The great living-room restyle is almost complete, but we’re still missing a light to stand next to the new(ish) sofa and we’ve been looking at retro style floor lamps rather than anything too contemporary.
We’re totally spoiled for choice. What about a retro floor lamps that was originally designed back in the first half of the 20th century and are still produced today? Or a floor light inspired by retro styles as diverse as the golden era of Hollywood film-making, mid-century modern and clean-lined Eighties modernism.
Anyway, we’re still looking for the perfect size floor light. (It has fit into a small space between the arm of the sofa and the wall). But here are our Top 10 favourite retro floor lamps so far.
Top 10: retro floor lamps
Top picture and left: The Grasshopper floor lamp was designed by Swedish designer Greta Grossman, first produced in 1947 and reissued in 2011 by Danish brand Gubi.
Does it look familiar to you? The iconic Grasshopper (or Gräshoppa) floor lamp is instantly recognisable with its backward tilted tubular steel tripod stand and elongated aluminium conical shade.
You can find the Grasshopper floor light in all its beautiful colour choices at the online contemporary design store Made in Design.
Harking back to the golden age of Hollywood, this next retro-inspired floor lamp is a fabulous mix of vintage and industrial style. The Chicago Floor Lamp in Antique Copper and Gold finish from MADE was, they say, “inspired by film sets from days gone by”.
Our next retro floor light is a true British design classic – the Anglepoise Type75 Mini Floor Lamp. In the 1930’s English automotive engineer George Carwardine developed a theoretical concept for balancing weights using springs, cranks and levers. He then used this mechanism to produce an articulated task lamp that combined ultimate flexibility with perfect balance.
With a heavy base and stainless steel fittings, the Type 75 Mini Floor Lamp is petite enough to fit into small spaces (hurrah!) and its adjustability makes it perfect for reading and other tasks.
Next stop the 1950’s for this mid-century inspired retro floor lamp. The Nyx Black 3 Head Floor Lamp, above, from Habitat pays homage to the modernist Italian lights of that decade.
Three pivoting, adjustable arms allow you to direct light wherever you need it and each light can be controlled independently. This is another fabulous retro style floor lamp that will fit perfectly into a mid-century style interior but is also versatile enough to work in any contemporary home.
On to the 1960’s for what must be one of the most iconic lighting designs of all time. Indeed, it’s part of the permanent collection at New York’s Museum of Modern Art.
The Arco Floor Lamp from Flos was designed by Achille Castiglioni and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni in 1962, and inspired by street lights.
The large stainless steel arc supports a height-adjustable, polished aluminium shade, whilst the white Carrara marble base gives the piece perfect balance and poise. Available from John Lewis, part of their Design Icons range.
This next iconic lighting design classic hails from Scandinavia. The AJ Floor Lamp, above and below, was designed in 1960 by Louis Poulsen for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen.
Now available in this delicious range of colours, its simple, clean lines means work equally well alongside traditional, retro or modern furniture. Plus the AJ lamp’s small, neat footprint makes it a perfect floor lamp for small spaces and it’s available as a desk lamp too.
More 1960’s space age design with the sputnik-shaped globes of the Austin floor lamp. Available in a chrome or copper finish, it has a tiny, neat footprint that makes it ideal for small spaces.
It’s versatile too, as the three adjustable lamps can be angled independently to give task lighting and ambient lighting at the same time. And, conveniently, the stems on the shades allow you to adjust them even when the light is on.
Our tribute to the 1970’s comes in the perfect form of the Panthella Floor Lamp designed in 1971 by Verner Panton. Probably his most famous design, the main principle behind the Panthella is that both the base and the shade act as a reflector.
The lamp’s light source is hidden under the white, hemispheric acrylic shade whilst the trumpet-like base contributes to a beautiful distribution of light and a well balanced form. Several versions were produced during its early days, but this all-white edition is the only one in production today.
Next, a retro floor lamp that brings back memories of lights we had at home when I was growing up. The Klassik Floor Lamp by Danish lighting brand Frandsen takes inspiration from “mid-century Scandinavian design and angular Eighties Modernism”.
The two lights can be moved up and down the stem, and also angled independently to direct light up or down. Available in matte black and shiny copper, its slim profile makes it ideal for small rooms and restricted spaces.
So, there’s certainly an abundance of retro floor lamps to add ambience, style and functionality to any room. Now we just have to find one that fits our living room.
Images: makers/designers, retailers and brands as credited above
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