Lumina Italia S.r.l.
Lumina Italia S.r.l. (Arluno / Sedriano, Italy, founded 1980) – Italian manufacturer of minimalist residential and office lighting
Company and Origin
Lumina Italia S.r.l. is an Italian manufacturer of technically demanding design lighting, headquartered in Arluno (Metropolitan City of Milan, Lombardy). The company was founded in 1980 by engineer and design-technician Tommaso Cimini in nearby Sedriano. Even before the formal incorporation – from 1975/1976 onwards – the prototype of the Daphine table lamp was developed in Cimini's workshop, an object that remains the brand's icon and a recognised symbol of post-war Italian lighting design. The proximity to Milan as the centre of the Italian design and furniture industry continues to shape the company: production and administration are concentrated in Arluno, while components come from specialist artisan suppliers in the northern Italian region.
The guiding principle of the house is "Molta luce, poca lampada" – roughly "Lots of light, not much lamp" – complemented by the conviction that function generates form ("è la funzione che genera la forma"). This formulation goes back to the founder and is still part of the company's manifesto today. Lumina positions itself as a specialised manufacturer of reduced, durable and technically precise lamps for the residential, office and contract sectors; the company emphasises full "Made in Italy" production and control across the entire value chain.
The Founder: Tommaso Cimini (1947–1997)
Tommaso Cimini (1947–1997) was an Italian design-engineer and entrepreneur with a mechanical-engineering background. In the early 1970s he worked as a technician at Artemide in Milan, where he developed a keen sensibility for mechanical clarity, minimalist construction and functional lighting. Building on that experience he set up his own workshop in Sedriano, where from 1975/1976 he retooled the machines to produce, in small series, the Daphine – a deliberately spare halogen task lamp featuring an exposed transformer, an articulated two-segment arm and an adjustable reflector.
In 1980 Cimini formalised the business under the name Lumina and later moved the company's headquarters to nearby Arluno. Throughout his life Cimini regarded the firm as a workshop-based enterprise focused on constructive precision and industrial series production – rather than a classic "editori" house in the sense of the large Italian publishing brands. He died in 1997 at only 50 years of age. The company was initially continued together with his long-standing partner Prosperi and is today run as a family business by Tommaso's son Ettore Cimini as sole director.
Historical Overview (1975 to today)
1975/1976 – Prototype of the Daphine in Sedriano
In his workshop in Sedriano (Metropolitan City of Milan) Tommaso Cimini realises the first prototype of the Daphine table lamp. Characteristic features are the exposed transformer in the base, a two-segment articulated metal arm and an adjustable spherical reflector with a halogen light source. The name Daphine later became synonymous with the minimalist stance of the house.
1980 – Foundation of Lumina in Sedriano
With the formal foundation of Lumina in Sedriano, industrial series production of the Daphine and further models begins. The founding year 1980 coincides with a particularly vibrant phase of Italian design (Memphis Group, Studio Alchimia, Postmodernism). Lumina deliberately takes the opposite direction: instead of decorative forms the house consistently pursues reduced, functionally motivated constructions.
1980s / 1990s – Expansion of the collection with external designers
Through the 1980s and 1990s Lumina broadens its collection by collaborating with external designers and architects. Key authors include Walter Monici (among others the Tangram family), Yaacov Kaufman (Matrix, Multix), Riccardo Blumer, Emanuele Ricci and Studio DDL. The brand retains its fundamental character: technically precise, material-efficient, with visible mechanics rather than decorative cladding.
1997 – Death of the founder
Tommaso Cimini dies in 1997 at the age of 50. The company is initially continued together with the long-standing partner Prosperi. Continuing without a break in formal language is regarded in the trade press as one reason for the lasting market relevance of the brand.
From 2000 onwards – Transition to the second generation
In the 2000s Ettore Cimini, the founder's son, gradually assumes responsibility and eventually becomes sole director of Lumina Italia S.r.l. He expands international distribution, consistently transitions the range to LED technology and positions Lumina across residential, contract/bespoke and object lighting.
2011 – Collaboration with Foster + Partners: Flo collection
With the Flo collection (table, floor, wall and bedside lamps) Lumina begins in 2011 its collaboration with the London architecture practice Foster + Partners (Norman Foster). Flo combines a slender, curved aluminium body with dimmable LED technology and was launched as one of the company's first fully integrated LED programmes. Further families in cooperation with Foster + Partners followed, including Dot (pendant lamps) and Eva (glass table lamp).
2020 – 40 years of Lumina
Marking its 40th anniversary in 2020, Lumina emphasises in publications and on the manufacturer's website the continuity of its formal language, location and production philosophy. The core of the collection remains Daphine, Flo, Dot, Matrix and Perceval.
