Sabine Charoy (1937–) – Table Lamp, Model 10606, Verre & Lumière Edition

Salmon color – Winner of the 1981 Lampe d’Or

A true manifesto of 1980s French design, this Model 10606 lamp, designed by Sabine Charoy in 1981, embodies with remarkable elegance the convergence of sculpture, architecture, and light. Much more than a light fixture, it is an iconic work that marks French design’s entry into a bold modernity where geometry becomes poetry.

A graduate of the prestigious École Camondo, Sabine Charoy began her career as an interior architect before turning her attention to industrial design. Her work is distinguished by a constant quest for balance between the rigor of forms and the softness of light. Her creations, now sought after by international collectors, reflect a deeply architectural approach to the object.

Created in 1981 for Verre & Lumière, this lamp was an immediate critical success. It received the prestigious Lampe d’Or at the Paris Lighting Fair, recognizing the innovation of its design and the quality of its lighting. Even more remarkable, this model was added to the permanent collections of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, an honor reserved for creations that have left a lasting mark on the history of French design.

The composition is astonishingly simple: a lacquered cubic form in a delicate salmon color, a large circular diffuser made of opaline Plexiglas that appears to float in space, a deliberately visible light source, and a metal structure reduced to the essentials. Each element contributes to a composition of great purity where light becomes matter.

The aesthetic evokes the explorations of the Postmodern movement, without ever veering into exuberance. Sabine Charoy favors a timeless formal language, characterized by precise proportions, subtle colors, and a perfect mastery of materials. More than forty years after its creation, this lamp retains a striking modernity.

Original examples of the 10606 model are now rare on the market and rank among the designer’s most sought-after creations. Their presence in major private collections and specialized galleries confirms their status as an icon of 1980s French design.

This piece will appeal to both lovers of contemporary furniture and collectors of historic lighting fixtures, as it powerfully embodies an era when French design successfully combined technical innovation, aesthetic refinement, and high-quality craftsmanship.

A major creation by Sabine Charoy, it has become one of the iconic lighting fixtures of 1980s French design, as sculptural when unlit as it is spectacular when illuminated.