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A floor lamp with character and an unusual line management
The Roattino Floor Light embodies Eileen’s Gray’s vision of adaptable modernism. Designed in 1931, t during a period when Gray sought independence from convention, Roattino captures the designer's playful yet sophisticated essence. Its form, characterized by a sinuous and serpentine tubular steel stem with an asymmetrical fabric shade, has been likened to a bird's delicate posture or a snake charmer’s captivating motion. The pivoting shade reflects Gray’s profound belief that objects should serve multiple purposes, effortlessly shifting between ambient illumination and directed task lighting.
In naming this creation "Roattino," Gray wove personal history and humor into her design. The whimsical moniker reportedly nods either to Jean Badovici's small dog or possibly to André-Joseph Roattino, Gray's trusted craftsman who collaborated closely with her on numerous projects. Such anecdotes reveal Gray's unique approach, blending intimate references with innovative functionality.
This sense of character makes Roattino feel right at home in places like the Regina in Biarritz, where the charm of design carries stories from past to present. The hotel, originally built during Biarritz’s first golden age, has been carefully restored with a contemporary spirit by designer Dorothée Meilichzon. Within its nautical-themed interiors and central atrium, the Roattino Floor Light accentuates a thoughtful revival of early twentieth-century design. Its presence resonates with the hotel's dialogue between past and present, art and hospitality.
Roattino continues to illuminate spaces that honor Eileen Gray’s modernist legacy, thus remaining a testament to her enduring influence, seamlessly bridging historic modernism and contemporary elegance.
Floor Light. S-shaped tubular steel and lamp stand steel, lacquered in Jet Black (RAL 9005) or Cream (RAL 9001). A pivot enables various positions of the lampshade. Lamp shade fabric in white, plasticized inside (hardly inflammable according to B1). Foot switch, dimmable. Felt gliders in grey. Light bulb included.
Light bulb information:
US Version 110 V
LED light bulb
6 W / 120 V / 480 lm / 2500 K
Socket E 26
FRAME
Lamp shade
Coming from an aristocratic Irish-Scottish family, Eileen Gray went to London and Paris to study architecture and design. She first made a name for herself as a leading designer of lacquered walls and decorative panels. With her theories on design and architecture, she left an indelible mark on our ideas about living; her work is considered the epitome of Modernism. Gray’s tubular steel furniture, revolutionary at the time of their creation, are considered classics today. Her Adjustable Table E1027 is one of the most famous and most-copied designs in the world. It was added to the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1978. Her Dragons Armchair was sold in 2009 for the unbelievable amount of €21,905,000 and, at the time, became the most expensive design object ever to be sold at auction.
The non-conformist’s lifetime achievement was honored in 2013 with a major solo exhibition at Centre Pompidou in Paris. The production of the movie “Price of Desire” and the documentary film “Gray Matters” (both 2014) continued the success of the exhibition. Gray’s most famous architectural design, the Maison en Bord de Mer E1027 on the Côte d’Azur, was reopened to the public in 2015.