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Modern Lighting

MODERN STYLE

The late 19th and early 20th centuries saw sweeping social change and major scientific advances — both of which contributed to a new aesthetic: modernism. Rejecting the rigidity of Victorian artistic conventions, modernists sought a new means of expression. References to the natural world and ornate classical embellishments gave way to the sleek simplicity of the Machine Age. Architect Philip Johnson characterized the hallmarks of modernism as “machine-like simplicity, smoothness or surface [and] avoidance of ornament.”

Early practitioners of modernist design include the De Stijl (“The Style”) group, founded in the Netherlands in 1917, and the Bauhaus School, founded two years later in Germany.

Followers of both groups produced sleek, spare designs — many of which became icons of daily life in the 20th century. The modernists rejected both natural and historical references and relied primarily on industrial materials such as metal, glass, plywood, and, later, plastics. While Bauhaus principals Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe created furniture from mass-produced, chrome-plated steel, American visionaries like Charles and Ray Eames worked in materials as novel as molded plywood and fiberglass. Today, Breuer’s Wassily chair, Mies van der Rohe’s Barcelona chaircrafted with his romantic partner, designer Lilly Reich — and the Eames lounge chair are emblems of progressive design and vintage originals are prized cornerstones of collections.

It’s difficult to overstate the influence that modernism continues to wield over designers and architects — and equally difficult to overstate how revolutionary it was when it first appeared a century ago. But because modernist furniture designs are so simple, they can blend in seamlessly with just about any type of décor. Don’t overlook them.

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57,337
19,066
8,855
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3,862
2,726
2,005
1,597
1,592
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842
792
650
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539
411
198
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15,995
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130
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209
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7,727
6,056
2,342
2,123
14,525
8,256
3,044
2,711
1,331
19,066
5,900
10,435
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488
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Style: Modern
21st Century Iron and Crystal Table Lamp by Banci, Firenze, Italy, 2011
Located in Cagliari, IT
Gorgeous handcrafted lamp in gilded iron and crystal, shown here with a lampshade made with Pierre Frey fabric. Led system in the crystal. During the last 120 years, Banci pursued t...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Crystal, Iron

FLOS Toio Floor Lamp in Red by 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 Lighting

Materials

Stainless Steel

Pair of Decorative Plaster Table Lamps
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Pair of tall plaster table lamp with brass hardware topped with modern lampshades.
Category

2010s French Modern Lighting

Materials

Plaster

Tiffany Contemporary Floor Lamp 80 Koral Silk, Antiqued Brass, Silvered Glass
Located in Pietrasanta, IT
TIFFANY The first one, Audrey inspired the iconic Introducing Sabrina's breathtaking collection of Tiffany lamps. Year after year Sabrina Landini perpetuates its exceptional expe...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Brass

Modern Marble Lighting Pendant 'Ray' by On.Entropy, in Translucent Marble
Located in Athens, GR
The Ray Pendant Light by on entropy design studio, is an exploration of light, material, and minimalism—carved from a single, seamless block of Greek Dionysos marble, and designed to...
Category

2010s Greek Modern Lighting

Materials

Marble

Floor Lamp in Marble, Brass and paper by Diego Mardegan
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Elegant floor lamp by the Italian designer Diego Mardegan, this piece is made of a cat eye shape thin marble base, oblique brass arm supporting a custom shade made of paper and hand ...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Marble, Brass

FLOS 2097/30 Pendant Light in Chrome by 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 Lighting

Materials

Brass, Steel

Contemporary Acrylic and Metal Design Wall Lamp.
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Contemporary acrylic and metal design wall lamp. This wall lamp is inspired by the neon aesthetic of the 1980s. Made from a square acrylic shade in a semi-transparent taupe hue, th...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Lighting

Materials

Metal

Joy Wall Lamps Small by Draga&Aurel Resin, 21st Century
Located in Como, IT
Drawing inspiration from the Space Age, Joy wall lamp emerges as an eye-catching luminous sculpture. Its vibrant colors are meticulously handcrafted in our atelier by layering epoxy ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Resin

