Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Had Cini Boeri been a man, the Milanese architect and furniture designer, who died in 2020 at age 96, might be regarded today on par with such visionaries of the mid-20th century as Gio Ponti or Marco Zanuso. She worked with both. Although she’s well known and deeply respected in Italy, her renown elsewhere has been more akin to a cult following.
“I admire the work she did across architecture, interiors and furniture,” designer Faye Toogood says of Boeri’s impact. “She practiced architecture during a time when it was considered that women were too fragile to work outside.”
Boeri was one of very few women of her era to graduate from Milan Polytechnic with an architecture degree, which she did in 1951. Her illustrious career hinged on the strict economy of her designs and limited palette of materials. For example, her innovative 1971 Serpentone sofa for Arflex was crafted from just one material, polyurethane foam, and sold by the meter. Her ingenious 1987 Ghost chair for Fiam was cut from a single sheet of thick glass.
But in Boeri’s earlier days, her pieces displayed a more youthful exuberance. The circa 1968 Cubotto cabinet, produced in small numbers by Arflex, is an elegantly irregular arrangement of eight drawers of varying dimensions. The wooden cube, two feet square, was finished in laminate — in vivid orange, blue, sand or white — with color-coordinated casters and handles of black-enameled brass. Its design reflects a Space Age interest in flexible, space-saving, multiuse furnishings.
“It’s a very clean piece of design,” says Kaisha Davierwalla, owner and founder of Vaspaar Italy. “Even with its strong, square lines, somehow the vibrant colors and asymmetry have the feel of a feminine touch.”
Find vintage Cini Boeri seating, lighting and tables on 1stDibs.
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Fabric
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Fabric
Early 2000s North American Post-Modern Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Glass
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Bouclé
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Metal
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Fabric, Beech
1970s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Cotton, Linen, Polyester
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Metal
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Fur
Early 2000s Italian Post-Modern Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Fabric, Foam
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Fur
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Fur
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Textile, Foam, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Fabric
1960s Italian Space Age Vintage Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Fabric, Bouclé, Foam
1970s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Steel
1960s Italian Space Age Vintage Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Fabric, Bouclé, Foam
1980s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Fabric
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Bouclé
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Leather, Lacquer
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Polystyrene
1980s Italian Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Leather
1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Lounge Chairs
Glass