A Note of Appreciation for Oluce: Italian Design That Lights Up the Screen 🎬
Few lighting brands have achieved the cinematic gravitas of Oluce. Since its founding in Milan in 1945, the company has stood as a symbol of Italian design intelligence, where geometry meets emotion, and where light becomes part of storytelling itself. Over the years, Oluce lamps have quietly illuminated some of cinema’s most memorable interiors, appearing not merely as props, but as visual cues of taste, intellect, and atmosphere.
Atollo Gold Table Lamp by Vico Magistretti
Oluce’s lamps are more than sources of light, they are sculptural presences. Their silhouettes define space as much as they illuminate it. Each curve and line has been shaped to balance poetry and precision, which is precisely why filmmakers and set designers so often turn to them. The camera loves their clarity, their proportions, and their quiet power.
Vico Magistretti & Atollo Table Lamp
The Atollo, designed by Vico Magistretti in 1977, is perhaps the most celebrated of them all. Its perfect balance of cylinder, cone, and hemisphere has become a modern icon, one that speaks the universal language of timeless design.
Atollo Table Lamp in the background in “Nocturnal Animals” (Tom Ford – 2016) Disclaimer: This image is a still frame from Nocturnal Animals and is the property of its respective copyright holder. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by Nocturnal Animals, its creators, or its distributors. This post is for informational purposes only.
It has appeared in a fascinating variety of cinematic contexts: from Tom Ford’s Nocturnal Animals (2016), where the Atollo sits in Amy Adams’ refined, austere home, amplifying both her character’s composure and isolation, to Tom Tykwer’s The International (2009), where it adds sophistication to the sleek architecture of Berlin’s corporate offices.
Atollo White in “Fasten Your Seatbelts” (Alleciate le Cinture – Ferzan Özpetek – 2014) Disclaimer: This image is a still frame from Fasten Your Seatbelts and is the property of its respective copyright holder. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by Fasten Your Seatbelts, its creators, or its distributors. This post is for informational purposes only.
In Ferzan Özpetek’s Fasten Your Seatbelts (Allacciate le cinture, 2014), the Atollo glows softly within the domestic warmth of the protagonist’s home, a beacon of elegance and calm amid a story of emotional turbulence.
Atollo spotted in TV Show “1899” (Netflix – Baran bo Odar & Jantje Friese – 2022) Disclaimer: This image is a still frame from “1899” and is the property of its respective copyright holder. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by “1899”, its creators, or its distributors. This post is for informational purposes only.
Even in more unexpected settings, the lamp holds its presence with grace: in the Netflix series 1899 (Baran bo Odar and Jantje Friese, 2022), the Atollo makes a surprising appearance aboard a mysterious 19th-century steamship, its contemporary form creating a striking, almost surreal contrast with the period décor.
Atollo in The Last of Us Season 1 Episode 2 (HBO – Neil Druckmann – Craig Mazin – 2023) Disclaimer: This image is a still frame from The Last of Us and is the property of its respective copyright holder. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by The Last of Us, its creators, or its distributors. This post is for informational purposes only.
Oluce’s most iconic lamp has also found a home in contemporary television. In The Last of Us (2023, Season 1, Episode 2), an Atollo can be spotted within the interior of the Boston quarantine zone, its elegant silhouette offering a subtle reminder of the world that existed before the apocalypse. Its appearance, brief yet unmistakable, contrasts beautifully with the desolation of the series, proof that even amid ruin, great design endures.
Two Atollo Glass lamps in “And Just Like That…” Season 3, Episode 9 (AMC – Michael Patrick King – Darren Star, 2021-2025) Disclaimer: This image is a still frame from “And Just Like That…” and is the property of its respective copyright holder. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by “And Just Like That…”, its creators, or its distributors. This post is for informational purposes only.
Similarly, in And Just Like That… (2024, Season 3, Episode 9), two white Atollo lamps adorn the bedsides of a refined New York apartment. Their soft glow and sculptural geometry evoke the sophistication and sensuality that have always defined the Sex and the City universe, translating timeless Italian design into contemporary urban glamour.
Spider Floor Lamp in “The Hand of God ” (È stata la mano di Dio by Paolo Sorrentino – 2021) Disclaimer: This image is a still frame from “The Hand of God ” and is the property of its respective copyright holder. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by “The Hand of God “, its creators, or its distributors. This post is for informational purposes only.