Tekna Montrose LED Wall Light with Dark Bronze Finish and Clear Glass
Located in New York, NY
Hanging wall light in dark bronze with pagoda structure and handle (eyelet) with outside fitted clear glass and water-resistant cable entry. Provide...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Modern Lighting

Materials

Bronze

Nura Ceiling Fixture - 18" - Au Lait Leather
Located in Philadelphia, PA
The Nura Ceiling Fixture combines hand-stitched leather over walnut accented by a brass pole and canopy. This fixture can either be hung as a ceiling surface mount or a pendant suppo...
Category

2010s American Modern Lighting

Materials

Brass

Vespera Light by WDSTCK Studio
Located in Geneve, CH
Vespera Light by WDSTCK Studio Dimensions: 10 D x W 7 x H 15 cm Materials: Brass, LED Dimmable Input voltage: 110V or 220V Color temperature: 2.200-2....
Category

2010s Dutch Modern Lighting

Materials

Brass

Normanna Floor Lamp in Amethyst Pink and Green by Vi+M
Located in Milan, IT
This floor lamp was designed by Sicilian-born designer duo Vi+M and is distinctive for its small size, a combination of striking textures, and exquisite materials. The base is in bru...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Murano Glass

Tekna Flatspot 7 Trimless XOB LED Directional Light with Black Finish
Located in New York, NY
Trimless recessed adjustable directional light (both for installation in plasterboard as in hard ceiling). Visible deep-set tube, flush with the ceiling, complete with spot light, ax...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Modern Lighting

Materials

Aluminum

Custom Plaster Fixture in the Manner of Giacometti
Located in New York, NY
Plaster Fixture in the manner of Giacometti with Eleven-light. This item takes (11) E12 candelabra bulbs at 40 watts each. Please note this item is cu...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Lighting

Materials

Plaster

'Vertigo' Pendant by Corbett Lighting
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This single pendant made by Corbett Lighting features metal rings around a fiberglass shade. Each ring is a rust color brown outside and reflective gold inside. Please confirm locati...
Category

20th Century Modern Lighting

Materials

Metal

Stunning Smoked Grey Hand Blown Murano Glass Spiked Starburst Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
This stunning smoked grey Murano glass spiked starburst chandelier was hand blown in Italy 21st Century. It features an abundance of spiked rods emanating from its center in alternat...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Nickel

Modernist Handblown Murano Glass, Reeded Nickel & 24K White Gold Fleck Sconces
Located in New York, NY
This elegant Pair of Modernist Hand-Blown Murano Fluted Glass Sconces w/ 24Karat White Gold Flecks and Reeded Nickel Fittings originates from Ital...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Gold, Nickel

Cobalt Blue Italian Murano Glass Lamps
Located in Austin, TX
Pair of superb Murano cobalt blue handblown glass lamps. These lamps have been made in the “Sommerso” technique. They have been rewired professionally to US standards. The height to ...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Murano Glass, Glass, Blown Glass

Brass Desk Lamp by Vilhelm Lauritzen
Located in San Francisco, CA
A table lamp of patinated brass, with adjustable and curved neck. Swiveling top and bottom, adjustable in both height and angle. Switch located on the base.  
Category

1940s Danish Vintage Modern Lighting

Materials

Brass

Handmade Artemis Wall Lamp by Gobo Lights
Located in Geneve, CH
Handmade artemis wall lamp by Gobo Lights Dimensions: 90 L X 12 l X 100 H Materials: Brass, Opaline This lamp takes the shape of the bo...
Category

2010s Belgian Modern Lighting

Materials

Brass

Nura Ceiling Fixture - 18" - Cognac Leather
Located in Philadelphia, PA
The Nura Ceiling Fixture combines hand-stitched leather over walnut accented by a brass pole and canopy. This fixture can either be hung as a ceiling surface mount or a pendant suppo...
Category

