Lighting Designs From the Past to the Present: a Brief History of Style

Country style © WorldWide/Shutterstock.com

Lighting Design: Country House Style and Other Traditions

Even today, many wall lights and garden lanterns recall the origins of night-time lighting. From the early days of lamp design comes the so-called country house style, which is characterised by floral motifs, cast-iron constructions and whitewashed glass. The name country house style is a reminder that wealthy aristocrats and townspeople from all over Europe used to relax in cosy country houses where they preferred comfortable lighting. In prestigious buildings such as castles, palaces and large town houses, the lighting was often designed to create an impressive sea of lights. Thus, the super-rich of the time tried to outdo each other with the opulence of their chandeliers adorned with crystal hangings, which are thus among the first designer pendant lights.

Bauhaus © Claudio Divizia/Shutterstock.com

Chandelier Design in the Early Modern Period

The 1920s saw the emergence of the Bauhaus movement in Germany, which sought to reflect the new zeitgeist of the mechanised world through completely new architecture and product design. Old styles such as baroque and classicism were radically questioned in order to emphasise the importance of technology. The motto of the Bauhaus movement is 'form follows function', which meant that functionality became the decisive element of design. Straight lines, expansive surfaces and ease of use came into focus, rather than striving for ultimate beauty with ornate embellishments etc.

Tiffany © milosljubicic/Shutterstock.com

Another significant movement of the early 20th century emerged in New York: Named after the company of its inventor, the world-famous Tiffany glass art is characterised by colourful glass panes joined together in more or less symmetrical patterns. Tiffany lamps offer a very atmospheric light glow and can become a highlight in the interior as a stylish accessory, for example as decorative designer table lamps. Tiffany lamps are also often seen in posh hotels.

Industrial style © fotogestoeber/Shutterstock.com

In the 1980s, people became even more experimental, which is expressed, for example, by the industrial style: rusted metal surfaces simply have their very own charm. As a counterpart to the technological smoothness of many products from this period, the first vintage lamps were also created, deliberately featuring traces of use and imperfections.

Scandinavian design © AlexRoz/Shutterstock.com

Scandinavian and Italian Lighting Design

Significant influence on lighting design in the second half of the 20th century was exerted above all by the Scandinavian countries of Sweden and Denmark as well as Italy. Scandinavian lighting design is characterised by functional simplicity with precisely balanced proportions and the extensive use of natural raw materials such as wood. Often, the wood is kept in light colours so that the home appears bright and friendly. It is typical that the lights are primarily functional, but also impress with their successful design language. Another aspect is that many Scandinavian lights contribute to the cosiness of one's own home, as Scandinavians spend a lot of time within their own four walls due to the cold climate and the longer nights.

Italian design © dandesign86/Shutterstock.com

Italian designer lamps captivate above all with their extraordinarily appealing design language. It is often the small but subtle differences in detail that make Italian design something special in this respect. The perfectly shaped lamps appear fresh and yet are well thought out down to the last millimetre. Another characteristic of many Italian designer lamps is their willingness to experiment with form, colour and material.