An excellent example of the “Alberello” floor lamp produced by Stilnovo, Milan, Italy. This lamp was produced in the 1960s and does not show its age at all both in terms of looks and condition. Often these lamps are seen with coloured diffusers but this is as it should be: opalescent white diffusers with coloured bulbs inside. The switch is positioned on the marble base at the foot of the lamp and presents the user with multiple settings. With every turn of the switch a different combination or permutation of bulbs turns on, from all six to just a couple, giving the user a huge range of lighting possibilities especially when considered that the coloured bulbs are interchangeable. Needless to say, the lamp can also be configured to just hold white bulbs too if the user prefers a “more sombre“ interior. “Alberello“ literallu translates as “little tree“ and is one of Stilnovo’s most iconic designs. It is a classic realised entirely of metal with brass details and a white marble base, all of which ties in so well with any interior design space, whether modern or midcentury. A cheerful and inexpensive way of embellishing one’s home with a design classic.

Italian lighting manufacturer Stilnovo was founded by designer Bruno Gatta in 1946 in Lainate, an industrial suburb of Milan. In response to the aftermath World War II—at a time when Italy was focused on rebuilding under conditions of scarcity—Gatta dedicated Stilnovo to the production of innovative lighting elements that embody rationalist, form-follows-function principles. In the postwar era, designer Gaetano Sciolari took on the role of in-house designer. As economic recovery swept through Italy, Stilnovo became known as a prestigious and cutting-edge brand for both public and private spaces.

In the mid-1960s, Bruno’s son, Dino Gatta, had the idea to invite some of the best designers of the day to develop new products, and Stilnovo became a hotbed of progressive design ideas and a laboratory for material experimentation. Standouts from this futuristic era include the Periscopio Floor Lamp (1967) by Danilo & Corrado Aroldi, the Treiedo Spotlight (1970) and the Topo Adjustable Wall Lamp (1970) by Joe Colombo, the Lucetta Table Lamp (1970) by Cini Boeri, the Fante Desk Lamp (1978) by De Pas, D’Urbino, Lomazzi, and the Valigia Desk Lamp (1977) by Ettore Sottsass. Many Stillnovo pieces were exhibited in MoMA’s landmark Italy: The New Domestic Landscape exhibition in 1972.

Massimo Anselmi, an art director from the worlds of fashion design and contemporary art, acquired Stilnovo in 2012 and launched re-editions of iconic Stilnovo designs at Salone the following year.

Condition: excellent vintage condition, please refer to photographs

Dimensions: 170cm high, 37cm diameter (or spread at widest point)