Skip to main content
Ara Table Lamp
Iconic Designs

Ara Table LampBy Philippe Starck

About the Design

Designer Philippe Starck (b. 1949) once said: “Nothing exists without light. Light is everything.” It should come as no surprise, then, that the prolific French creative has tried his hand at numerous lighting designs, all of which seek to push the boundaries of form in some way. The Ara table lamp, named for Starck’s eldest daughter, is one of several lighting designs he created for Italian manufacturer FLOS, the name behind some of the most inventive lights in history.

The fixture was released in 1988, six years after a commission to redesign the private rooms at Paris’s Élysée Palace for then-president François Mitterand catapulted Starck to global design stardom. The Ara table lamp consists of a simple chrome-plated metal base and tilted stem, atop which sits a “shade” in the shape of a horn that can be rotated in order to direct the light. It contains a single halogen bulb. The exaggerated and unexpected nature of the shape is typical of Starck’s thought-provoking approach to design; he frequently manipulates objects just enough, requiring the viewer to contemplate and question them.

The son of an aircraft engineer, Starck is also prone to toying with functionality and mechanics; on the Ara, the light is activated not by an external switch or pull but simply by pointing the horn shape up or down. The Ara table lamp, which is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum, has since been discontinued by FLOS. It is only available through resale.

Ara Table Lamp

to
6
6
3
2
2
1
Ara Table Lamps by Philippe Starck for Flos, 1988
By Philippe Starck
Located in Weesp, NL
Stylish pair of Ara table lamps designed by Philippe Starck and produced by Flos, Italy, 1988. The lamps are in great working condition. If you tilt the upp...
Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Steel

Ara Table Lamp by Philippe Starck Design for Flos 1988
By Philippe Starck
Located in Oirlo, LI
The Ara lamp was designed by Philippe Starck in 1988 and bears the name of his daughter. The lamp was made by Flos in Italy. The on and off switch is integrat...
Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Chrome

Philippe Starck Design "Ara" Table Lamp for Flos - 1988
By Flos, Philippe Starck
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Desk lamp - Design - Philippe Starck - Vintage The Ara lamp was designed by Philippe Starck in 1988 and bears the name of his daughter. The lamp was made by F...
Category

Vintage 1980s Table Lamps

Materials

Chrome

Mickville Gueridon by Philippe Starck for Driade 1980s
By Philippe Starck
Located in HYÈRES, FR
A radical side table by Philippe Starck for Driade. France 1980s Folding table. Signed under. Some lack of paint. Original condition.
Category

Vintage 1980s French Gueridon

Materials

Metal

Arà table lamp by Philippe Starck for Flos Years 80-90
By Philippe Starck
Located in Milano, IT
Iconic table lamp, aluminum and chrome metal.
Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Metal, Aluminum

Philippe Starck Ara Table Lamp in Polished Chromed Metal by Flos 1988
By Philippe Starck, Flos
Located in Montecatini Terme, IT
Ara table or desk lamp in polished chrome provides direct illumination. The head adjusts to direct lighting at a 90-degree angle. Designed by Philippe Starck in 1988 for Flos. Measurements: Height: 55 – 56.5 cm Lampshade: 27.5 cm Base: Ø 17.5 cm Philippe Starck was born in Paris, France in 1949. He is the son of André Starck, an aeronautical engineer and founder of Avions André Starck (airplane designer) and Jacqueline Lanourisse. Philippe Starck began his schooling at the Notre-Dame de Sainte-Croix institution in Neuilly-sur-Seine, a suburb of Paris. He then studied at the Camondo school in Paris, under the leadership of Henry Malvaux. Starck designed an inflatable structure in 1969, initiating a reflection on materiality, and showed an interest in places to live. Shortly after, Pierre Cardin offered him the post of artistic director of his publishing house. At the same time, he founded his first Industrial Design agency, Starck Product. He renamed it into Ubik6 in reference to the famous novel by Philip Kindred Dick. He began his collaborations with Alessi, Aprilia, Disform, Driade, Drimmer, Fossil, Kartell and Vitra. Philippe Starck has designed several hotels around the globe and also Steve Jobs‘s yacht, Venus. In the 1980s a long and exclusive collaboration with Flos begins, which sheds light on a series of international successes also called cult objects such as this ARA’ table lamp, the Miss Sissi table lamp (1991), the Rosy Angelis...
Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Chrome, Steel, Aluminum

Related Items
FLOS Miss K Table Lamp in Black 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 Table Lamps

Materials

Plastic

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 Table Lamps

Materials

Plastic

FLOS Miss K Transparent Table Lamp by Philippe Starck
By Flos, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Part of the Miss K family, this version of the popular Philippe Starck creation offers a hint of feminine softness, the result of its soft fabric outer diffuser...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Plastic, Fabric

FLOS Miss K Transparent Table Lamp by Philippe Starck
FLOS Miss K Transparent Table Lamp by Philippe Starck
$560 / item
H 11.81 in W 6.4 in D 6.4 in
FLOS Bon Jour Unplugged Chrome Lamp w/ Rattan Crown by Philippe Starck
By Flos, Philippe Starck
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 Table Lamps

Materials

Aluminum

Philippe Starck's FLOS Table Lamp, Italy
By Flos, Philippe Starck
Located in Praha, CZ
Red table lamp designed by Philippe Starck for FLOS in Italy in the 2000's. US adapter included.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Table Lamps

