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Cappellini Bookcases

Italian

In 1946, at the start of a postwar boom in Europe, Enrico Cappellini opened the doors to a small furniture studio in the Italian town of Carugo. But it wasn’t until his son joined the company nearly three decades later that Cappellini became a powerhouse fixture on the global design stage. Today Cappellini is one of the world’s foremost manufacturers of innovative chairs, tables and decorative objects.

Giulio Cappellini joined the family company in 1977 and, with his appointment, ushered in a stage of boundary-pushing modernism and prolific creativity at Cappellini. With a dual background in architecture and business management, Giulio was well equipped to steer the brand into both innovative design and economic growth in a rapidly globalizing economy.

The second-generation leader’s first major success came in 1981, with the launch of Sistemi, a modular, hyperfunctional storage system that would come to symbolize the chic functionality of Cappellini. That was quickly followed by a collaboration with renowned Japanese designer Shiro Kuramata for the Progetti Compiuti collection, a line that brought unexpected playfulness to the simple framework of a black-and-white cabinet and remains an iconic collectible today.

That first collaboration opened the doors to a prolific output of partnerships, with Cappellini tapping such star designers as Jasper Morrison, Marcel Wanders, Tom Dixon, Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec and Nendo for collections over the ensuing decades that spanned a range of materials and styles. Speaking to this range, Marc Newson’s plumply curvaceous 1988 Embryo chair, Jasper Morrison’s slightly arachnoid 1987 Thinking Man’s chair and Tom Dixon’s sculptural 1991 S-chair — each quite stylistically unique — remain some of the company’s most recognizable pieces, with the latter in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.

Cappellini, now headquartered in Milan, continues to partner with guest designers across furniture, storage and lighting solutions, though many of its 1970s and ’80s designs remain its most coveted today.

Find vintage Cappellini furniture on 1stDibs.

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Creator: Cappellini
Gray metal italian bookcase postmodern by Cappellini
Gray metal italian bookcase postmodern by Cappellini

Gray metal italian bookcase postmodern by Cappellini

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Located in Milano, IT

Pair of Cappellini Bookcases, Italy, 1980s A refined pair of bookcases produced by Cappellini in the 1980s, embodying an elegant industrial design that seamlessly combines formal ri...

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1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Cappellini Bookcases

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Cappellini bookcases for sale on 1stDibs.

Cappellini bookcases are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of plastic and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Cappellini bookcases, although black editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original bookcases by Cappellini were created in the modern style in italy during the 21st century and contemporary. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider bookcases by Marco Ferreri, Da A, and Baleri Italia. Prices for Cappellini bookcases can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,375 and can go as high as $3,930, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $3,115.