Cini Boeri Loveseats
Had Cini Boeri been a man, the Milanese architect and furniture designer, who died in 2020 at age 96, might be regarded today on par with such visionaries of the mid-20th century as Gio Ponti or Marco Zanuso. She worked with both. Although she’s well known and deeply respected in Italy, her renown elsewhere has been more akin to a cult following.
“I admire the work she did across architecture, interiors and furniture,” designer Faye Toogood says of Boeri’s impact. “She practiced architecture during a time when it was considered that women were too fragile to work outside.”
Boeri was one of very few women of her era to graduate from Milan Polytechnic with an architecture degree, which she did in 1951. Her illustrious career hinged on the strict economy of her designs and limited palette of materials. For example, her innovative 1971 Serpentone sofa for Arflex was crafted from just one material, polyurethane foam, and sold by the meter. Her ingenious 1987 Ghost chair for Fiam was cut from a single sheet of thick glass.
But in Boeri’s earlier days, her pieces displayed a more youthful exuberance. The circa 1968 Cubotto cabinet, produced in small numbers by Arflex, is an elegantly irregular arrangement of eight drawers of varying dimensions. The wooden cube, two feet square, was finished in laminate — in vivid orange, blue, sand or white — with color-coordinated casters and handles of black-enameled brass. Its design reflects a Space Age interest in flexible, space-saving, multiuse furnishings.
“It’s a very clean piece of design,” says Kaisha Davierwalla, owner and founder of Vaspaar Italy. “Even with its strong, square lines, somehow the vibrant colors and asymmetry have the feel of a feminine touch.”
Find vintage Cini Boeri seating, lighting and tables on 1stDibs.
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Loveseats
Leather, Lacquer
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Loveseats
Upholstery, Walnut
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Cini Boeri Loveseats
Brass
1980s Vintage Cini Boeri Loveseats
Cotton
19th Century Italian Renaissance Revival Antique Cini Boeri Loveseats
Upholstery, Giltwood, Burl
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Loveseats
Leather, Lacquer
1970s Italian Vintage Cini Boeri Loveseats
Leather
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Loveseats
Leather
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Loveseats
Leather, Wood
1930s English Edwardian Vintage Cini Boeri Loveseats
Fabric
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Cini Boeri Loveseats
Fabric, Ash, Mahogany
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Cini Boeri Loveseats
Brass
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Cini Boeri Loveseats
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Loveseats
Fabric
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Loveseats
Leather, Fiberglass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Loveseats
Fiberglass, Suede
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Loveseats
Suede, Fiberglass
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Cini Boeri Loveseats
Plastic, Leather
1960s Italian Vintage Cini Boeri Loveseats
Leather, Plastic