2025/2026 – 50 years of the Daphine
In 2025/2026 Lumina celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Daphine. To mark the anniversary special editions, dedicated marketing and extensive editorial coverage appear in the international design press (including Wallpaper* and PIN–UP Magazine). In this coverage the Daphine is regarded as one of the most influential Italian design table lamps of the second post-war generation – alongside classics such as Richard Sapper's Tizio (Artemide, 1972) and Achille Castiglioni's Arco (Flos, 1962).
Designers and Design Circle
Lumina sees itself as a manufacturing house with a clearly defined circle of authors. Central designers of the collection are:
· Tommaso Cimini (1947–1997, Sedriano/Arluno):
founder of the company and author of the icon Daphine (prototype 1975/1976). His work continues to define the design philosophy "Molta luce, poca lampada".
· Walter Monici:
Italian designer, author of the Tangram family (table and floor lamps with articulated aluminium arms and a reflector that rotates 360°).
· Yaacov Kaufman (born 1945, Israel):
internationally recognised industrial and lighting designer. For Lumina he designed the families Matrix (modular pendant and wall lamp with up to 16 movable arms) and Multix, among others.
· Riccardo Blumer (born 1959, Bergamo): architect and designer, long-standing author for Lumina; known for constructively strict, material-efficient designs.
· Emanuele Ricci: Italian designer, contributor to the Lumina collection since the 1980s/1990s.
· Studio DDL: design studio from northern Italy with several contributions to the collection.
· Foster + Partners (Norman Foster, London): collaboration since 2011. Authors of the families Flo (2011, table, floor, wall and bedside lamps), Dot (pendant lamps), the glass table lamp Eva and the pendant lamp Ilium.
· Ettore Cimini (Arluno): current sole director; as the founder's son also a formative figure in the further development of icons such as Daphine (including Daphine Cilindro and Daphine LED).
Awards and Museum Collections
The recognition of the house rests primarily on the inclusion of its icon Daphine in major museum collections and on international design awards for individual models. The manufacturer's own documentation and the relevant trade press record in particular:
· Design Plus Award (Light+Building, Frankfurt) for the Daphine table lamp – an internationally significant recognition for innovative, technically advanced lighting products.
· ADI Design Index 2025 – selection of a Lumina project for the shortlist to the Compasso d'Oro ADI 2026 (the official nominating step for the most important Italian industrial design award).
· Inclusion of the Daphine in the permanent collections and holdings of, among others: Brooklyn Museum, New York (USA); Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Paris (France); Die Neue Sammlung – The Design Museum, Munich (Germany); Triennale di Milano, Milan (Italy); Judd Foundation, New York (USA); Israel Museum, Jerusalem (Israel).
Product Programme and Iconic Families
Lumina's programme is deliberately concise and organised into clearly defined product families. Especially relevant for the collector and specialist retail market are:
· Daphine (design Tommaso Cimini, prototype 1975/1976; series production from 1980): table, clamp, wall and floor versions, originally with halogen, today in LED versions ("Daphine LED", "Daphine Cilindro"). The most-copied Lumina icon worldwide and the heart of the programme.
· Flo (design Foster + Partners, 2011): slender LED family in table, floor, wall and bedside lamp versions; distinguished by a curved aluminium arm and integrated dimming.
· Dot (design Foster + Partners): family of minimalist pendant lamps with a very slender diffuser.
· Eva and Ilium (design Foster + Partners): glass table lamp and pendant lamp of the 2010s programme.
· Matrix / Multix (design Yaacov Kaufman): modular pendant and floor lamps in aluminium and steel with up to 16 movable arms; especially collectible from the 1980s/1990s.
· Tangram (design Walter Monici): table and floor lamps with an articulated arm and a reflector that rotates 360°.
· Perceval, Nix, Opl, Ola, Kalos, League, Lin, Loop, Onda, She Light, among others: further current families of the contemporary collection, consistently LED-based.
Relevance for Collectors and the Trade
Lumina stands for a distinctly northern-Italian approach to lighting: constructive, reduced, functional, with a high share of in-house manufacturing. Unlike the large "editori" houses of northern Italy (Artemide, Flos, Fontana Arte, and others), Lumina does not act as a publisher with a broadly diversified team of authors, but as a specialised manufactory with a small, curated number of icons. Highly valued in the collector and second-life market are, above all, the early halogen Daphines (late 1970s and 1980s) and Yaacov Kaufman's Matrix systems.
In today's specialist trade the brand is used above all for residential, office and contract projects requiring technical precision, durability and sustainable production. Consistent manufacturing in Arluno, cooperation with specialised northern-Italian suppliers and the full transition of the programme to LED characterise the current market profile.
