On the left, a knock-off of the Arco original, shown on the right

I have been TOTALLY enamored with this lamp since I was a child. Of course, at the age of eight, I did not realize it to be an Achille Castiglioni Arco lamp, but I was drawn to its eight foot arch and graceful presence.

Now, having learned that Italian born and educated Castiglioni was an architect, forced to think on a smaller scale due to limited major architectural assignments available at the time, I am not surprised that I am drawn to his design. Architects that “do” furniture are tops. Frank Lloyd Wright, Marcel Breuer, Arne Jacobsen, and Charles Rennie Mackintosh all come to mind, but the list could go on forever. A deep connection exists between architecture and furnishings for buildings and homes, while gifted architects work to preserve the psychology of space within a structure.

The original Arco costs several thousand dollars, but one can find some knock-offs like the one above from around $150-400. And every once-in-a-blue-moon, I have spied this and other classic originals and knock-offs in off-the-beaten-path city thrift stores and furniture shops. (think Chicago, Atlanta, and Portland, for starters.) Happy classic-design spying and finding! (and if you’re lucky, buying…)