2010s American Modern Lighting

Materials

Brass

Candelera 02 by Federico Stefanovich
Located in Mexico City, MX
Candelera 02 is a large-format mobile light sculpture made of steel. In addition to presenting itself as a sculptural composition, its starting point is c...
Category

2010s Mexican Modern Lighting

Materials

Steel

Echo One Flush Mount in Brass from Souda, in Stock
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Simple, elegant, and playful, the Echo series is a line of surface-mount fixtures that can be used on a wall or ceiling. White or brass cones mount to mirrored glass to perfectly ref...
Category

2010s American Modern Lighting

Materials

Metal, Brass, Steel

Natural Brass Contemporary-Modern Ceiling Light Handcrafted in Italy by 247lab
Located in Saonara, IT
Handcrafted ceiling lamp model "mini KYLE pl", made in brass; with its sober and elegant design, this piece perfectly fits into modern-contemporary context. Its name, KYLE, comes fro...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Brass

Pair of "Flute 3" Pendant Lamps by Franco Raggi for Fontana Arte – Italy 2004
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Designed by renowned Italian architect and designer Franco Raggi, the Flute 3 pendant light is an icon of minimal elegance and technical precision, produced by Fontana Arte in 2004. ...
Category

Early 2000s Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Aluminum

Glustin Luminaires Creation Geometrical Brass and Alabaster Chandeliers
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
New design by Glustin Luminaires, geometrical chandelier made of alabaster panels hold by a brass structure. Different variations available.
Category

2010s Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Alabaster, Brass

CALYX Chandelier in Black & Cream Enamel and Brass by Blueprint Lighting 2021
Located in New York, NY
The CALYX ceiling fixture designed by Blueprint Lighting; a playful piece of functional sculpture inspired by the "Calyx" fabric designed by Lucienne Day, 1951. This fixtures works e...
Category

2010s American Modern Lighting

Materials

Brass, Bronze, Enamel, Nickel

“Sunnymoon” Contemporary Wall Sconce, Blue Satin art silvered glass, brass
Located in Pietrasanta, IT
Sunnymoon is born. blue silvered - satin silvered glass Inspired by the clear sun light and the calm moon light, that are combined here. From the classic silhouette of our iconic Tw...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Brass

Foscarini Double Wall Lamp in White by Valerio Bottin
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Wall lamp with indirect and diffused light. Hand blown cased glass diffuser achieved using glass blowing procedure without turning the glass in the ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Blown Glass

Silver Antica IV Linear Pendant by OHLA STUDIO
Located in Geneve, CH
Silver Antica IV Linear Pendant by OHLA STUDIO Dimensions: D 25 x W 145 x H 26 cm Materials: Copper. 5 kg Available in other finishes: Silver, Forest, and Teal. A pre-Hispanic smi...
Category

2010s Mexican Modern Lighting

Materials

Copper

Louis Poulsen, AJ Color Floor Lamp by Arne Jacobsen
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Louis Poulsen, AJ color floor lamp by Arne Jacobsen Measures: Width x height x length (mm) 275 x 1300 x 322, 3.4 kg Material: Spun steel. Injection...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Danish Modern Lighting

Materials

Metal

Pair of Globe Flush Mounts, Research.Lighting, Copper, 3in Glass, MTO
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This listing is for 2x Globe Flush Mounts in copper designed and manufactured by Research.Lighting. Materials: Brass, Steel & Glass Finish: Copper Electronics: 1x G9 Socket, 1x 4.5 ...
Category

2010s American Modern Lighting

Materials

Brass, Steel

Pair of Italian Adjustable Wall Light "Perla" Beige Modern Brass Cream
Located in Ternay, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
Wall light modern Italian swing. Fully modular. Cream color.
Category

2010s Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Brass, Iron

Christian Liaigre Acier Table Lamp
Located in Chicago, IL
Christian Liaigre Acier Table Lamp, Bronze-painted metal spine with exposed cord power source and original paper cone-shaped shade. This Bronze brass lamp blends in with all types o...
Category

