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Flos Lighting

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
Black Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni Snoopy Table Lamp
By Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos, Achille Castiglioni, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
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 socket. This design from 1967 ta...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Marble, Metal

2022 Flos IC Light Suspension 1 Pendant by Michael Anastassiades in Chrome
By Michael Anastassiades, Flos
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is an IC Lights S1 Suspension Lamp made with chromed steel and blown glass. The lamp was designed by Michael Anastassiades and produced by Flos in Italy. It dates to...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Flos Lighting

Materials

Steel

2021 Bon Jour Lamp by Philippe Starck for Flos in Chrome w/ Clear Body
By Philippe Starck, Flos
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a Bon Jour LED Table Lamp made with a PMMA plastic base and chrome finishes. The lamp was designed by Philippe Starck and produced by Flos in Italy. It dates to c...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Flos Lighting

Materials

Plastic

Castiglioni Large Chrome "Light Ball" Wall or Ceiling Lamp, Flos, Italy 1960s
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Arteluce, Flos
Located in Roma, IT
Fantastic Mid-Century "Light Ball' sconce or ceiling lamp in chrome designed by Achille Castiglioni for Flos in Italy during the 1960s. This is the largest versions of the light ba...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Pair of Splugen Brau lamps by Achille and Piergiacomo Castiglioni for Flos
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Pair of aluminum pendant lamps, designed by Fratelli Castiglioni, model Splügen Bräu, produced by Flos, 1960s . This model was designed in 1961, and its name was dedicated to the lux...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Metal

'Noce' Sconces by Achille Castiglioni for Flos
By Achille Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Noce sconces by Achille Castiglioni for FLOS. Designed and manufactured in Italy, 1972. Painted die-cast aluminum, printed glass. We recommend one E26 25-40w maximum bulb per fixture...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Aluminum

Achille and Piergiacomo Castiglioni Splugen Brau pendant light, Flos, Italy 1964
By Flos, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
Pair of aluminum pendant lamps, design by Fratelli Castiglioni, model Splügen Bräu, produced by Flos, 1960s The pendant lamp designed by the Castiglioni brothers in the early 1960s ...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Metal

Pair of Flos Wall Lights by Afra E Tobia Scarpa - 8 Lights Available
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Flos
Located in London, GB
These attractive 'Quarto' wall lights were designed by Afra E Tobia Scarpa for Flos in the 1970s. We are selling these lights in pairs, or as a set of eight. Please ask if you have...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Wall lamps mod. Splugen Brau by Achille & Piergiacomo Castiglioni for Flos
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Pair of wall lamps mod. Splügen Bräu Designed by Castiglioni Achille, Castiglioni Piergiacomo for Flos Perfect vintage condition Italy, 1961
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Aluminum

Tobia Scarpa Large Italian Mid Century Cocoon Nuvola Chandelier Flos, Italy 1962
By Tobia Scarpa, Flos
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
A large cocoon Nuvola chandelier by Tobia Scarpa for Flos designed in the 1962 and crafted in the early 1970s. Perfect vintage condition. In the realm of mid-century modern design, few pieces encapsulate the era's essence quite like the Nuvola pendant light by Tobia Scarpa for Flos. This iconic lighting fixture...
Category

1960s Italian Organic Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Metal

White metal sconce, applique Foglio by Afra e Tobia Scarpa for Flos 60s, 70s
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Flos
Located in Padova, IT
FLOS - Foglio, a historic piece from the Flos catalog designed by Tobia Scarpa, is a wall lamp with direct/indirect and partially diffused light with a steel structure. Born in Venic...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Metal

Flos Toio LED Red by Achilles And Piergiacomo Castiglioni Floor Lamp
By Achille Castiglioni, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in London, GB
With its legendary silhouette and diffuser inspired by car headlights, the Toio floor lamp by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni (1962) is a 20thth Century icon. This model is feat...
Category

