Stemlite D-3 Mushroom Floor Lamp by Bill Curry For Design Line

The design movement of the Mid-Century is known for many “firsts” and lighting is no exception. It was then when tradition was questioned and new forms were experimented with. Historically, a piece of lighting was a lamp plus shade combination, the great designer Bill Curry challenged this notion.

Curry is often credited with inventing “total” lighting designs in which the two-part lamp became one singular sculpture. While the relationship of lighting and sculpture is commonplace today, it was revolutionary in Curry’s day. His own company titled “Design Line” offered a slew of playful lighting pieces known as the Stemlite Collection. Curry’s design employed an impossibly slender die cast, machined, and hand-sculpted base paired with a glass globe; the result is a wonderful marriage of furniture and sculpture.

This Curry design is known as the D-3, the tallest Mushroom in the Stemlite suite. It is finished in a rarely seen original white baked enamel finish and topped with a hand blown opal cased glass coated in a layer of clear crystal. This double-process finishing creates a brilliant luster and superior smudge resistance. Minor wear exists on this mushroom lamp which we feel adds to its character and speaks to how well it’s survived for nearly 60 years. Upon request, this patina can be touched up as desired.