Pair of Reale wall lights. Black, Cream and Grey color shades by Diego Mardegan

Italian interior lighting designer Diego Mardegan creates gorgeous chandeliers and wall lights that reflect an artist at the top of his craft. Though working in the 21st century, Mardegan’s stunning brass fixtures draw inspiration from retro mid-century modern works as well as early modernist design. His timeless lighting is characterized by exquisite attention to detail, each fixture a masterpiece in its own right.

Mardegan’s work expresses a love of Italian design movements from the 1940s to the 1970s, which he studied at the Historical Archive of Contemporary Arts at the Biennale Library in Venice. This led him to search for artisans who could replicate the manufacturing and finishing techniques used during these periods. Mardegan’s lighting designs are also inspired by sources such as vintage clothing, which can be seen in his use of fabric shades featuring throwback patterns. He is likewise known for creating shades from parchment paper, giving the fixtures a softer and more delicate appeal.

Two other standout features of Mardegan’s design are asymmetry and adjustability. Shades of various sizes often give his pieces an off-kilter yet somehow perfectly harmonious look. Many also come with features like stems that can be removed to turn a chandelier into a flush mount, shades on articulated joints that allow them to point in different directions and individually adjustable chandelier drums.

Mardegan is known to work only with galleries that he selects personally. One is Galerie Glustin Luminaires, which carries many exclusive pieces from this master of the lighting world. Designer Stephanie Kienle Gonzalez of Rizzoli International Publications lights up the den of her Manila home with a custom chandelier by Diego Mardegan for Glustin Luminaires.

On 1stDibs, find a selection of Diego Mardegan lighting.