2010s Chinese Flos Lighting

Materials

Metal

Arco floor lamp, Flos
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Neuss, NW
Article Details Unique Arco floor lamp from the 1960s by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos. Stainless steel swivel telescopic arm with a movable aluminium lampshade and ...
Category

1660s Italian Mid-Century Modern Antique Flos Lighting

Materials

Marble, Steel

1980s Flos Gibigiana Desk Lamp, White by Achille Castiglioni
By Flos, Achille Castiglioni
Located in Toronto, CA
Post modern Gibigiana table lamp designed in 1980 by Achille Castiglioni for Flos, Italy. An adjustable mirror reflects the light away from a hidden source within the lamp. Light in...
Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Aluminum

1980s Flos Gibigiana Desk Lamp, Black by Achille Castiglioni
By Flos, Achille Castiglioni
Located in Toronto, CA
Post modern Gibigiana table lamp designed in 1980 by Achille Castiglioni for Flos, Italy. An adjustable mirror reflects the light away from a hidden source within the lamp. Light in...
Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Aluminum

'Plisse' Flush Mounts by Achille Castiglioni for Flos
By Achille Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Los Angeles, CA
'Plisse' Flush Mounts by Achille Castiglioni for Flos. Designed and manufactured in Italy, 1980. Pleated enameled outer skirts with a centered pill shaped glass diffuser. Each flush ...
Category

1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Steel, Aluminum

Lampadara a sospensione Viscontea FLOS anni 60 A.Castioni
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Milano, MI
Viscontea è una lampada a sospensione design by Achille Castiglioni and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in 1960 E' una lampada a luce diffusa che unisce lusso e innovazione. La struttura in...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Flos Lighting

Materials

Resin

Midcentury Black & White pendant by Achille e Piergiacomo Castiglioni for Flos
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Piacenza, Italy
The Black & White lamp owes its name to the two types of light emanating. The diffused lighting is obtained by means of a dome in white opal glass, containing a set of bulbs; the one...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Opaline Glass

Chiara Lamp by FLOS - 1960's EARLY EDITION - Original Mario Bellini
By Mario Bellini, Flos
Located in Vancouver, BC
A cult object from the 60s, As well as an early edition by Flos - Manufactured in the 1960's. Chrome-plated metal, enameled metal. Takes one E27 100W maximum bulb. This has Original European wire but has been Re-wired for North American outlets. Chiara brilliantly combines its explosive simple design - it was made from a single steel sheet, cut and rolled up in a cylinder - with a charismatic and highly evocative shape: similarly to a nun with a large coronet that diffuses the light. On top of that, Mario Bellini names it Chiara, similarly to the saint of Assisi, founder of the order of the Poor Clares, who embraced Franciscan poverty. For the architect and designer, one of the most influential personalities on the creative scene, a great experimenter and intuitive designer (winner of eight Compassi d'Oro awards, 25 of his pieces are part of the permanent collection of the MoMa, he invented the P101 for Olivetti - the first personal computer – the director of Domus '86-'91 and much more), Chiara is the result of research begun in 1968 with paper models, for a lamp with diffused and reflected light and a hidden light bulb. Biography of Mario Bellini; Born in Milan in 1935, Bellini attended the Politecnico di Milano for a degree in architecture. He graduated in 1959, and from the very beginning of his career his prominence increased rapidly. From 1959 to 1962, Mario Bellini managed the design department of the Italian department store La Rinascente, and in 1963, he served as chief design consultant for Olivetti, a role that he retained until 1993. Also in 1963, Bellini opened his own design studio, Studio Bellini, and created an array of innovative Italian furniture design pieces, such as the 932 leather armchair designed for Cassina in 1964. In 1970, Mario Bellini designed the Colonato table...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Cut Steel, Stainless Steel

Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni Black “Taccia” Table Lamp, Italy 1990s
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Naples, IT
Achille & Pier Castiglioni lamp model 'Taccia', black base and circular shape. The Taccia table lamp by the Italian brand Flos is a masterpiece by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglion...
Category

