Floor Lamps of the 50s Era

Torchiere Floor Lamps

• Torchiere floor lamps generally have a firm, sturdy base with a thin neck, rising to a shade that opens toward the ceiling, allowing light to bounce off of the ceiling and provide a soft, glowing effect. In the 1950s, torchiere floor lamps were popular. The soft, ambient lighting provided by the clean lines of the torchiere were part of the new interior design ideas gaining popularity in the 1950s. Many of the torchiere shades were glass in varying soft colors.

Floor Lamps with Simple Lines

• By the time the 1950s arrived, people had the option to decorate, rather than simply have utilitarian items, and the lamps of the decade represented a sense of fun with clean lines and globes, hourglasses and rings. Lamps with a single pole and a single light source, either pointing up or pointing down, were popular during the 1950s.

Gooseneck Floor Lamps

• Another popular type of 1950s floor lamps are gooseneck lamps that bent whichever way you needed or wanted the light to go. There could be one or more gooseneck lights on one simple stand that rose gracefully from the floor. Gooseneck lamps were popular in Europe, especially Italian-made gooseneck lamps.

Drum Shade Lamps

• Simple drum-shaped shades rising from graceful poles were also popular in the 1950s. Shades, sometimes pleated and wider at the bottom than the top were a part of 1950s mid-century decorating. This sort of simple vintage look can give any room a fresh retro style. These lampshades were often made from fiberglass, as were table lamp shades.