Early 2000s French Modern Lighting

Materials

Metal

Christian Liaigre Acier Table Lamp
Christian Liaigre Acier Table Lamp
$2,080 Sale Price
20% Off
Modernist Four Tier Amethyst Handblown Murano Disc Chandelier
Located in New York, NY
This refined modernist chandelier was realized in Murano, Italy- the island off the coast of Venice renowned for centuries for its superlative glass production. It features a conical...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Chrome

"Drop" sconces in alabaster by Studio Glustin
Located in Saint-Ouen (PARIS), FR
Pair of sconces in patinated brass and enlightened alabaster. Creation by Studio Glustin. France, 2024.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary French Modern Lighting

Materials

Alabaster, Brass

Zeta Ceiling Light by Gaspare Asaro-Bronze Finish
Located in New York, NY
The Zeta ceiling light features a composition of variable sized Murano glass shades methodically balanced on a “V” shaped brass frame. The first images show the fixture in our bronzo...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Brass

Lauren LED Sconce, 170"H, Handmade Brass, Bronze or Nickel
Located in Torslanda, SE
by Matthew Holleman, 2024 Standard size, 30”/76cm Length and 170"/403cm Height Brass, Nickel, and Bronze options are available. This piece is handmade in our Swedish workshop and f...
Category

2010s Scandinavian Modern Lighting

Materials

Brass

Modern Green-Dyed Carved Wood Table Lamp
Located in Houston, TX
Modern green-dyed carved wood table lamp circa 1960-1979. Wired for use within the USA and includes shallow drum shade (listed measurements include shade). Note: Regional difference...
Category

1960s American Vintage Modern Lighting

Materials

Brass

Brass Swing Arm Sconce, Made in Italy
Located in Culver City, CA
All brass design, with articulating arm. Made in Italy *Please Note: This fixture is made to order in Italy, and comes newly wired (eu wiring). It is not UL Listed. Standard Lead ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Brass

Ceramic Suspensions by Olivia Cognet
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Unique suspensions designed and made by the french contemporary ceramist Olivia Cognet. Each suspension has a similar cylindrical shape, then decorated with several shapes and motif...
Category

2010s French Modern Lighting

Materials

Ceramic

Two Tier Chandelier by Research.Lighting, Large Glass, Black, Made to Order
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This listing is for 1x Two Tier Chandelier in black. The arms on this light rotate, so you can configure the light at install. The light can also be used as a linear fixture depend...
Category

2010s American Modern Lighting

Materials

Metal

Signal Linear Pendant, Souda, Short, Black & Copper, Made to Order
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Price is for a signal linear pendant with black shades and copper accents. This piece is customizable so we can also make the finishes per order to your spec. Lamping: G8 LED Bulbs...
Category

2010s American Modern Lighting

Materials

Metal, Aluminum, Steel

Mid-Century Modern Three-Tier Lucite and Mirror Mirrored Pendant Lamp Chandelier
Located in Wayne, NJ
Mid-Century Modern three-tier Lucite glass mirror pendant chandelier. The chain cord is 24" and you can hang at a shorter length, if needed.
Category

1970s North American Vintage Modern Lighting

Materials

Acrylic

Clear Blue Murano Glass Lantern
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Lantern made of a brass structure and central stem covered by Murano glass slabs overlapping each other. Each glass part is embossed with leaves motifs and the whole slab is made of ...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Brass

Pivot Double Wall Sconce with Articulating Arms Made in Brass
Located in Chicago, IL
The pivot LED series with its articulated arm and adjustable head this brass lamp, is not only multidimensional, but it is an ever changing line drawing that nestles into a room. Rem...
Category

2010s American Modern Lighting

Materials

Brass

Marco Acerbis Fontana Arte Polaris Floor Lamp, Designed 2007
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Designed by Marco Acerbis for Fontana Arte in 2007, the Polaris floor lamp has a unique design, made possible thanks to an innovative rotational molding process used in the aeronauti...
Category

