Paolo Buffa wooden structure commodes with details in grissinato Italy 1960 ca
About the Item
- Creator:Paolo Buffa (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 90 in (228.6 cm)Width: 133 in (337.82 cm)Depth: 55 in (139.7 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960ca
- Condition:Minor losses.
- Seller Location:Milan, IT
- Reference Number:
Paolo Buffa
With a surname that loosely translates to a synonym for “bizarre” in Italian, Milanese designer and architect Paolo Buffa is best known for capturing the best of both old and new in his plush, enveloping lounge chairs and wingback chairs as well as his range of modern tables, each dazzling and provocative but built using classical techniques.
Purposely playful and airy, mid-century Italian interiors encouraged merriment and socializing. Buffa’s work was well suited to this, but unlike the postwar designers who established recognizable trademarks and signatures, his vintage furniture for Cassina and other firms — the sculptural side tables and case pieces of walnut and solid oak, the luxurious sheepskin sofas — differed considerably from one design to the next, making them appealing to a range of interior decorators and socialites with specific taste. The son of a highly sought-after artist, Giovanni Buffa, Paolo graduated in 1927 from Politecnico di Milano. He then spent time working under architects and designers Gio Ponti and Emilio Lancia. Ponti, who himself crafted thousands of furnishings and endlessly creative rooms, was so taken with the young designer that in 1928 he featured his simple and elegant rosewood dressing table in his new magazine, Domus.
After opening a firm with his regular collaborator Antonio Cassi Ramelli, Buffa became one of the leading tastemakers of Italian mid-century modern furnishings, designing for villas and residential buildings across the country. His style was a mix of Art Deco, Rationalism, neoclassicism and a bit of whimsy. He used high-quality materials and regularly worked with local ateliers known for their fine craftsmanship to produce his designs, such as Serafino Arrighi and Marelli & Colico. In 1940, he partnered with the Mario Quarti furniture studio on the royal palace of Albania’s King Zog, with Buffa designing the furniture, and in 1951, Egypt’s King Farouk enlisted him to redecorate his yacht.
While Buffa’s transcendent pieces are now collector’s items, there are a few still in production, such as those he made with Angelo Marelli. His eponymous firm, the Italian furniture producer Eredi Marelli, still manufactures some designs based on Buffa’s archives.
Find a collection of vintage Paolo Buffa furniture today on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Fizzonasco, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Paolo Buffa Large Sideboard in Wood, Brass and Glass Top, 1950sBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Milan, ITWonderful Italian sideboard - or chest of drawers - designed by Paolo Buffa in the 1950s. Refined and unmistakably unique piece thanks to its painted glass top, its wooden structure ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
MaterialsBrass
- Paolo Buffa Elegant wood sideboard Italian design 1950sBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Milan, ITElegant and discreet sideboard that combines some of the typical design elements of Paolo Buffa, a great protagonist of the design of the first half of the 20th century: thus, one no...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Sideboards
MaterialsMetal
- Pair of Armchairs Attributed to Paolo Buffa Italian Design, 1950By Paolo BuffaLocated in Milan, ITIn this beautiful pair of huge armchairs structure solidity meets the lightness of the lines. Attributed to Italian designer Paolo Buffa, with this project he reinvented a Classic, k...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- six Guglielmo Ulrich chairs with wooden structure and skai coverings Italy 1950sBy Guglielmo UlrichLocated in Milan, ITSplendid set of 6 Guglielmo Ulrich chairs with wooden structure and skai coverings made in Italy 195o ca.Italian architect, painter and furniture designer, Guglielmo Ulrich, descende...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Chairs
MaterialsWood
- Saporiti Iconic Storage unit with Drawers - Italian design 1970 circaBy SaporitiLocated in Milan, ITIndulge in timeless sophistication with this exquisite Saporiti's 1970s storage furniture with drawers. Its idiosyncratic shapes and vibrant finiture makes it a iconic interior that ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsWood
- Wooden Credenza with Storage Units and Drawers, Italian Design, 1960sLocated in Milan, ITAmazing credenza in wood with and nickel-plated metal hadles and legs featuring storage units, drawers and nickel-plated metal hadles and legs. Italian design at its finest.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsMetal
- Italian Credenza or Commode Attributed to Paolo BuffaBy Osvaldo Borsani, Vittorio Dassi, Ico Parisi, Paolo Buffa, Gio PontiLocated in Houston, TXItalian credenza or commode attributed to Paolo Buffa. Chic Italian midcentury six-drawer commode, chest or credenza in the style of Gio Ponti, Osvaldo Borsani and Ico Parisi. This gorgeous ebonized and burled wood commode...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsGlass, Wood
- 6 drawers commode in gold wood by Paolo BuffaBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Monaco, MCImportant 6 drawers commode designed by Paolo Buffa. Golden oakwood, bronze handles, brass feet. Italian work circa 1950 Hight feet and rounded notch under the deck. More info...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsWood
- Demi Lune Commode by Paolo Buffa, 1940sBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Brussels, BEPaolo Buffa is well known Italian Architect Designer active in the 1940s. The present commode is typical of his style. The repetition of fluted pattern is a characteristic of Buffa's work. The same applies to the encased mirrors on the doors of the commode. All these elements with the brass feet create an elegant piece of furniture. The marble too...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsBrass
- Paolo Buffa Chest of Drawers/Commode circa 1940By Paolo BuffaLocated in New York, NYA fine and elegant chest of drawers or commode by Paolo Buffa, circa 1940. The handsome mahogany case is perfectly proportioned with four horizontal drawers, all with a slight curve...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsBrass
- Italian Modern Bar / Cabinet with Brass Hardware Attributed to Paolo BuffaBy Osvaldo Borsani, Ico Parisi, Guglielmo Ulrich, Paolo Buffa, Gio PontiLocated in Houston, TXItalian Modern bar / cabinet with brass hardware attributed to Paolo Buffa. This stunning Italian midcentury commode, cabinet, credenza, ba...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Hollywood Regency Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsBrass
- Paolo Buffa Wardrobe with Walnut Grissinato Front and Brass AccentsBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Waalwijk, NLPaolo Buffa, wardrobe or highboard, walnut, ash, beech, brass, mirrored glass, steel, plastic, Italy, 1950s Elegant and modern at the same time, this magnificent armoire is by the ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
MaterialsBrass, Steel