In good light: Vintage Mid Century sconce lamps for your chic bath
A Deco Revival sconce in a detailed shot of a modernized bath. Design: Time & Place Interiors / Photo: Lauren Adler
"A bathroom can and should be an exciting room to go into,” said celebrated stylist David Hicks. As a space that gets extensive use, bathroom design shouldn’t be an afterthought. Designing a bathroom is an opportunity to extend a sense of style into all areas of your home.
The most effective way to do that? Through lighting fixtures, which are jewelry for interiors.
For those who enjoy striking shapes and streamlined forms, I recommend vintage Mid Century lighting from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. It’s high on stylization, which can both accentuate the modern bath, as well as balance a more traditional one.
Instead of browsing the aisles of a hardware store where you’ll find banal, generic looks, go for a more interesting vintage light that speaks to your personality. Vintage options are plentiful, so there’s almost no need to buy a replica. True vintage sconce lamps or vanity lights are the perfect way to add authentic character to your powder room, main bath, or even the kids’ bathroom. For more vintage bath ideas, see my post, Why you should think twice before gutting your Pre-War bath.
For inspiration, I’ve rounded up some stellar images of Mid Century Modern vintage bathroom sconces and vanity lights used in stylish spaces.
A vintage mint green bath gets a punch of 1960s modernism with a vanity light by Sigvard Bernadotte for Ifö. Design: Harding & Read / Photo: Seth Carnill
The 1970s Lightolier sconce adds a Deco Revival touch to a modernized Pre-War bath in NYC. Design: Time & Place Interiors / Photo: Lauren Adler
Vintage Mid Century Murano glass sconces are the ideal pairing to an Art Deco style powder room on NYC’s Upper East Side. Design: Bradley Stephens / Photo: Thomas Loof
Cool, calm, and collected is the theme in this marble clad bath, where a Tobias Scarpa sconce hangs above a custom mirror. This one’s probably a nice reproduction, but it’s so sleek. Design: Ashe Leandro / Photo: Shade Degges
Mid Century vintage glass sconces give a refreshing touch of streamlined style above a rustic antique English sideboard repurposed as a wash stand. Design: Retrouvius / Photo: Tom Fallon
Another Sigvard Bernadotte 1960s vanity light, this time in a renovated NYC bathroom. We lovingly call it the “platypus.” The green color was matched to the vintage jadeite towel bars on the opposite wall. Design: Time & Place Interiors
Moody character was brought to this renovated Brooklyn bath with the help of Mid Century German theater wall lights. Design: Frederick Tang Architecture / Photo: Gieves Anderson
A vintage Mid Century glass vanity light updates an earthy 1920s bath with its original Art Deco pedestal sink. Design: Mark Grattan / Photo: Maureen M. Evans
Vintage Murano glass sconces are perfect tributes to a love of bold design that flank a vintage mirror and custom vanity. Design: Meg Sharpe / Photo: Kyle Knodell
Want to see your bath in a new light?
Time & Place Interiors can decorate your bath with original vintage fixtures in combination with modern design. Let us elevate your space with chic looks that raise the level of sophistication. Use the link below to schedule a free 20-minute information call with founder Ksenya Malina to discuss your bath’s needs:
