Ninety-one brand guides to design lighting — Italian houses, Bohemian crystal, Nordic makers and independent studios.
Lighting is one of the most design-driven furniture categories, and its brands range from crystal manufactories to one-person studios. These guides look at how each presents itself, with honest caveats where the record is thin.
Materials and craft
Many houses lead with a material: Catellani & Smith with gold leaf, LZF with wood veneer, Original BTC with bone china made in England, Brokis with hand-blown Bohemian glass, Lasvit and Preciosa with Bohemian crystal, Slamp with its own technopolymer, and Stickbulb with reclaimed wood.
Archives and reissues
Others work from an archive: Nemo edits a collection of design classics, J.T. Kalmar reissues its own modernist archive, Woka makes Viennese-modernist re-editions, DCW éditions publishes reissued and new designs, and Baltensweiler continues its adjustable Type 600 lineage.
How to use these guides
Each guide covers a brand’s visual identity — its signature light, material and voice — as design commentary, and notes where facts could not be fully confirmed. The table at the end gathers the essentials.
Lighting icons, part 1
Louis Poulsen, Artemide, Foscarini, Anglepoise, Ingo Maurer, Secto Design and Le Klint.
- Louis Poulsen — The 1874 origin, Poul Henningsen’s glare-free PH lamp, the PH Artichoke, the AJ and Panthella lamps, and honest caveats.
- Artemide — The 1960 Milan origin, ‘The Human Light’, the Eclisse, Tizio and Tolomeo lamps, the Memphis link, and honest caveats.
- Foscarini — The 1981 Murano origin, the ‘company without a factory’ editor model, the Caboche and Twiggy lamps, and honest caveats.
- Anglepoise — George Carwardine’s 1932 spring mechanism, the Original 1227, the Type 75 by Kenneth Grange, the Luxo/Pixar distinction, and honest caveats.
- Ingo Maurer — The ‘poet of light’, the 1966 Bulb lamp, Lucellino, Zettel’z, the Foscarini-linked ownership, and honest caveats.
- Secto Design — The 1995 founding by Tuula Jusélius, designer Seppo Koho, the Octo birch pendant, PEFC birch craft, and honest caveats.
- Le Klint — The ~1900 folded shade, the 1943 founding by Tage Klint, the name from ‘Le’ Klint, the Fruit Lantern, and honest caveats.
Lighting icons, part 2
Oluce, FontanaArte, Nemo, Marset, Santa & Cole, Vibia and Wästberg.
- Oluce — The 1945 Giuseppe Ostuni origin, Magistretti’s Atollo, Joe Colombo’s lamps, the Verderi family, and honest caveats.
- FontanaArte — The 1932 Gio Ponti & Luigi Fontana origin, the Ingrand and Aulenti eras, the Fontana lamp, and honest caveats.
- Nemo Lighting — The 1993 Cassina origin, the Le Corbusier re-editions, the Palazzari independence, the Driade link, and honest caveats.
- Marset — The 1940s foundry origin, ‘taking care of light’, Ginger, Follow Me, Dipping Light, and honest caveats.
- Santa & Cole — The 1985 Barcelona founding, the ‘editor’ model, Miguel Milá’s Cesta and TMM, Belloch, and honest caveats.
- Vibia — The 1987 Joan Blanqué founding, ‘Shaping Atmospheres’, Wireflow, Meridiano, the Llonch era, and honest caveats.
- Wästberg — The 2008 Magnus Wästberg founding, ‘well-being through good light’, the w101 and w102, and honest caveats.
Lighting icons, part 3
Astep, Lodes, Verpan, Nuura, Davide Groppi, Bocci and Lee Broom.
- Astep — Alessandro Sarfatti, the Arteluce/Luceplan dynasty, the Gino Sarfatti re-editions, Copenhagen base, and honest caveats.
- Lodes — The 1950 Tosetto glass origin, the Studio Italia Design era, the 2020 Lodes rebrand, Random and Volum, and honest caveats.
- Verpan — The Verner Panton re-editions under license, the VP Globe and Fun lamps, the Panton-archive split, and honest caveats.
