SONNEMAN Lighting is an American contemporary lighting brand shaped by the work of Robert Sonneman. Its history reaches back to 1967, when Sonneman opened his first lighting company after starting his career with George Kovacs. The present SONNEMAN – A Way of Light business was formed in 2003 as a dedicated platform for his modern lighting designs.
Rather than treating lighting as a finishing accessory, SONNEMAN approaches it as part of the architecture. The brand is known for designs that bring together controlled illumination, clear structure, and modern technology. That idea has remained central as the company moved from the experimental forms of the 1960s into contemporary LED lighting systems.
New York Roots
Robert Sonneman was born and raised in New York City in a family connected to the traditional lighting business. His interest in modern art started early. As a teenager, he became a student member of both the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum, later studying art at the Rhodes School and attending life-drawing classes at the Art Students League.
After completing military service at age 19, Sonneman answered a newspaper advertisement for a position at George Kovacs Lighting. The job gave him direct exposure to European modernism and the practical side of the lighting industry. While completing his education at Long Island University, he helped Kovacs develop products, establish a factory, and bring a new lighting line to market.
By his early twenties, Sonneman was ready to build a company of his own. He opened his first factory and began developing lighting under his own name, bringing a functional and distinctly modern point of view to an American market still dominated by traditional forms.
Meet Robert Sonneman
Robert Sonneman became closely associated with the growth of American modern lighting during the late 1960s and 1970s. Influenced by modern architecture and the functional discipline of the Bauhaus, he favored direct forms over added ornament. Each part of a fixture needed to support its purpose, whether it carried light, controlled movement, or formed the structure itself.
His designs often explored new ways for people to position and experience light. Adjustable mechanisms, precise geometry, and industrial materials became part of his visual language. These ideas helped move modern lighting away from conventional lamp shapes and toward objects that could define a room through both form and illumination.
Sonneman did not view modernism as a fixed historical style. For him, it was a continuing design method based on function and the technologies available at the time. That outlook allowed his work to change as new materials, manufacturing processes, and LED systems opened different possibilities.
A Career Beyond One Company
Over the course of his career, Sonneman founded, developed, and sold several lighting businesses. He also designed and licensed work for other manufacturers, giving him experience across product design, manufacturing, and brand development.
From 1999 to 2005, he served as CEO of Ralph Lauren Home Product Development. His work there extended beyond lighting and placed him inside a broader home-furnishings business built around a complete visual identity.
SONNEMAN – A Way of Light was established in 2003 with David Littman and Sonny Park. The new business gave Sonneman a focused platform for returning to lighting manufacturing while continuing the design principles he had developed over the previous decades.
Recognition and Design Legacy
Robert Sonneman’s work has appeared in museum exhibitions and design collections across the United States. The Brooklyn Museum holds a desk lamp credited to Robert Sonneman Associates, while his work has also been shown by institutions including the Museum of Modern Art and Cooper Hewitt.
Interest in his early designs has continued well beyond their original production period. In 2016, a group of his designs from the 1960s and 1970s was reworked for RH Modern. The collaboration introduced those forms to a new audience while preserving the direct geometry that defined the originals.
The lasting appeal of Sonneman’s work comes from more than a recognizable look. His designs reflect a consistent belief that a light should solve a practical need while contributing to the character of the space around it.
Modern Lighting Through Technology
As lighting technology changed, SONNEMAN expanded its approach from individual decorative fixtures into larger architectural systems. LED technology allowed light sources to become smaller and more integrated, giving the design team greater control over scale, placement, and configuration.
The brand’s later work reflects this shift. Light can become part of a wall, extend across a ceiling, or create a composition within an open space. The fixture remains visible when the design calls for it, but the effect of the light always carries equal importance.
This balance between object and illumination connects the current brand with Robert Sonneman’s earliest work. The technology has changed, but the underlying discipline remains rooted in purpose, proportion, and clear construction.
Part of Hudson Valley Lighting Group
Hudson Valley Lighting Group acquired SONNEMAN in July 2025. The addition brought SONNEMAN’s experience in configurable, high-performance LED lighting into a group that also includes Hudson Valley Lighting, Troy Lighting, Corbett Lighting, Mitzi, and CSL.
SONNEMAN now operates within the wider HVLG platform, which provides trade resources and customer support across its lighting brands. The SONNEMAN name continues to represent the modernist design direction established by Robert Sonneman and developed through more than five decades of work.
A Continuing Way of Light
SONNEMAN is built on the idea that lighting should do more than decorate a room. It should clarify the architecture, support the way a space is used, and create a distinct experience after dark.
That approach connects the brand’s New York origins with its work today. Forms and technologies continue to evolve, but light remains the starting point.