Materials

Plastic

FLOS Bon Jour Versailles Small Chrome Lamp in Transparent by Philippe Starck
By Flos, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This modern and timeless design is a result of the collaboration between FLOS and acclaimed designer Phillippe Starck. Blending together two dynamic pieces—the FLOS 2017 design Bon Jour Lamps and the Versaille candleholder created by Baccarat—the Bon Jour Versailles...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Aluminum

FLOS Bon Jour Unplugged Chrome Lamp w/ Fumee 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 features a...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Aluminum

FLOS Bon Jour Chrome Table Lamp w/ Rattan Crown by Philippe Starck
By Flos, Philippe Starck
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Using revolutionary Edge Lighting Technology, the Bon Jour combines maximum performance and efficiency with visual comfort. Users are able to effortlessly control the intensity of th...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Aluminum

FLOS Bon Jour Unplugged Chrome Lamp w/ Transparent 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 Table Lamps

Materials

Aluminum

FLOS Ktribe T2 Halogen Table Lamp in Plisee Cloth by Philippe Starck
By Philippe Starck, Flos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A member of the Ktribe family of products, this inspiring table light provides diffused light through a transparent diffuser that gracefully moves the eye upward. The base, rod, and ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Aluminum

Baobab Desk by Philippe Starck for Vitra, 2000s
By Vitra, Philippe Starck
Located in Radomsko, Województwo łódzkie
Function The BaObab desk, designed by Philippe Starck for Vitra, is ideal for computer-based and paper work. Constructed as a single piece, it is designed ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Futurist Desks and Writing Tables

Materials

Plastic

Baobab Desk by Philippe Starck for Vitra, 2000s
Baobab Desk by Philippe Starck for Vitra, 2000s
$6,676
H 28.35 in W 68.9 in D 47.25 in
FLOS Bon Jour Unplugged Chrome Lamp w/ Amber 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 Table Lamps

Materials

Aluminum

Previously Available Items
Philippe Starck chrome book stand
By Philippe Starck
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Philippe Starck - Book - Easel Pirelli calendars sold separately. Measures : 54cmx54cm H:76cm Material : Chrome - Steel
Category

1990s French Magazine Racks and Stands

Materials

Chrome

Philippe Starck chrome book stand
Philippe Starck chrome book stand
H 29.93 in W 21.26 in D 21.26 in
Table Lamp 'ARA', design by Phiiippe Starck for Flos, 1988, chromed steel, works
By Philippe Starck, Flos
Located in Milan, IT
The 'Ara' table lamp, designed by Philippe Starck and made by Flos, takes its name from the designer's daughter. It is a table lamp with direct adjustable light, with bold lines. The...
Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Steel

Philippe Starck Ara Table Desk Lamp, Chrome, Post-Modern by Flos Italy, 1980s
By Philippe Starck, Flos
Located in Vienna, AT
A chrome-plated and mirror-polished postmodern Ara desk or table lamp from the 1980s, designed by Philippe Starck in 1988, named after his daughter. Executed by Flos, Italy. A stylis...
Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Metal, Chrome

Ara Table Lamp by Philippe Starck for Flos
By Philippe Starck
Located in Vlimmeren, BE
This horn-shaped Ara table lamp is designed by Philippe Starck for Flos in 1988. It was named after his daughter. This classic Starck design incorporates ...
Category

Vintage 1980s European Post-Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Chrome

Ara Table Lamp by Philippe Starck for Flos
Ara Table Lamp by Philippe Starck for Flos
H 22.25 in W 10.83 in D 6.89 in
Ara Table Lamp Philippe Starck for Flos in Stock
By Philippe Starck, Flos
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Ara desk lamp designed by Philippe Starck for Flos. Usable with 100-120V, in the US.
Category

Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Aluminum

Pair of Original Ara Table Lamps by Phillpe Starck for Flos, 1988, France
By Philippe Starck, Flos
Located in Jersey City, NJ
Pair of mirror polished-chrome plated steel table lamps have a die-cast head of Zamac metal alloy, with glass defuser, supported by a angled steel pole attached to a weighted chrome ...
Category

Vintage 1980s French Modern Table Lamps

Materials

Metal

More Philippe Starck Designs
Louis Ghost Chair
Louis Ghost Chair
Average Price
$3,150
Number Available
14
Louis Ghost Chair
Materials
Plastic
Styles
Modern
It’s perhaps surprising that the Louis Ghost chair by Philippe Starck (b. 1949) has been around for less than two decades when you consider its impressive international stature. When Starck introduced the design for Kartell in 2002, it became an instant icon. Now it’s easily one of the most recognized (and copied) designs in the world. The prolific designer started his own company in 1968 and subsequently secured an art director role with fashion designer Pierre Cardin, for whom he designed f...
Shop All
Ara Table Lamp
Ara Table Lamp
Average Price
$2,686
Number Available
6
Ara Table Lamp
Materials
Metal, Chrome, Aluminum, Steel
Styles
Mid Century Modern
Designer Philippe Starck (b. 1949) once said: “Nothing exists without light. Light is everything.” It should come as no surprise, then, that the prolific French creative has tried his hand at numerous lighting designs, all of which seek to push the boundaries of form in some way. The Ara table lamp, named for Starck’s eldest daughter, is one of several lighting designs he created for Italian manufacturer FLOS, the name behind some of the most inventive lights in history. The fixture was rele...
Shop All