Now retro-futuristic, Stilnovo’s visionary designs shine on

A circa-1950 Stilnovo Sputnik chandelier achieved €21,000 (about $22,267) plus the buyer’s premium in October 2021. Image courtesy of Piasa and LiveAuctioneers.
A circa-1950 Stilnovo Sputnik chandelier achieved €21,000 (about $22,267) plus the buyer’s premium in October 2021. Image courtesy of Piasa and LiveAuctioneers.
A circa-1950 Stilnovo Sputnik chandelier achieved €21,000 (about $22,267) plus the buyer’s premium in October 2021. Image courtesy of Piasa and LiveAuctioneers.

NEW YORK — When articles are written about Mid-century Modern designs, much of the attention is devoted to furniture from the likes of Eames, Saarinen, Knoll, Wegner and McCobb. But a study of the era would be remiss if it did not look at lighting — a key element for bringing together a room. One of the most renowned and experimental lighting design companies in this era, aka the Atomic Age, was the Italian firm Stilnovo. The company’s name translates into English as “still new,” and unsurprisingly, its streamlined designs suit today’s home decor as well as in did in the 1950s.

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Home lighting trends: designers get creative, clever, cozy

An Ettore Sottsass UFO lamp, designed for Arredoluce, realized $3,250 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2020. Image courtesy of Toomey & Co. Auctioneers and LiveAuctioneers
An Ettore Sottsass UFO lamp, designed for Arredoluce, realized $3,250 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2020. Image courtesy of Toomey & Co. Auctioneers and LiveAuctioneers
An Ettore Sottsass UFO lamp, designed for Arredoluce, realized $3,250 plus the buyer’s premium in September 2020. Image courtesy of Toomey & Co. Auctioneers and LiveAuctioneers

NEW YORK – Designers and lighting companies have been busy coming up with new ways to hold a lightbulb and project light, and winter is a great time to explore their latest solutions. Some are inspired by the skies overhead. Others by style eras, from Deco to disco. Still others are working with interesting materials around which to build a lamp.

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