Azucena Bookcases
Vintage Azucena furniture is elegant and inviting — the esteemed mid-century Milanese manufacturer’s wall lights, armchairs and side tables, which are marked by simple symmetry and thoughtfully contrasting materials, can likely be found in the living rooms of design lovers all over Italy.
Azucena was founded in 1947 by three leading figures of 20th-century Italian architecture: Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Ignazio Gardella and Corrado Corradi Dell’Acqua. The trio initially established Azucena in order to furnish the interiors of buildings they’d designed but found a robust business opportunity in manufacturing individual pieces from those collections for postwar consumers. And as the company founders borrowed the brand name from a conniving character in the Giuseppe Verd opera Il Trovatore, it is appropriate, then, that the furniture for which Azucena is known is practical but exudes a hint of playfulness.
The best of Italian modernism combines cheekiness and bold functionality with provocative and thoughtful design, and Azucena is deeply rooted in that tradition. While its brass-and-walnut mid-century-modern-era dining tables and stackable coffee tables — created by the likes of Dell’Acqua and Vico Magistretti — are exceptionally unobtrusive in small spaces and framed in clean lines, Dominioni designed chunky, enveloping armchairs during the 1970s upholstered in striking red fabric.
Among Azucena's most successful and iconic designs is also Dominioni's most famous piece of furniture: the minimalist Catalina chair. After it debuted at the Milan Triennial in 1957, the Catalina chair, with its generously curving enameled steel frame and plush leather cushion, became an instant sensation. Dominioni’s other enduring designs for Azucena include the Monachella lamp, the ABCD armchair and the versatile Cilindro ottoman.
Italian furniture manufacturer B&B Italia acquired Azucena in 2018 and has reissued a number of designs from the legendary brand’s portfolio, such as the Imbuto lamp, the Catalina armchair and the Cavalletto table.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Azucena lighting, tables, seating and more.
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Azucena Bookcases
Harewood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Azucena Bookcases
Mahogany
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Azucena Bookcases
Metal, Brass
1960s French Scandinavian Modern Vintage Azucena Bookcases
Metal
Early 20th Century English Azucena Bookcases
Brass
1960s Indian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Azucena Bookcases
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century French Azucena Bookcases
Wood
1960s Swiss Mid-Century Modern Vintage Azucena Bookcases
Metal, Chrome
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Azucena Bookcases
Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Azucena Bookcases
Wood
Late 20th Century Louis XV Azucena Bookcases
Brass, Wire
Mid-20th Century Italian Azucena Bookcases
Brass, Steel
Early 20th Century English Regency Azucena Bookcases
Mahogany
Early 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Azucena Bookcases
Oak
Early 1900s English Edwardian Antique Azucena Bookcases
Mahogany
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Azucena Bookcases
Brass, Steel
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Azucena Bookcases
Brass
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Azucena Bookcases
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Azucena Bookcases
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Azucena Bookcases
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Azucena Bookcases
Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Azucena Bookcases
Mahogany