And yet, Oluce’s mastery extends far beyond a single icon. The Spider lamp, designed by Joe Colombo in 1965, has its own cinematic journey. It graces Paolo Sorrentino’s È Stata la Mano di Dio (The Hand of God, 2021), standing tall and gleaming in a Neapolitan living room bathed in nostalgic light. Its chrome structure, minimal yet expressive, perfectly echoes Sorrentino’s signature blend of realism and reverie.
Spider Floor Lamp in “The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob” (Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob – Gérard Oury – 1973) Disclaimer: This image is a still frame from “The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob” and is the property of its respective copyright holder. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by “The Mad Adventures of Rabbi Jacob”, its creators, or its distributors. This post is for informational purposes only.
Long before that, the same Spider appeared in Gérard Oury’s cult French comedy Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob (1973), where it illuminated the interiors with a distinctly modern spirit, proof that Colombo’s forward-thinking design was already shaping cinematic aesthetics in the early ’70s.
Coupé Wall Lamp in “Severance” (Apple TV – Dan Erickson – 2022) Disclaimer: This image is a still frame from “Severance” and is the property of its respective copyright holder. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by “Severance”, its creators, or its distributors. This post is for informational purposes only.
Then there’s the Coupé, designed by Joe Colombo in 1967, which appeared in Ben Stiller’s Severance (2022), a series praised for its stark, retro-futuristic aesthetic. In the show’s eerie office spaces, the Coupé’s curved steel stem and minimal shade contribute to a sense of sleek detachment, blending 1960s design with dystopian modernity. It’s a perfect match for the series’ theme of divided selves, human warmth beneath cold design.
Atollo Table Lamp in “DeLightFul” (Short film by Matteo Garrone – 2017) Disclaimer: This image is a still frame from “DeLightFul” and is the property of its respective copyright holder. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by “DeLightFul”, its creators, or its distributors. This post is for informational purposes only.
Oluce’s artistry also finds its place in highly stylized short films. In Matteo Garrone’s DeLightFuL (2017), the brand’s lamps appear in surreal natural environments: a golden Atollo resting among dense greenery, and a Lys floor lamp glowing beside a waterfall. Here, light and nature merge, transforming design into poetry.
Atollo Table Lamp in “The Legend of the Red Hand” (Short film by Stefano Sollima – 2018) Disclaimer: This image is a still frame from “The Legend of the Red Hand” and is the property of its respective copyright holder. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by “The Legend of the Red Hand”, its creators, or its distributors. This post is for informational purposes only.
Similarly, Stefano Sollima’s The Legend of Red Hand (2018), part of the Campari Red Diaries series, features both the Atollo and the Lys in luxurious copper and gold finishes. They infuse the film’s moody bar setting with sensual radiance, becoming, in essence, symbols of mystery and allure themselves.
Lys Suspension Lamp in “The Legend of the Red Hand” (Short film by Stefano Sollima – 2018) Disclaimer: This image is a still frame from “The Legend of the Red Hand” and is the property of its respective copyright holder. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by “The Legend of the Red Hand”, its creators, or its distributors. This post is for informational purposes only.
Across all these films and series, Nocturnal Animals (2016), The International (2009), Fasten Your Seatbelts (2014), Les Aventures de Rabbi Jacob (1973), È Stata la Mano di Dio (2021), DeLightFuL (2017), The Legend of Red Hand (2018), Severance (2022–), 1899 (2022), And Just Like That… (2021-) and in The Last Of Us (2023-) Oluce lamps prove that true design transcends time, style, and context. Each appearance reveals another facet of the brand’s identity: refined yet emotional, architectural yet intimate.
Spider Floor Lamp, Atollo Table Lamp & Coupé Floor Lamp
Whether glowing softly beside a velvet sofa or reflecting across chrome and glass, Oluce’s creations always carry the same quiet magnetism. They embody the elegance of Italian design, not loud, but lasting. And through the lens of cinema, they remind us that light is not just something we see by, it’s something that helps us feel.
Disclaimer: This note is shared as a sincere expression of appreciation for Oluce and its remarkable legacy in lighting design. Our intention is to highlight the brand’s historical and cultural significance—from celebrated interiors to moments captured in cinema—and to recognize its enduring impact on the world of design. While we are proud to offer Oluce products as part of our curated collection, this post is not a commercial endorsement and is neither affiliated with nor sponsored by Oluce or any third-party media featured. It is offered purely in the spirit of design appreciation and cultural commentary.
To explore their full collection and history, visit the official Oluce website. Please note, we are not sponsored by, affiliated with, or endorsed by Oluce; this post remains an independent appreciation of their design legacy.
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