Artemide

Founded in 1960 by Ernesto Gismondi in Pregnana Milanese, Artemide is one of the founding houses of Italian design lighting. The collection at Heal's spans the Tolomeo, Tizio and Nesso – industry-defining pieces that anchor museum collections worldwide – alongside contemporary work by Foscarini, Mariana Pellegrino and BIG.

Artemide produced two of the most influential desk lamps of the twentieth century: Richard Sapper's Tizio (1972) and Michele de Lucchi's Tolomeo (1987). Both sit in the permanent collections at MoMA and the V&A, and both remain in current production at Artemide's Pregnana facility outside Milan.

Modern Artemide pieces use integrated LED light engines tuned for warm output and long life – typically 50,000 hours or more. Energy costs are substantially lower than equivalent halogen or incandescent fittings, and the LEDs are usually built to last the life of the lamp rather than be user-replaced.

The company runs five manufacturing facilities in Italy, France, Hungary, Germany and the United States, with the headquarters and primary production sited near Milan. Distribution covers 107 countries through 14 branded showrooms and a network of authorised dealers.

Artemide tends to lead on integrated LED technology and architectural fittings; Flos leans more sculptural and decorative; Foscarini focuses on artisanal materials. For task and architectural lighting that disappears into the room, Artemide is usually the right answer. For statement pieces, the choice is more open.