1990s Italian Modern Flos Lighting

Materials

Metal

Silver Aluminum wall/ceiling lamp Padina by Achille Castiglioni for Flos, 1960s
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Varese, Lombardia
This Padina lamp can be used as sconce or as a ceiling lamp. It is made from a silver aluminum body. Equipped with E27 lamp socket. Good condition: oxidation and patina.
Category

1960s Italian Space Age Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Aluminum

Floor lamp Papillona by Tobia Scarpa  for Flos 70s
By Tobia Scarpa, Flos
Located in Padova, IT
Flos Papillona is a floor lamp with a simple and modern design. Designed by Tobia Scarpa in 1975, it is a classic from those memorable years which saw t...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Metal

Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos 'Toio' Floor Lamp, Italy 1960
By Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Achille Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Naples, IT
Floor lamp model Toio designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos in the 1960s. Black lacquered metal base, hexagonal chrome drawn as a stem equipped with fishing rod l...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Brass, Steel

White Opaline Glass Italian Pendant Lamp by Achille e Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Byron Bay, NSW
Ceiling lamp designed in 1965 by the Castiglioni brothers. Produced by Flos. It produces diffused light through the opal glass diffuser and concentrated light with a polished aluminu...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Aluminum

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 Lighting

Materials

Metal

Vintage Flos Splugen Brau Pendant by Achille Castiglioni for Flos, Italy 1961
By Achille Castiglioni & Pio Manzu, Flos
Located in Roma, IT
Fantastic vintage Splugen Brau pendant lamp in aluminium designed by Achille Castiglioni and produced by Flos in the 1960s in Italy. This lovely p...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Aluminum, Metal

Cocoon Table Lamp Metal Brass Skin 1970 Italy
By Flos
Located in Milano, IT
Table Lamp
Category

1970s Italian Other Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Brass

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 Lighting

Materials

Metal

Nickel-plated Fior di Loto pendant by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Flos, 1960s
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Flos
Located in Rotterdam, NL
Nickel-plated Fior di Loto pendant designed by Tobia and Afra Scarpa for Italian Lighting manufacturer Flos in 1963. In an original Flos catalogue we found this description: "Pend...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Nickel

Nigritella Pendant by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Flos, 1960s
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Flos
Located in Rotterdam, NL
White Nigritella pendant designed by Tobia and Afra Scarpa for Italian Lighting manufacturer Flos in 1961. This Nigritella pendant consists of a metal cap with in the middle a row...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Metal

White Fior Di Loto Pendant by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Flos, 1960s
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Flos
Located in Rotterdam, NL
White Fior di Loto pendant designed by Tobia and Afra Scarpa for Italian Lighting manufacturer Flos in 1963. In a Flos catalogue we found this description: "Pendant lamp, giving f...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Metal

Castiglioni Midcentury Chromed Metal "Light Ball" Italian Sconce for Flos, 1960s
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Roma, IT
Amazing midcentury "Light Ball' sconce chrome metal and opaline glass for Flos. This fantastic item was designed by Achille Castiglioni and manufactured in Italy for Flos during the 1960s. This amazing piece is unique because of the materials, as it is made of chromed metal and opaline glass. Each light takes one E27 75w maximum bulb. A great sconce that will smarten a midcentury living room or bathroom. 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 ‘60s, 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 Lighting

Materials

Chrome, Metal

Nickel-Plated Nictea Pendant by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Flos, 1960s
By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, Flos
Located in Rotterdam, NL
Nickel-plated Nictea pendant designed by Tobia and Afra Scarpa for Italian Lighting manufacturer Flos in 1963. In a Flos catalogue from the 1970s we found this description: "Penda...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Nickel

Pair of Taraxacum Wall Sconces by Achille Castiglioni for FLOS
By Flos, Achille Castiglioni
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Pair of wall sconces made of five panels of molded aluminum covered with fifteen large bulbs, offering a very diffuse light hue. Designed by Achille Castiglioni for the Italian manuf...
Category