- Nuura — The 2017 Copenhagen founding, ‘light and honor’, Sofie Refer’s Blossi and Miira, glass and brass, and honest caveats.
- Davide Groppi — The 1988 Piacenza origin, the poetic ‘Incontroluce’ ethos, the Sampei and Nulla lamps, and honest caveats.
- Bocci — The 2005 Vancouver founding, Omer Arbel’s ‘constrained chance’, the 14 and 28 series, the numbering system, and honest caveats.
- Lee Broom — The theatre-and-fashion roots, the 2007 studio, the Crystal Bulb, the theatrical launches, and honest caveats.
Lighting, part 1
Catellani & Smith, LZF, Original BTC, Apparatus, Lambert & Fils, DCW éditions and Brokis.
- Catellani & Smith — The Italian house’s poetic, gold-leaf, handcrafted lighting, with honest caveats.
- LZF Lamps — The Valencia house’s handmade wood-veneer lighting, with honest caveats.
- Original BTC — The British house’s bone-china, made-in-England lighting, with honest caveats.
- Apparatus — The New York studio’s cinematic, art-directed luxe lighting, with honest caveats.
- Lambert & Fils — The Montreal studio’s modernist, atelier-made lighting, with honest caveats.
- DCW éditions — The Paris publisher of reissued and new lighting designs, with honest caveats.
- Brokis — The Czech house’s hand-blown Bohemian-glass lighting, with honest caveats.
Lighting, part 2
Nemo, Bover, CTO Lighting, Roll & Hill, Lasvit, Occhio and Brand van Egmond.
- Nemo — The Milan house that edits an archive of design classics, with honest caveats.
- Bover — The Barcelona house’s hand-woven, Mediterranean lighting, with honest caveats.
- CTO Lighting — The London house’s brass-and-alabaster luxe lighting, with honest caveats.
- Roll & Hill — The American house that is a platform for many designers, with honest caveats.
- Lasvit — The Czech house’s Bohemian-crystal lighting and installations, with honest caveats.
- Occhio — The Munich house’s modular system of light, with honest caveats.
- Brand van Egmond — The Dutch atelier’s hand-forged lighting sculptures, with honest caveats.
Lighting, part 3
Slamp, Arturo Álvarez, Bert Frank, Lindsey Adelman, Konsthantverk, Northern and Innolux.
- Slamp — The Roman house’s sculptural, invented-technopolymer lighting, with honest caveats.
- Arturo Álvarez — The Galician house’s poetic, handcrafted lighting, with honest caveats.
- Bert Frank — The British house’s machined, Deco-industrial brass lighting, with honest caveats.
- Lindsey Adelman — The New York auteur’s branching-bubble glass-and-brass lighting, with honest caveats.
- Konsthantverk — The Swedish workshop’s hand-made brass lighting, with honest caveats.
- Northern — The Oslo brand’s curated Scandinavian lighting, with honest caveats.
- Innolux — The Finnish maker of reissued design classics and wellbeing light, with honest caveats.
Lighting, part 4
Luceplan, Estiluz, Allied Maker, Tobias Grau, Ambientec, J.T. Kalmar and Baltensweiler.
- Luceplan — The Milan house’s design-classic lighting, with honest ownership caveats.
- Estiluz — The Pyrenees house’s bent-metal lighting, with honest caveats.
- Allied Maker — The Long Island studio’s handmade material lighting, with honest caveats.
- Tobias Grau — The Rellingen house’s LED and gesture lighting, with honest caveats.
- Ambientec — The Japanese house’s portable rechargeable lighting, with honest caveats.
- J.T. Kalmar — The Vienna house reissuing its own modernist archive, with honest caveats.
- Baltensweiler — The Swiss house’s adjustable Type 600 lineage, with honest caveats.
Lighting, part 5
Umage, Volker Haug, RBW, ateljé Lyktan, Larose Guyon, David Trubridge and Frederik Roijé.
- Umage — The Copenhagen brand’s flat-pack design lighting, with honest make-where caveats.
- Volker Haug — The Melbourne studio’s sculptural brass lighting, with honest caveats.
- RBW — The Hudson Valley studio’s geometric LED lighting, with honest make-where caveats.
