WAS THE NEWSLETTER #107

ITALIAN MODERNISM

December 19, 2025

#107

I’m Paige Wassel. WAS the Newsletter is your weekly dose of design inspiration, where we love a trip to Italy.

CHE BELLA: ITALIAN MODERNISM

Everyone seemed into our deep dive into Ralph Lauren interiors last week, so we’re doing another one this week. Pack your bags and grab your passport, because we’re headed to Italy to discuss Italian Modernism. Andiamo!

WAIT, WHAT IS ITALIAN MODERNISM?

Italian Modernism is a style that you totally know… but you didn’t know you knew. While it sounds super academic, basically, Italian Modernism is that one cool lamp you keep screenshotting when you’re scrolling at 2:00 AM.

It might be easier to explain if I tell you what it’s not. Italian Modernism isn’t minimal, at least not when compared to Scandinavian design. But it’s also not ornate in that “palazzo cosplay” kinda way. Italian Modernism resides at the crossroads between restraint and drama. What I love is the design is based in serious craftsmanship, but there’s, like, a swagger to it. (Actually, I’ve just described all of Italy, and not just its Modernism.)

What you’ve got to understand is that Italian Modernism is about form overlapping with feeling. This is the kind of design that understands proportion, materials, and light, but it also factors in mood. Especially mood. This most clearly illuminated (pun alert) in the way they approach lighting. Italian designers don’t look at lighting as utility, so much as they see it as jewelry, but for a room. This shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s ever been to Italy and seen their take on outdoor drinking fountains or doorknockers.

A BRIEF (BUT IMPORTANT) HISTORY

Italy entered the modern design chat early and loudly. At the beginning of the 20th century, designers like Ernesto Basile and Vittorio Ducrot got the party started by reconciling classical Italian elegance with new industrial realities.

In a nutshell, the central question Italian Modernism answers is: “How do we honor the past without being confined by it?”

Post-war Italy is where things really get rolling. Designer Gio Ponti became a central figure. He insisted that modern design didn’t have to equate to cold design (ahem, Brutalism). He believed that elegance didn’t have to be a throwback to an earlier time, all swirly and gilded and rococo. What I love is that he always tried to incorporate delight into his creations. Who doesn’t want delight?

From there, the roster reads like a design hall of fame. I’m talking about the Castiglioni brothers, Vico Magistretti, Franco Albini, and Carlo Scarpa. Are their individual styles the same? No, but the central throughline for all of them is that none of them were interested in chasing trends. They wanted to create objects that would last. They wanted to create design that wasn’t just visually striking, but also emotionally.

And as designers after my own heart, they were all about interesting lighting, incorporating it as a primary design flex.

WHAT DEFINES THE STYLE (WITH A FOCUS ON LIGHT)

When you think of Italian Modernism, you should think about clarity of form, honesty of materials, and the notion that any piece should be beautiful and useful. Lighting is where the philosophy really shines through. A great example of this is the Arco lamp. Is it technically a floor lamp? Check. But is it also a GD feat of engineering that makes you feel some kind of way every time you look at it? Double check.

When it comes to Italian Modernism in lighting, materials are king. I’m talking brass, marble, opaline glass, enameled metal, etc. They use the good shit. Even the streamlined designs are grounded in substance. It’s like you can almost feel them before you turn them on.

And let’s talk about the light these lamps produce. It’s all about being warm and directional, which translates to being atmospheric. Italian Modernist lighting shapes a space. Think “pools of glow.” (Even the term “pools of glow” is evocative.) The overlap here with our post on Ralph Lauren is that again, this is design that doesn’t assume people live in showrooms. It’s truly design for how people live.

WHY WE LOVE IT

I feel like we love Italian Modernist design, especially in lighting, because we’re freaking exhausted by bright, cold white everything. We’re just so over the exposed bulbs masquerading as “industrial.” We’re also sick of lighting that’s devoid of a point of view, and we love that Italian Modernism offers us that POV.

Of course, you guys know how I feel about mood, so I stan how Italian Modernism is immersive and personal. This design considers that people are emotional creatures, and their space should reflect that reality.

As a former prop stylist, I’ve got to say that Italian Modernism photographs beautifully. Big fan. But as a designer, I appreciate that the style is just so livable. Italian Modernism understands how we live, so its design keeps our dinner party lighting from looking like we’re dining in a dentist’s office.

HOW TO INCORPORATE IT INTO YOUR HOME

Start with lighting. (Always start with lighting.) If you change nothing else, change your lamps. I want you to look for pieces that feel sculptural even when they’re turned off. Look for arc lamps, articulated arms, weighted bases, or glass globes with presence. Gravitas, yes. Disposable or purely decorative, no.

Think in layers. Italian Modernist interiors rarely rely on one overhead light. (I mean, no one likes “the big light.”) Go for floor lamps, table lamps, and wall lights. Consider creating zones, where you let parts of the room recede while another part glows.

Choose materials with integrity. Does this mean everything has to be vintage or expensive? Nope. But again, like with Ralph Lauren style, I want you to avoid finishes that feel flimsy. Think heft. (Yes, even contemporary reproductions should have heft.) Brass should look like brass. Glass should feel substantial.

Color helps. Tear a page out of Kate’s book. I’m not saying you need to repaint your entire house phthalo green (although…), but know that Italian Modernism is friendly to depth. So, embrace charcoals, oxbloods, warm neutrals, and moody blues. The magic happens when you contrast lighting against darker walls.

Resist perfection. Italian Modernism isn’t sterile. Mix in something old, or maybe something a little weird. Nothing has to coordinate perfectly; all it has to do is feel right to you. Italian Modernism design is about confidence, and not being matchy-matchy.

Your takeaway about Italian Modernism is that design can and should be warm. And that lighting matters. Remember, the best rooms aren’t the brightest ones. The best rooms are the ones that make you feel like you’d like to linger there.

If you’re also obsessed now, check out these articles on Italian Modernism:

xx,
P