Lighting guide

Art deco and mid-century lamps: recognising and combining

26 September 2026

Messing hanglamp met glazen bollen boven een ronde eettafel

Brass, glass globes, strict symmetry. Lighting from the twenties to the sixties never really went away and fits remarkably well in modern interiors. Two styles keep coming back: art deco and mid-century. They look alike, but they are not the same.

Art deco: geometry and gloss

Art deco comes from the twenties and thirties. Its hallmarks are:

Geometric forms: steps, fans, straight lines and symmetry.
Glossy materials: polished brass, gold, chrome.
Opal or milk glass and cut glass.
A rich, formal look.

Art deco works best where it can take the space: in a hallway, above a dining table or as a wall light beside a mirror.

Mid-century: organic and light

Mid-century comes from the fifties and sixties. Its hallmarks are:

Organic, rounded shapes and globes.
Arms and rods fanning out in all directions, as in the well-known sputnik lamp.
Brushed brass combined with glass or wood.
A playful, airy look.

Mid-century suits a round dining table and a living room with plenty of wood.

The difference in one sentence

Art deco is symmetrical, formal and glossy; mid-century is organic, airy and playful.

Combining with a modern interior

A lamp in this style looks best when there is not too much around it. Keep the rest of the room calm and let the lamp be the accent. A few rules of thumb:

One piece per room. A brass pendant with glass globes above the table is enough; repeat the style at most in a small detail.
Warm base. Wood, linen, marble and warm wall colours make brass glow.
Consistent metal. Choose the same metal as the door handles and taps, or a deliberate contrast with matt black. See which material to choose.
Warm light. 2700 kelvin, so brass and glass light up warmly.

Glass: clear, smoked or opal

With globe lamps, the glass determines the light. Clear glass shows the light source, so choose a beautiful bulb. Smoked glass softens and gives a muted glow, as with our Stellar pendant lamp with five smoked glass globes. Opal glass spreads the light softly and evenly.

Does it go with other styles?

Art deco and mid-century combine well with modern and classic. With Japandi it is harder, because that style seeks calm and matt materials. See Japandi or modern: which style suits your interior.