Paolo Buffa On Sale
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Iron
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric
20th Century Italian Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Wood
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Jute, Beech
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Beech
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Beech
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Cherry
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vitrines
Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Wood, Glass
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Velvet, Walnut
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Velvet
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Marble, Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Wood
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
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20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
Marble, Brass
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Velvet, Walnut
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Velvet, Walnut
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Mahogany, Chenille
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Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Bedroom Sets
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Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofa Tables
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Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
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Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
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Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
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Linen, Maple
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
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Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
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Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Glass, Beech
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Cupboards
Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Walnut, Maple
Vintage 1940s Italian Modern Dining Room Tables
Cherry
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Benches
Walnut
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Velvet, Beech
Vintage 1940s Italian Art Deco Console Tables
Rosewood, Mirror
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Cherry
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble
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Oak
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Tables
Glass, Wood
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Velvet, Walnut
20th Century Italian Lounge Chairs
Silk, Mahogany
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Cupboards
Brass
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Velvet, Cherry
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Console Tables
Marble, Brass
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Cabinets
Brass
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Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Fruitwood
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Demi-lune Tables
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Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
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Vintage 1940s Italian Art Deco Vitrines
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Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Brass
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Mahogany
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Mahogany
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Fabric, Wood
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Marble, Brass
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Boxwood, Rosewood
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Cotton, Walnut
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Brass
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Paolo Buffa On Sale For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Paolo Buffa On Sale?
Paolo Buffa for sale on 1stDibs
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.