- ateljé Lyktan — The Swedish house’s mid-century Bumling lineage, with honest caveats.
- Larose Guyon — The Quebec studio’s artisanal-luxe lighting, with honest caveats.
- David Trubridge — The New Zealand studio’s sustainable kitset lighting, with honest caveats.
- Frederik Roijé — The Amsterdam studio’s poetic minimal lighting, with honest caveats.
Lighting, part 6
Karman, Parachilna, In Common With, Sammode, New Works, Preciosa and Hollands Licht.
- Karman — The Italian house’s theatrical decorative lighting, with honest caveats.
- Parachilna — The Barcelona house’s designer-collab lighting, with honest caveats.
- In Common With — The Brooklyn studio’s collectible craft lighting, with honest caveats.
- Sammode — The French house’s industrial-and-Studio lighting, with honest caveats.
- New Works — The Copenhagen house’s sculptural lighting, with honest caveats.
- Preciosa Lighting — The Czech house’s artistic crystal lighting, with honest caveats.
- Hollands Licht — The Dutch label’s light-and-shadow lighting, with honest caveats.
Lighting, part 7
Carpyen, Forestier, Zero, Vesoi, Frama, Time & Style and DelightFULL.
- Carpyen — The Barcelona house’s Mediterranean decorative lighting, with honest caveats.
- Forestier — The Paris house’s nature-inspired lighting, with honest caveats.
- Zero Lighting — The Swedish house’s designer-led lighting, with honest caveats.
- Vesoi — The Naples house’s minimal linear lighting, with honest caveats.
- Frama — The Copenhagen house’s raw-material lighting, with honest caveats.
- Time & Style — The Tokyo house’s Japanese-craft lighting, with honest caveats.
- DelightFULL — The Porto house’s jazz-and-mid-century lighting, with honest caveats.
Lighting, part 8
Il Fanale, Serien.lighting, Stickbulb, Himmee, Tala, Dark and Woka.
- Il Fanale — The Veneto house’s handcrafted metal-and-glass lighting, with honest caveats.
- Serien.lighting — The German house’s precise kinetic lighting, with honest caveats.
- Stickbulb — The New York studio’s reclaimed-wood lighting, with honest caveats.
- Himmee — The Helsinki studio’s soft, durable Nordic lighting, with honest caveats.
- Tala — The London studio’s design-led sustainable LED lighting, with honest caveats.
- Dark — The Belgian house’s expressive decorative lighting, with honest caveats.
- Woka — The Vienna house’s Viennese-modernist re-editions, with honest caveats.
Lighting, part 9
Curiousa, d’Armes, Cedar & Moss, CVL Luminaires, Articolo, Pholc and Viabizzuno.
- Curiousa — The Derbyshire glass studio’s colourful hand-blown lighting, with honest caveats.
- d’Armes — The Quebec studio’s sculptural, locally-made lighting, with honest caveats.
- Cedar & Moss — The Portland studio’s mid-century lighting, with honest caveats.
- CVL Luminaires — The French family house’s solid-brass lighting, with honest caveats.
- Articolo — The Melbourne studio’s mouth-blown glass lighting, with honest caveats.
- Pholc — The Swedish studio’s design-led lighting, with honest caveats.
- Viabizzuno — The Italian architectural-lighting house, with honest ownership caveats.
Lighting, part 10
Quasar Holland, Midgard, Buster + Punch, Gantri, Martinelli Luce, A-N-D and Örsjö Belysning.
- Quasar Holland — The Dutch house’s in-house cast-metal lighting, with honest caveats.
- Midgard — The German house’s articulated task lamp, with honest caveats.
- Buster + Punch — The London house’s industrial detailing, with honest caveats.
- Gantri — The California house’s 3D-printed lighting, with honest caveats.
- Martinelli Luce — The Lucca house’s modernist lighting, with honest caveats.
- A-N-D — The Vancouver house’s modular sculptural lighting, with honest caveats.
- Örsjö Belysning — The Swedish house’s in-house craft, with honest caveats.