Locations at a Glance
· Sedriano (Metropolitan City of Milan, Lombardy, Italy): Tommaso Cimini's workshop and founding location of Lumina in 1980.
· Arluno (Metropolitan City of Milan, Lombardy, Italy): current headquarters and production site of Lumina Italia S.r.l., a few kilometres from Sedriano.
Fact Sheet
· Company name: Lumina Italia S.r.l.
· Founded: 1980 in Sedriano (Metropolitan City of Milan) by Tommaso Cimini (1947–1997).
· First icon: Daphine table lamp, prototype 1975/1976 in Sedriano, series production from 1980.
· Current headquarters: Arluno (Metropolitan City of Milan, Lombardy, Italy).
· Management: Ettore Cimini (son of the founder), sole director.
· Guiding principle: "Molta luce, poca lampada" ("Lots of light, not much lamp"); "It is function that generates form".
· Key designers: Tommaso Cimini, Walter Monici, Yaacov Kaufman, Riccardo Blumer, Emanuele Ricci, Studio DDL, Foster + Partners (Norman Foster).
· Key icons: Daphine, Flo, Dot, Matrix, Tangram, Eva, Ilium.
· Awards (selection): Design Plus Award for the Daphine; inclusion of a project in the ADI Design Index 2025 (Compasso d'Oro ADI 2026 nominating step).
· Museum collections (Daphine): Brooklyn Museum (New York), Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Paris), Die Neue Sammlung (Munich), Triennale di Milano, Judd Foundation (New York), Israel Museum (Jerusalem).
· Current anniversary: 50 years of the Daphine (2025/2026).
Sources and References
Publicly available sources reviewed as part of this research. Research status: 28 July 2026.
· Lumina Italia S.r.l., company page "About us": https://www.lumina.it/about-us/
· Lumina Italia S.r.l., company page "Manifesto": https://www.lumina.it/manifesto/
· Lumina Italia S.r.l., product page "Daphine table lamp": https://www.lumina.it/products/daphine-table-lamp/
· Lumina Italia S.r.l., 2025 catalogue (PDF): https://www.lumina.it/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/LUMINA_catalogue.pdf
· Salone del Mobile Milano, brand page "Lumina Italia": https://www.salonemilano.it/en/brands/lumina-italia
· Wallpaper*, "Lumina celebrates 50 years of the iconic 'Daphine' lamp": https://www.wallpaper.com/design-interiors/lighting/lumina-daphine-lamp
· PIN–UP Magazine, "Lumina's Iconic Daphine Turns 50": https://www.pinupmagazine.org/articles/lumina-daphine-50th-anniversary
· Designboom, "Foster + Partners: Flo for Lumina": https://www.designboom.com/design/foster-partners-flo-for-lumina/
· Foster + Partners, project page "Flo, Lumina": https://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/flo-lumina
· Salone del Mobile Milano, product page "Dot Lite | Foster+Partners": https://www.salonemilano.it/en/prodotti/lumina-italia/dot-lite-fosterpartners
· Brooklyn Museum, object record "Daphine Table Lamp": https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/objects/110405
· Lightology, designer profile "Tommaso Cimini": https://lightology.com/index.php?designer_id=247&module=designer
· Lumitop, "Tommaso Cimini – A Maestro of Italian Lighting Design": https://www.lumitop.com/en/blog/designers/tommaso-cimini-the-brilliance-of-functional-design
· Lumitop, "Ettore Cimini and the Legacy of Lumina": https://www.lumitop.com/en/blog/designers/ettore-cimini-upholding-lumina-s-luminous-legacy
· Enter the Loft, "The Daphine Lamp – The Timeless Iconic Design of Tommaso Cimini for Lumina": https://entertheloft.com/pages/the-daphine-lamp-the-timeless-iconic-design-of-tommaso-cimini-for-lumina
· Aram, brand page "Lumina Italia": https://www.aram.co.uk/brands/lumina-italia
· raum-blick magazine, "Design-Leuchten von Lumina": https://raum-blick.de/magazin/design-leuchten-von-lumina/
· Getlight, "Lumina – Leuchten Design aus Italien": https://www.getlight.de/lumina/
· Lichtkarree, brand page "Lumina": https://lichtkarree.de/Hersteller/Lumina/
· gaertner Büro und Wohnen, brand page "Lumina": https://www.gaertnermoebel.de/marken/lumina
· AmbienteDirect, brand page "Lumina": https://www.ambientedirect.com/en/brands/lumina
· 1stDibs, creator overview "Tommaso Cimini Lighting": https://www.1stdibs.com/creators/tommaso-cimini/furniture/lighting/
· ADI Design Museum, "The ADI Compasso d'Oro Award": https://www.adidesignmuseum.org/en/compasso-d-oro/the-adi-compasso-d-oro-award/