Born in Bergamo, Italy, Giampiero Tagliaferri grew up in Milan. Living in the fashion capital, he picked up not only a graceful, easygoing sense of style but an understanding of the city’s design language, as if by osmosis. “I was surrounded by a certain aesthetic, which you absorb,” he recently told Introspective magazine. “It is an austere city, damaged during World War II and rebuilt in the 1950s and ’60s. It’s very modern but contains layers from the ancient past, which becomes a particular aesthetic.”
Tagliaferri, who until 2022 was the creative director for luxury eyewear brand Oliver Peoples, is now an interior designer based in both Milan and Los Angeles, with a growing clientele. He’s filled his living space in L.A., a modernist 1939 home in the Silver Lake neighborhood, with a mix of 20th-century American design and dynamic Italian pieces, mainly from the 1960s and ’70s, by creators he admires, like Gae Aulenti, Joe Colombo and Angelo Mangiarotti.
As a fan of iconic furniture and objects from his native country, Tagliaferri of course couldn’t pass up the chance to peruse the 1stDibs Italian Design Auction. Here, he shops the collection and shares a few of the pieces that caught his discerning eye.
Fabio Lenci Lounge Chair
“This Lenci chair is particularly striking. I love how simple the design is while remaining extremely functional. It’s definitely an era-defining piece, specifically because of the smart combination of materials like glass, leather and metal, which make it appear light and grounded at the same time. This piece would look great in a home office next to a wood-and-stainless-steel desk in the style of Gianni Moscatelli, Florence Knoll or Poul Kjærholm.”
Gio Ponti for Richard Ginori Trinfale Vase
“I am a huge fan of Gio Ponti’s work. His impact on the design world, including architecture and the decorative arts, has been immense. His ceramics are no exception to the beauty of his vast body of work. This incredible piece is notable for the quality of its details and the uniqueness of its design. Ponti ceramics, both decorative and functional like most of his work, are highly collectible, and this particular piece could stand out in an interior as a focal point on a simple pedestal or on a bookshelf.”
Gae Aulenti for Artemide Pileino Lamp
“What I admire about Gae Aulenti is her approach to industrial design. She once said, ‘I aim to create furniture that appears in a room as buildings on a skyline and reminds the viewer of the interaction between objects of design and architectural space.’ I think this is evident across the incredible body of work she produced. With pieces from lamps to tables, chairs and everyday objects, she was able to create a new design language that helped to define the unique style of Italian design in the ’60s, ’70s and the ’80s. The Pileino lamp is one of her iconic pieces, and I love its tension between rigor, geometry and playfulness. It could be perfect for a desk or a side table.”
Mario Bellini for C&B Italia Fiberglass Coffee Table
“I like the simplicity of this Bellini table. Its clean lines make it an easy piece to pair with all kinds of furniture. I also love how a simple and relatively inexpensive material, like the fiberglass of this vintage piece, could be paired with more expensive pieces to create tension. The chocolate-brown color of this version makes it particularly appealing to pair with light-cream-colored couches or armchairs for a very chic ensemble.”
Gregotti, Meneghetti & Stoppino for Fontana Arte Table Lamp
“What I love about this lamp is how simple it is, but at the same time it’s extremely decorative. You can tell the designers valued the concept of the object itself, but they linked it to the functionality in an elegant way. Like most good design, this lamp stands the test of time, looking incredibly modern even after 60 years. I would choose it for a bedside table or the top of a big kitchen island or countertop.”
Bamboo and Brass Safari Armchair
“I chose this piece because it reminds me of a chair pictured in Gabriella Crespi’s living room in Milan. Crespi’s design language is incredibly relevant today, and her ability to mix bamboo and rattan pieces with sleek metal furniture is incredibly modern. I would place this chair in a bedroom, positioned against a wall, paired with more minimal furniture and metal accents for a sophisticated ’70s look.”
Gio Ponti for Sabattini Horned Mask
“This Gio Ponti mask for Lino Sabattini is another example of Ponti’s exceptional and eclectic talent. Experimenting with silver, Ponti was able to create a decorative mask with just a few stylized elements. The result is a strongly recognizable design piece, which is highly sought-after among collectors.”