Early 2000s Italian Modern Flos Lighting

Materials

Aluminum

"Light Ball" Wall / Ceiling Lamps by Castiglioni for Flos, Italy, 1960s
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Milan, IT
Light Ball model 2 by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos. Minimal wall / ceiling lamp providing diffused light. Base in enameled spun aluminum, opal glass sphere with sc...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Metal

Taraxacum by Achille Castiglioni for FLOS
By Achille Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Rarer version of the Taraxacum 88, this is the 120 lights version from the early 2000s of the Classic Achille Castiglioni’s design by Flos. Made of panels of molded aluminum covered ...
Category

Early 2000s Italian Modern Flos Lighting

Materials

Aluminum

FLOS Snoopy Table Lamp in Orange by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
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 Lighting

Materials

Marble, Steel

Floor, Table Lamp Noce T by Achille Castiflioni for Flos
By Achille Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Padova, IT
Iconic floor side lamp Noce T designed by Achille Castiglioni and produced by Flos 1970s. It owes its name to the rounded shape that suggests a half walnut. T...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Aluminum

Flos 265 Small Black Wall Lamp in Steel and Brass by Paolo Rizzatto
By Flos, Paolo Rizzatto
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Flos 265 Small Black Wall Lamp in Steel and Brass by Paolo Rizzatto Wall lamp providing direct light. Painted steel adjustable arm and reflector. Chrome-plated brass reflector support. Cast iron...
Category

20th Century Flos Lighting

Materials

Steel

Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos "Taccia" Table Lamp, Italy, 1962
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Naples, IT
Beautiful and very rare first edition of this iconic table lamp model "Taccia" designed by Italian architects Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni and published by Flos. Aluminum lampshade...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Metal, Aluminum

Taraxacum 88 Ceiling Lamp by Achille Castiglioni for Flos, 1988
By Flos, Achille Castiglioni
Located in Lisboa, PT
This ceiling lamp, model Taraxacum 88, was designed by Achille Castiglioni in 1960 and produced by Flos in 1988. It is made with twenty pressed, polished ...
Category

1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Metal, Aluminum, Chrome

"Black and White" Pendant Lamp by Pier Giacomo and Achille Castiglioni For Flos
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Miklavž Pri Taboru, SI
Mid-century lamp with opal glass bowl for diffused light. For concentrated light, a polished aluminum reflector is fitted to the base with a silver domed reflector bulb. "Black & Whi...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Flos Lighting

Materials

Aluminum

Flos by Philippe Starck Romeo Table Lamp
By Philippe Starck, Flos
Located in London, GB
Designed by Philippe Starck for Flos in 1997, the Romeo table lamp is a timeless design. Constructed from an aluminium and steel base with a gray finish, the table lamp features a white plisse cloth...
Category

1990s Italian Flos Lighting

Materials

Aluminum

Flos Tobia Scarpa Chandelier Cocoon 1960 Italy
By Flos
Located in Milano, IT
Chandelier Flos 1960.
Category

1960s Italian Other Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Coconut

Flos 265 Small Chromatica Wall Lamp in Steel and Brass by Paolo Rizzatto
By Paolo Rizzatto, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Flos 265 Small Chromatica Wall Lamp in Steel and Brass by Paolo Rizzatto Wall lamp providing direct light. Painted steel adjustable arm and reflector. Chrome-plated brass reflector support. Cast iron tapered...
Category

20th Century Flos Lighting

Materials

Steel

Afra and Tobia Scarpa "Flos" Metal Crome Glass 1960 Italy
By Flos
Located in Milano, IT
Chandelier Metal Crome Flos
Category

1960s Italian Other Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Gold, Steel, Stainless Steel

Flos 265 Chromatica Wall/Ceiling Light in Steel and Brass by Paolo Rizzatto
By Paolo Rizzatto, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Flos 265 Chromatica Wall/Ceiling Light in Steel and Brass by Paolo Rizzatto, 1973 Wall lamp providing direct light. Painted steel adjustable arm and reflector. Chrome-plated brass reflector support. Cast iron tapered...
Category

