Scarpa Nightstand

Widely recognized as superstars of postmodern Italian design, husband-and-wife team Afra and Tobia Scarpa (1937–2011; b. 1935) collaboratively created chairs, sofas and other furniture that work equally well in both traditional and cutting-edge environments.

Ranging from architecture and interior design to furniture and clothing, the Scarpas’ practice from its beginnings in the mid-1950s to the 21st century has included a diverse scope of projects combining new technology with thoughtful function and sculptural yet simple forms.

Afra Bianchin and Tobia Scarpa met as architecture students at the Università Iuav di Venezia. In a class led by architect and furniture designer Franco Albini, they created their first collaborative piece, the Pigreco armchair, later produced with Gavina. After graduating in 1957, Tobia worked for Murano glass company Venini & Co. before the couple opened a studio in Afra’s hometown, Montebelluna, in 1960. (Tobia, the son of famed glass artist and architect Carlo Scarpa, was born in Venice.)

For Afra and Tobia, a close collaborative process was pivotal to the success of their designs. The duo was also prolific — they designed for the most influential European manufacturers, including B&B Italia, Cassina, Knoll and FLOS. With respect to the latter, Afra and Tobia were among the legendary Italian lighting maker’s earliest collaborators, and their pioneering designs for the brand included the Papillon lamp, one of the first fixtures to use halogen technology. Their most recognized designs include the Bastiano sofa (1962), the Vanessa bed (1959), the Coronado sofa (1966) and the Soriana seating collection (1970). Work on the Soriana sofa began in late 1969 for an early 1970 debut, and it feels as radical today as it did in its heyday.

Architecture was also a central part of Afra and Tobia’s practice, which spanned residential buildings and factories for Italian companies such as Benetton. Their commissions for the global fashion brand included numerous industrial projects, from textile plants to storefronts. By 1985, Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work was celebrated in a 30-year retrospective at Center Four in Queens, New York. Looking around the 30,000-square-foot exhibition space, Afra joked to the New York Times, “Seeing all those things makes us feel very tired, and now we feel that maybe we worked too much.”

It was not too much for their legacy, as Afra and Tobia Scarpa’s work continues to inspire new generations. Scarpa designs are in collections at the Louvre, the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum. The couple was awarded the Compasso d’Oro in 1970 for the Soriana armchair.

Find vintage Afra & Tobia Scarpa lounge chairs, dining chairs, floor lamps and other furniture today on 1stDibs.

No matter what kind of bedroom furniture you prefer — be it lavish, low-key or minimalist — your bedroom will always be your own personal sanctuary. But it didn’t start that way. It wasn’t until around the 19th century that the bedroom became a realm of privacy. For many Europeans in the medieval era, eating, congregating and sleeping all took place in a single room, and later, royalty such as Louis XIV of France worked on legal orders while sitting in his bed, surrounded by members of his court.

Now, we return to our bedrooms for solace, private space and intimacy. We’ve certainly come a long way, and so has our bedroom furniture.

Whether you’re seeking bright or moody, Baroque or mid-century modern, consider the amount of time that will be spent in this space. Don’t choose furnishings you won’t enjoy looking at every day.

The most important piece of bedroom furniture is, not surprisingly, the bed. When shopping for a bed and bed frame, keep the size of your bedroom in mind — you’ll need to navigate your way around the bed during your daily routine. Bed sizes range from twin to king, and there is also the California king. At 76 inches wide and 80 inches long, a king-size bed is approximately 16 inches wider than a queen-size mattress, and your bed frame will probably add two to five inches to each side. (The California king bed is 84 inches long.)

If you’re putting together design ideas for a large bedroom, why not go all out? A king platform bed is low-profile and minimalist — a mattress is placed directly on a simple and solid frame, which offers support without a box spring. A traditional bed sees a mattress rest on a box spring or foundation.

Smaller bedrooms or guest rooms could benefit from something more streamlined, such as a vintage daybed. The important thing is not to choose a bed that is too big for your space. After all, you still need to squeeze in an Italian nightstand and an elegant American of Martinsville dresser.

Headboards can make or break the style of a bedroom. If you are going for a clean and contemporary look, maybe a headboard isn’t the best fit, but if not having a headboard will keep you up at night, there are plenty of options. Rattan headboards are a great choice to top off a casual country theme. Alternately, you can think of the headboard as a statement piece. With maximalism riding high in the design world, bedrooms are getting on board with vibrant upholstered headboards, and an upholstered bed may very well be the one thing you need to pull the entire look of your bedroom furniture together.

Once your bedding is situated, shift your focus to other pieces for the room.

The size of your closet will have an impact on the size and amount of furniture you need. If you have a small closet, for example, a larger dresser is going to come in handy. If you are lucky enough to have a large walk-in closet, you can utilize the extra bedroom space for other pieces, such as an antique or vintage nightstand.

Turn your humdrum bedroom into a dramatic hideaway that you never want to leave — find vintage, new and antique bedroom furniture today on 1stDibs.