At a glance: founding, base and signature
Taken from each guide’s fact panel. Follow the link for detail and caveats.
| Brand | Founded | Based | Signature |
|---|---|---|---|
| A-N-D | c. 2013 (Canada) | Vancouver, CA | Modular sculptural LED |
| Allied Maker | 2012 (USA) | Long Island, US | Handmade light |
| Ambientec | 2009 (Japan) | Kanagawa, JP | Portable light |
| Anglepoise | See guide | See guide | Original 1227 |
| Apparatus | 2012 (New York) | New York, US | Cinematic light |
| Artemide | 1960 (Milan) | See guide | Tolomeo |
| Articolo | 2015 (Australia) | Melbourne, AU | Mouth-blown glass lighting |
| Arturo Álvarez | 1994 (Galicia) | Galicia, ES | Handcrafted light |
| Astep | See guide | Copenhagen | See guide |
| ateljé Lyktan | 1934 (Sweden) | Åhus, SE | Boulder light |
| Baltensweiler | 1951 (Switzerland) | Luzern, CH | Adjustable light |
| Bert Frank | 2013 (UK) | Birmingham, UK | Brass light |
| Bocci | 2005 (Vancouver) | See guide | 14 series |
| Bover | 1996 (Barcelona) | Barcelona, ES | Woven light |
| Brand van Egmond | 1989 (Naarden) | Naarden, NL | Light sculpture |
| Brokis | 2006 (Czechia) | Janštejn, CZ | Blown-glass light |
| Buster + Punch | 2013 (United Kingdom) | London, UK | Detailing the overlooked |
| Carpyen | c. 1948 (Spain) | Barcelona, ES | Mediterranean design lighting |
| Catellani & Smith | 1989 (Bergamo) | Bergamo, IT | Handcrafted light |
| Cedar & Moss | 2013 (USA) | Portland, OR, US | Mid-century lighting |
| CTO Lighting | 1998 (London) | London, UK | Material light |
| Curiousa | c. 2010 (United Kingdom) | Derbyshire, UK | Colourful hand-blown glass |
| CVL Luminaires | 1960 (France) | near Angers, FR | Solid-brass lighting |
| Dark | late 1990s (Belgium) | Maldegem, BE | Expressive decorative lighting |
| David Trubridge | See guide | Hawke’s Bay, NZ | Kitset light |
| Davide Groppi | 1988 (Piacenza) | See guide | Sampei |
| DCW éditions | 2008 (Paris) | Paris, FR | Edited light |
| DelightFULL | c. 2008 (Portugal) | Porto, PT | Jazz and mid-century lighting |
| d’Armes | 2016 (Canada) | Quebec, CA | Sculptural architectural light |
| Estiluz | 1969 (Spain) | Pyrenees, ES | Metalwork lamp |
| FontanaArte | 1932 (Milan) | See guide | Glass |
| Forestier | 1992 (France) | Paris, FR | Nature-inspired lighting |
| Foscarini | 1981 (Murano, Venice) | See guide | Caboche · Twiggy |
| Frama | 2011 (Denmark) | Copenhagen, DK | Raw-material lighting |
| Frederik Roijé | 2002 (Netherlands) | Amsterdam, NL | Poetic light |
| Gantri | mid-2010s (USA) | San Leandro, CA | 3D-printed to order |
| Himmee | 2014 (Finland) | Helsinki, FI | Soft, durable Nordic lighting |
| Hollands Licht | 2005 (Netherlands) | Amsterdam, NL | Light-and-shadow lighting |
| Il Fanale | 1979 (Italy) | Treviso, Veneto, IT | Handcrafted metal-and-glass lighting |
| In Common With | 2018 (USA) | Brooklyn, US | Collectible craft lighting |
| Ingo Maurer | 1966 (Munich) | See guide | Bulb |
| Innolux | 1993 (Finland) | Kerava, FI | Reissued light |
| J.T. Kalmar | 1881 (Austria) | Vienna, AT | Archive light |
| Karman | 2005 (Italy) | Fossombrone, IT | Theatrical decorative lighting |
| Konsthantverk | 1921 (Sweden) | Tyringe, SE | Brass-craft light |
| Lambert & Fils | 2010 (Montreal) | Montreal, CA | Modernist light |