Early 2000s Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Steel

Glustin Luminaires Creation Alabaster and Brass Hands Wall Sconces
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
New exclusive design by Glustin Luminaires, egg shaped alabaster sconce with a crack carved in the middle spread by a pair of brass hands. Satin brass plate on the back. Two lights ...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Alabaster, Brass

Fuoco Table Lamp by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia, Italy, 2000s.
Located in Lille, FR
Fuoco Lamp by Gaetano Pesce for Meritalia, 2007. Signed and Boxed
Category

Early 2000s Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Resin

Cuore Wall Light by Gaspare Asaro. Alabaster Version
Located in New York, NY
The Cuore collection was conceived with the goal of creating fixtures that are unexpected yet clean and harmoniously balanced. This is highlighted by the organically styled shades wi...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Alabaster, Brass

Stingray Chandelier Brass by 101 Copenhagen
Located in Geneve, CH
Stingray chandelier brass by 101 Copenhagen Designed by Kristian Sofus Hansen & Tommy Hyldahl. Dimensions: L 152 cm x W 121...
Category

2010s Danish Modern Lighting

Materials

Aluminum, Brass

6 Module Green and White Bullseye Chandelier with Hand-blown Glass and Brass
Located in Mumbai, Maharashtra
The Sugar Collection draws inspiration from our emotional connect with food. Almost everyone has some nostalgic memory of Indian desserts and our indigenous candy and the collection ...
Category

2010s Indian Modern Lighting

Materials

Brass

Murano Glass Drop Chandelier with Blackened Metal Frame, Made in Italy
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A stunning circular chandelier featuring dozens of hand-blown Murano glass drops suspended from a matte black metal frame. This large-scale contemporary piece blends Italian glass ar...
Category

Early 2000s Modern Lighting

Materials

Metal

Italian Table Lamp "Palio" by Perry King for Arteluce '80s
Located in Puglia, Puglia
"Palio" table lamp by Perry King and Santiago Miranda designed for Arteluce, Italy 1980s. The lamp has two opal glass diffusers, a floating copper metal lampshade and a solid metal b...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Modern Lighting

Materials

Metal, Aluminum

Flos Skygarden S2 Suspension Lamp in Matte Black by Marcel Wanders
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Flos Skygarden S2 suspension lamp in matt black by Marcel Wanders Material: Plaster, glass, stainless steel Lamp type: Halogen Lamp included: Yes ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Stainless Steel

SLAMP - Aria Applique - Gold - Designed by Zaha Hadid
Located in Pomezia, Rome
Zaha Hadid's luminous architecture is visionary, fluid and dynamic, infusing the revolutionary and iconic semantics of the celebrated architect into domestic and public interiors; th...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Other

Two Tones Murano Glass Wall Sconces
Located in Saint-Ouen, IDF
Wall sconces made of a brass backplate, covered with two Murano glass panels, one tinted in smoked amber and the other in silver colour, held in place by brass decorative screws. Th...
Category

2010s Italian Modern Lighting

Materials

Brass

Pair of Nickel Signal Floor Lamp from Souda, Made to Order
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A clear distillation of line weight, the signal floor lamp stands effortlessly in virtually any setting. From a cast iron base a polished stem rises to intersect its spun aluminum sh...
Category

2010s American Modern Lighting

Materials

Metal, Nickel, Steel

Bloom Floor Lamp Blown Glass by Shakuff
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A fully customizable floor lamp with metal and glass pendant accents on a rod providing light source sitting on a base of marble. Each light can be switched on individually or switched on all together. 8 inch Kadur Drizzle or Kadur Frost or Mod glass...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Lighting

Materials

Marble, Brass

Modern lighting for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Modern lighting for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage lighting created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include lighting, decorative objects, serveware, ceramics, silver and glass and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, glass and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Modern lighting made in a specific country, there are Europe, Italy, and North America pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original lighting, popular names associated with this style include Vistosi, Artemide, Flos, and DOOQ. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee.

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