Before we delve into the world of retro lamps it will first be worthwhile answering the question that reaches the lips of many people immediately they are confronted with the word “retro”. What exactly is retro?

The Retro style refers to any furniture that was made in the 1950s, 60s or 70s. It was during this time that the modern era was beginning to take off and there were many innovations and fashion styles that were being tried out using brand new materials such as fiberglass and lucite. Retro pieces these days reflect that rather experimental time with the distinctive plastics and glass pieces.

Melamine was a particularly popular product during this time, billed as practically unbreakable it replaced most ceramic products. If you find a melamine cup, saucer, plate or lamp then you’ve found yourself a piece of retro fashion.

The kinds of retro lamps and lights that were distinctive of the era included Atomic table lamps, pendant lampshades, Tiffany lamps and the very popular ball lampshades. The lighting furnishings in the 1960s and 70s were influenced by the move into outer space and some of the lamps and lampshades are obviously influenced by developments that took place as part of the space race.

We will look at some of the more distinctive retro lamps and lights soon.

One of the pieces that cannot be overlooked as typically retro as well as culturally significant for the time is the lava lamp. The lava lamp was first introduced to the British market in the early 1960s where it was largely ignored until the psychedelic era hit. From this time it was essential to own one if you were going to be taken seriously as a part of the hippie movement. These days the lava lamp is making yet another return to popularity.

Retro lamps followed the rest of the retro fashion movement in that the straight lines of the earlier art deco era were replaced with more sleek and curving lines. Retro is bold and takes chances without regard to how it looks, it’s a fun style and that’s probably why you often hear the word funky used to describe it. Whether decorating your living room, bedroom or lounge room in the retro style, there are some specific lamps to complement the layout.

View the page displaying retro table lamps and the page displaying retro floor lamps.