| Larose Guyon | 2015 (Canada) | Verchères, CA | Sculptural chandelier |
| Lasvit | 2007 (Bohemia) | Nový Bor, CZ | Crystal light |
| Le Klint | 1943 (Odense) | See guide | Fruit Lantern |
| Lee Broom | 2007 (London) | See guide | Crystal Bulb |
| Lindsey Adelman | 2006 (New York) | New York, US | Branching light |
| Lodes | 1950 (near Venice) | See guide | Random |
| Louis Poulsen | 1874 (Copenhagen) | See guide | PH lamp |
| Luceplan | 1978 (Italy) | Milan, IT | Design classic |
| LZF Lamps | c. 1994 (Valencia) | Valencia, ES | Wooden light |
| Marset | 1940s foundry (Barcelona) | See guide | Ginger |
| Martinelli Luce | 1950s (Italy) | Lucca, IT | Space-age modernism |
| Midgard | 1919 (Germany) | Hamburg, DE | Articulated task lamp |
| Nemo | 1993 (Milan) | Milan, IT | The archive |
| Nemo Lighting | 1993 (Milan) | See guide | See guide |
| New Works | 2015 (Denmark) | Copenhagen, DK | Sculptural marble lighting |
| Northern | 2005 (Oslo) | Oslo, NO | Curated light |
| Nuura | 2017 (Copenhagen) | See guide | Blossi |
| Occhio | 1999 (Munich) | Munich, DE | Light system |
| Oluce | 1945 (Milan) | See guide | Atollo (1977) |
| Original BTC | 1990 (England) | Oxfordshire, UK | Bone-china light |
| Parachilna | 2013 (Spain) | Barcelona, ES | Designer-collab lighting |
| Pholc | 2015 (Sweden) | Sweden | Design-led Scandinavian lighting |
| Preciosa Lighting | See guide | Kamenický Šenov, CZ | Artistic crystal lighting |
| Quasar Holland | 1992 (Netherlands) | Giessen, NL | In-house statement lighting |
| RBW | 2007 (USA) | Kingston, US | Geometric light |
| Roll & Hill | 2010 (New York) | New York, US | The platform |
| Sammode | 1927 (France) | Vosges, FR | Industrial tube + Studio reissues |
| Santa & Cole | 1985 (Barcelona) | See guide | Cesta · TMM |
| Secto Design | 1995 (Finland) | See guide | Octo 4240 |
| Serien.lighting | 1984 (Germany) | Rodgau, DE | Precise kinetic lighting |
| Slamp | 1994 (Rome) | Pomezia, IT | Technopolymer light |
| Stickbulb | 2012 (USA) | Queens, New York, US | Reclaimed-wood modular lighting |
| Tala | 2015 (United Kingdom) | London, GB | Design-led sustainable LED |
| Time & Style | 1992 (Japan) | Tokyo, JP | Japanese-craft lighting |
| Tobias Grau | c. 1987 (Germany) | Rellingen, DE | Gesture light |
| Umage | 2008 (Denmark) | Copenhagen, DK | Tool-free light |
| Verpan | c. 2003 | See guide | VP Globe |
| Vesoi | 1981 (Italy) | Naples area, IT | Minimal linear lighting |
| Viabizzuno | 1994 (Italy) | Bologna, IT | Architectural light |
| Vibia | 1987 (Barcelona) | See guide | Wireflow |
| Volker Haug | 2005 (Australia) | Melbourne, AU | Sculptural light |
| Woka | late 1970s (Austria) | Vienna, AT | Viennese-modernist re-editions |
| Wästberg | 2008 (Sweden) | See guide | See guide |
| Zero Lighting | 1978 (Sweden) | Nybro, SE | Designer-led lighting |
| Örsjö Belysning | 1948 (Sweden) | Örsjö, SE | In-house Swedish craft |
Frequently asked questions
What is Original BTC known for?
Bone-china lighting made in England, according to our guide.
Which lighting brands reissue design classics?
Our guides cover several, including Nemo, J.T. Kalmar, Woka and DCW éditions.
Part of our Home & Kitchen brand guidelines. See also all collections.