20th Century Flos Lighting

Materials

Steel

Floor Lamp "Servul F" Design Josef Lluscà for Arteluce, 1994
By Josep Llusca, Flos
Located in taranto, IT
Original floor lamp flos arteluce production, servul F model, designed in 1994 by josef LLuscà Very good condition, as shown in the photos Rare, unobtainable!.
Category

1990s Flos Lighting

Materials

Metal, Brass

Parentesi Suspended Lamp by Flos with Dimmer, Italy 1970s
By Achille Castiglioni & Pio Manzu, Flos
Located in Hellouw, NL
Parentesi pendant lamp designed by Achille Castiglioni and Pio Manzù in the 1970s. This pendant lamp is produced by Flos, a well-known Italian design producer. This model can be adjusted in height and stays at the desired height because of the tension in the wire. This mechanism makes the lamp extra special. This Flos pendant lamp...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Metal

Flos 265 Small White Wall Lamp in Steel and Brass by Paolo Rizzatto
By Paolo Rizzatto, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Flos 265 Small White Wall Lamp in Steel and Brass by Paolo Rizzatto Wall lamp providing direct light. Painted steel adjustable arm and reflector. Chrome-plated brass reflector support. Cast iron...
Category

20th Century Flos Lighting

Materials

Steel

Giovi sconces designed by Achille Castiglioni for Flos, Italy 1982
By Achille Castiglioni, Flos
Located in Milano, IT
These wonderful Giovi sconces, a masterpiece designed by the visionary Achille Castiglioni for Flos in 1982, are the perfect representation of a timeless and elegant lighting piece ...
Category

1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Metal, Aluminum

Achille & P. Giacomo Castiglioni Floor Lamp Arco, 1960's
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Flos
Located in bari, IT
Floor lamp with direct light. Base in white Carrara marble. Telescopic stem in brushed stainless steel. Swiveling and height-adjustable reflector in molded aluminum, designer A. and ...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Flos Lighting

Materials

Carrara Marble, Steel

Flos Miss K Table Lamp in Transparent by Philippe Starck
By Philippe Starck, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
MISS K desk/table lamp providing diffused light. Fully transparent, injectionmolded PMMA (polymethylmethacrylate, UL-94 HB) frame; opal, injectionmolded polycar...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Flos Lighting

Materials

Plastic

Flos Tab Table LED Lamp 2700K with Dimmer 90° Rotatable Head, Black
By Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A brand new edition of the Tab family, now with new capabilities in new colors. This new edition of Tab table lamp has an adjustable head with a ±90-deg...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Flos Lighting

Materials

Aluminum

Flos Tab Floor LED Lamp 90° Rotatable Head, Black
By Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A brand new edition of the Tab family, now with new capabilities in new colors. This new edition of Tab floor lamp has an adjustable head with a 90-degr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Flos Lighting

Materials

Aluminum

Flos Tab Floor LED Lamp 90° Rotatable Head, Matte Blue
By Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A brand new edition of the Tab family, now with new capabilities in new colors. This new edition of Tab floor lamp has an adjustable head with a 90-degr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Flos Lighting

Materials

Aluminum

Flos Tab Table LED Lamp 2700K with Dimmer 90° Rotatable Head, White
By Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A brand new edition of the Tab family, now with new capabilities in new colors. This new edition of Tab table lamp has an adjustable head with a ±90-deg...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Flos Lighting

Materials

Aluminum

Flos Tab Floor LED Lamp 90° Rotatable Head, White
By Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A brand new edition of the Tab family, now with new capabilities in new colors. This new edition of Tab floor lamp has an adjustable head with a 90-degr...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Modern Flos Lighting

Materials

Aluminum

Flos lighting for sale on 1stDibs.

Flos lighting 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 lighting, although black editions of this piece are particularly popular. We have 204 vintage editions of these items in-stock, while there is 695 modern edition to choose from as well. Many of the original lighting 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 lighting by Vistosi, Sabrina Landini, and Philippe Starck. Prices for Flos lighting 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 $2,275.
Questions About Flos Lighting
  • 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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