10 Midcentury-Modern Floor Lamps We Love
Illuminate your home with a classic or two.
Great design transcends trends. Case in point: These exquisite floor lamps made their debut in the midcentury era, and they’ve been staples ever since. Scroll on to see the investment pieces that will still look good after another 70 years have passed.
Gubi Grasshopper Floor Lamp
Upon moving to California in 1940, Swedish architect Greta Magnusson Grossman began combining her European training with a West Coast aesthetic, adding a sense of play. Her Grasshopper Floor Lamp (1948) resembles its namesake in form, with a lithe tubular steel frame and elongated conical shade. Ball-jointed, the shade can be moved in any direction to focus the light and minimize glare.
ShopDCW Editions Mantis BS1 B Floor Lamp
Born in Mainz, Germany, in 1924, Bernard Schottlander fled to England as a Jewish refugee in 1939. He worked as a welder for a short stint during the war before delving into sculpture at Leeds College of Art and the Anglo-French art center in St. John’s Wood. A year later, he went on to open his own design studio and began creating new pieces in limited editions. An admirer of Alexander Calder, the American sculptor perhaps best known as originator of the mobile, Schottlander created his Mantis Collection (1951) as an homage. Movement being intrinsic to his work, he devised clever adjustable frames constructed of strong yet flexible steel rods combined with counterweights. He then fabricated shades from aluminum using repoussé and chasing techniques, relying on his trained sculptor’s eye to produce beautifully flowing shapes that set the symmetrical and asymmetrical in opposition. His lamps – much like his idol’s mobiles – appear to defy gravity with their floating forms. Bulb (not included): LED, CFL or incandescent; E12 base; 40W max. This is the authentic Mantis Collection. Made in China.
ShopLouis Poulsen AJ Floor Lamp
Designed for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen, Denmark, the AJ Floor Lamp from Louis Poulsen modern classic features an asymmetrical shape and tiltable head. The sleek, understated design ensures this floor lamp can complement many different established motifs. This modern light emits downward directed light. The angle of the shade can be adjusted to optimize light distribution, and the shade is painted white on the inside to ensure a soft, comfortable light.
ShopGubi PD2 Floor Lamp
The PD2 Floor Lamp is designed in 1955 by Barba Corsini to be part of the interior decoration in the attics of one of the world's most prominent buildings, La Pedrera in Barcelona. For the base of the lamp, inspiration came from the vaulted ceilings of La Pedrera, whilst the inspiration for the cylindrical shape and unique, perforated detail of the chimneys influenced the form of the lampshade. The PD2 Floor Lamp has a powerful simple character, which also is an apt description of Corsini's personal design style and fits well into any contemporary home.
ShopSerge Mouille Floor Lamp
Serge Mouille’s Floor Lamp (1952) has a kinetic, sculptural aesthetic that evokes a sense of movement in space. All the Mouille hallmarks are here: the sensual form of the reflector, the masterful metalwor, the refined lines of the steel tubing, and the washer and six-sided screw hardware. Bulbs (not included): E26 base, 60W max. Made in France.
ShopHerman Miller Nelson Cigar Lotus Floor Lamp
While outfitting his office, architect and Herman Miller design director George Nelson discovered a silk-covered Swedish hanging lamp that he coveted but found too expensive. He then recalled seeing a photo in the paper of Liberty ships being mothballed “by having the decks covered with netting and then being sprayed with a self-webbing plastic,” which got him thinking. “And then, Whammo!” Inspiration struck, and by the next night, Nelson had designed his first Bubble Lamp (1952) by spinning a skeleton of steel wires on a turntable and shooting it with translucent plastic until it was covered in a smooth, washable film. “When you put a light in it, it glowed,” he said. This is the authentic Bubble Lamp, produced in partnership with the George Nelson Foundation. Bulb (not included): LED, CFL or incandescent; E26 base; 60W max for small, 150W max for others. UL Listed. Made in U.S.A.
ShopFLOS Arco Floor Lamp
Inspired by a streetlight, brothers Achille and Pier Castiglioni created the Arco Floor Lamp (1962), which provides overhead lighting without requiring ceiling suspension. It features a polished shade on a swiveling arm for precise lighting control. Arco became an icon when it appeared with Sean Connery in Diamonds Are Forever. It resides in the permanent collection of MoMA. This is the authentic Arco Lamp produced by Flos. Bulb (included): incandescent 100W/A21SB/E26. Made in Italy.
ShopGubi Cobra Floor Lamp
The Cobra Collection (1950) is one of the most iconic by Greta Grossman, taking its name from the shape of its oval shade, which is reminiscent of a cobra's flared hood. Thanks to its groundbreaking design, Cobra won the Good Design Award shortly following its inception and now resides in the permanent collection of MoMA. This is an authentic Grossman lamp. Bulb (not included): E12 base, 45W max. Made in China.
ShopGubi G-10 Floor Lamp
Created by Greta M. Grossman, the G-10 Floor Lamp (1950s) is marked by an industrial look, with a roughly surfaced lampshade and clean lines. But at the same time, it has a soft and elegant silhouette reminiscent of a woman’s hat. This lamp was the tenth item Grossman conceived for Swedish manufacturer Bergboms, hence the name. Choose from two sizes. Bulb (not included): E26 base, 45W max. Made in China.
ShopFLOS Toio Floor Lamp
A 300-watt car headlamp was the inspiration behind Toio (1962), designed by Achille Castiglioni and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni. The Toio was part of the brothers’ ready-made objects series and included the use of parts of a fishing pole in addition to a headlamp imported from the United States. Placed along the lamp’s nickel-plated brass hexagonal stem are fishing rod rings, used to guide the electrical cord from bulb to transformer. This transformer acts as ballast by being located at the base of the height-adjustable stem (the bulb is not tilt adjustable). A cleat on the base is provided to keep the cord neatly coiled when the lamp is adjusted to a lower height. Toio is part of the permanent collection at MoMA in New York. Bulb (included): incandescent 300W/120V/Par56/MFL. Made in Italy.
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