothers would become a popular and iconic innovation in the 1960s and serve as the successful foundation of Italian lighting company FLOS–founded by Gavina and Eisenkeil in 1962. Pier Giacomo and Achille Castiglioni designed a series of “cocoon” lights utilizing the spray-on polyamide plastic as a coating layer onto a metal frame. Among the most popular Castiglioni “cocoon” lights are: the Taraxacum and the Viscontea ceiling lamps (1960), and the Gatto table lamp (1961). Other of the important lamp designs by Pier Giacomo and Achille Castiglioni for FLOS are the Beehive -or Splügen Braü lamp (1961), Toio –or Toy lamp...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Furniture

Materials

Metal

FLOS Gatto Table Lamp by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
By Flos, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Named for a “little cat,” this Castiglioni brothers creation sits softly on any table, offering a glowing diffused light. The lamp is done in the famous “cocoon” style that the duo w...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Steel

Achille Castiglioni “Frisbi 850” pendant lamp Flos Italy 1978
By Achille Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Etten-Leur, NL
Beautiful MoMa design collection award winner model “Frisbi 850” pendant lamp designed by Achille Castiglioni for Flos, Italy 1978. As its name suggests, the lamp was inspired by the...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Furniture

Materials

Steel, Chrome

"Viscontea" Hanging Lamp by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in bruxelles, BE
Metal and resin hanging lamp stamped Flos. Model: Viscontea. Height maximum with cable: 300 cm. wear due to time and age of the lamp. FOR SHIPPING, REQUEST US FOR RECEIVE THE BEST PR...
Category

1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Metal

Gino Sarfatti Model 238/2 Wall Lamp in Black for Astep
By Flos, Gino Sarfatti, Astep
Located in Glendale, CA
Gino Sarfatti Model 238/2 wall lamp in black for Astep. Designed in 1959, this is an authorized Astep/Flos re-edition by Alessandro Sarfatti, gran...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Steel

FLOS Small Circle and Large Square Arrangements Light by Michael Anastassiades
By Flos, Michael Anastassiades
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Arrangements is a modular system of geometric light elements that can be combined in different ways, creating multiple compositions into individual chandeliers. Each unit simply atta...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

FLOS Snoopy Table Lamp in Orange by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
By Flos, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The masterful Orange table lamp by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni gets a dazzling makeover. Collectors now have a new reason to cherish the Snoopy table lamp by Achille an...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Marble, Steel

'Teli' Pendant light by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos
By Flos, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
Located in TOURS, FR
'Teli' Pendant light by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos Designed and manufactured in Italy, circa the 1970s
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Furniture

Materials

Metal

Taraxacum hanging lamp by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos, 1960s
By Flos, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
Located in bruxelles, BE
Metal and resin suspension lamp designed by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in the 1960s. Model: Taraxacum Maximum height with cable: 100 cm. Wear due to time and age of the lamp....
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Furniture

Materials

Metal

FLOS Tatou F Floor Lamp in Bronze by Patricia Urquiola
By Flos, Patricia Urquiola
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Its name is French for “armadillo,” the unassuming animal whose brilliant structure keeps it protected and makes it unique. Designer Patricia Urquiola conceptualized this floor lamp to play on the filtration of light, with remarkable results. The Tatou-F offers diffused light and has an exterior diffuser in PC (polycarbonate). Its internal diffuser is injection-printed opal PC. The support and base are painted steel. Inspiration behind the design: “The process began by looking for different ways to reconstruct membranes, conceived like Japanese armor...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Steel

Eleven Tobia Scarpa Italian Flos "Tamburo" Green Outdoor Lighting Fixtures
By Flos, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Sacile, PN
Flos Tamburo is a series of Classic outdoor lighting fixtures. A beautiful light which is is ideal for the patio or outdoor walking areas and...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Cocoon hanging lamp by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for flos, 1960s
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in bruxelles, BE
Cocoon hanging lamp by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni. Height with cable: 80 cm. Wear due to time and age of lamp. FOR SHIPPING, REQUEST US FOR RECEIVE THE BEST PRICE
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Furniture

Materials

Metal

Tab Floor Lamp by Flos in White
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 Furniture

Materials

Aluminum

Sebastian Wrong Flos Spun Pair Floor Lamps Shiny White Finish Space Age Design
By Sebastian Wrong, Flos
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Designed by Sebastion Wrong in 2003, the Spun Light-F floor lamp retects the best of moder manufacturing technology combined with elegance, craftsmanship, and dynamic fluit aesthotie...
Category

Early 2000s Italian Mid-Century Modern Flos Furniture

Materials

Aluminum, Steel

1960s Achille Castiglioni & Pier Giacomo 'Light Ball' Wall or Ceiling Lamp
By Achille Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Glendale, CA
1960s Achille Castiglioni & Pier Giacomo 'Light Ball' Wall or Ceiling Lamp for Flos. Designed in 1965, this rare and vintage brass variant comes with satin opaque glass. An incredibl...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Furniture

Materials

Brass

Flos Céramique Side Table Lamp in Rust Red
By Flos, Ronan Bouroullec
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Designed by Ronan Bouroullec, Céramique is a family of lamps that puts the spotlight on the quality of workmanship of the material. Céramique is the new collection of lights designed...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Flos Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

Set of 4 Light Ball table, ceiling and wall lamp by Castiglioni, Flos
By Flos, Arteluce, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
Located in Argelato, BO
Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, set of 4 table, ceiling and wall lamps Light Ball, Italy, 1965 Created by the now legendary pair of brothers and Italian designers, the Castiglionis design a series of diffused light lamps using a simple white opaline sphere of industrial production, which reinterprets a low-cost object commonly used in the domestic environment. A polished brass metal frame houses...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Furniture

Materials

Brass

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 Furniture
  • 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.

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