With distinctive style touches like gray flannel upholstery and overstuffed seating, American designer Angelo Donghia (1935–85) was a visionary leader of bold interior design and furniture in the 1970s and ’80s. Although Donghia lived only to age 50, by the time of his death from AIDS-related pneumonia, his name graced numerous furniture and decor companies, in addition to his own interior designs.
After graduating from Parsons School of Design in 1959, Donghia joined the interiors firm of Yale R. Burge, and his star rose quickly from there. By 1963, he had been appointed vice president and in 1966, partner — a move that came with a name change for the firm to Burge-Donghia Interiors. In 1968, he founded the fabrics and wall coverings company & Vice Versa, and in 1978 he founded Donghia Furniture. With this holistic approach, Donghia was able to oversee nearly every element of an interior design project, which, for him, spanned everything from corporate offices (notably PepsiCo’s world headquarters in Purchase, New York) to the Metropolitan Opera Club at Lincoln Center to residential interiors for clients such as Diana Ross and Ralph Lauren.
After he inherited Burge’s firm, he continued to develop its reach as Donghia Associates. He opened a series of showrooms around the country to offer his designs to a wider audience, who loved the company’s marriage of minimal forms with luxe materials. His silver-foil ceilings, mixing of eclectic textile patterns and plush furniture set trends and, through mass marketing, influenced the direction of American interior design.
“I feel that I’ve developed my own style that is as classic and minimal as the ’30s style it reflects,” the designer once told New York magazine. In 2015, the retrospective “Angelo Donghia: Design Superstar” at the New York School of Interior Design chronicled his influence on all facets of modern interiors, from furnishings to wall coverings. It’s an approach that still resonates today. Donghia continued to operate as a company after his death, acquired by the Rubelli Group in 2005. After it filed for bankruptcy in 2020 and closed its showrooms, its name, designs, archives and inventory were acquired by Kravet.
Find authentic Donghia furniture today on 1stDibs.
$12,050 / set
Geneva Club Chair with Ottoman by Donghia
By Donghia, Angelo Donghia
Located in Dallas, TX
Amazingly unique and highly stylized sculptural chair and ottoman set designed by Angelo Donghia for Donghia, just screams for attention! One of Donghia's most coveted and graceful f...
Upholstery, Wood
Donghia for Tuscany Confetti Dessert Plate
By Donghia
Located in New York, NY
A dessert plate by Angelo Donghia for Tuscany in the Confetti pattern, a free form earth-toned neutral design. Japan, circa 1970. Each plate measures ...
Ceramic
Donghia's Anchor Table in Polished Steel and Glass
By Donghia
Located in Dallas, TX
Beautifully crafted cocktail table by Donghia. Polished steel and glass.
Stainless Steel
$1,500 / set
Pair of Vintage Leather Side Chairs by Donghia
By Donghia
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This attractive pair of modern Italian side chairs feature stylish leather upholstered frames and make a stunning addition to any seating area. An extremely comfortable lounge chair ...
Leather
Donghia, "Lugano" Modern Murano Glass Vessel Made by Seguso Vetri d`Arte
By Donghia, Seguso Vetri d'Arte
Located in Murano, Venice, IT
The Seguso family has been producing hand blown glass on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy, for more than six hundred years. As one of the oldest Muranese dynasties, twenty-three generations of artisans, entrepreneurs and glass masters with a wide range of skills, have all shared an immense passion for the design and craft of hand blown glass. Through the precious artisanal skills of their glass masters, furnaces and factories, Seguso has had the pleasure of producing pieces for royal families, the Vatican, some of the finest private residences and public spaces throughout the world, as well Donghia’s Murano glass...
Murano Glass, Blown Glass
Donghia Beaker Venetian Glass End Table
By Donghia
Located in Dallas, TX
The Donghia Beaker Venetian Glass End Table is an exquisite round side table featuring a tinted Venetian blown glass base and an American walnut, compound curve veneered top. Inspire...
Glass, Walnut
$4,892 / item
Donghia Piroetta Tavolo Vintage Murano Glass Lamp
By Donghia
Located in Woodbury, NY
Vintage Murano glass lamp from Donghia with brass hardware, hollow and handblown. In Italian, Piroetta means "pirouette." To pirouette is to twirl or turn and this describes the glas...
Glass
Pristine Set of 8 Merbau Cane SIDE Dining Chairs by John Hutton for Donghia
By John Hutton, Donghia
Located in Atlanta, GA
An incredibly rare set of eight (8) organic dining chairs from the limited production Merbau collection designed by the esteemed John Hutton (1947-2006) for Donghia, circa 1995. Exam...
Cane
$4,892 / item
Donghia Increspato Vintage Murano Glass Lamp
By Donghia
Located in Woodbury, NY
Vintage Murano glass lamp with brass hardware from Donghia, hollow and handblown. Surface is hand chiseled and sandblasted. Meaning "rippled" in Italian, the Increspato gives off a r...
Glass
Pristine Set of 14 Merbau Cane SIDE Dining Chairs by John Hutton for Donghia
By Donghia, John Hutton
Located in Atlanta, GA
This magnificent set of dining chairs is Unique on the World market. The set is shipped as professionally photographed and described in the listing narrative: Meticulously profession...
Cane
Donghia Bijou Wall Sconces in Nickel and Smoked Murano Glass - 4 Available
By Donghia
Located in Dallas, TX
Elevate your mid-century modern interior with the Donghia Bijou Wall Sconces in Nickel and Smoked Murano Glass. These exquisite sconces, no longer in production, boast a polished nic...
Nickel
$4,157 / item
Donghia Wabi/Sabi Vintage Murano Glass Lamp
By Donghia
Located in Woodbury, NY
Vintage Murano glass lamp from Donghia with brass hardware, hollow and handblown. Wabi-sabi is the philosophy that nothing is perfect. It is finding beauty in the imperfect and asymm...
Glass
$4,542 / item
Donghia Alto Vintage Murano Glass Lamp
By Donghia
Located in Woodbury, NY
Vintage Murano handblown glass lamp with brass hardware from Donghia. Hand applied ripples on the Venetian glass body of the Alto lamp benefit from restrained gold dust inclusions. 7...
Glass
Pair of Italian Murano Glass Ondoso Lamps by Donghia / Venini
By Donghia
Located in Chicago, IL
Beautiful, sensual Pair of Italian Murano Glass Ondoso Lamps by Donghia Manner of Venini Height is to top of finial. Diameter is of the base.
Art Glass
$4,017 / item
Donghia Vita Vintage Murano Glass Lamp
By Donghia
Located in Woodbury, NY
Vintage handblown Venetian glass lamp. Sinuous lines in this hollow, handblown Venetian glass lamp tantalize with a sense of movement. 7 feet of beige rayon-covered twisted cord exit...
Glass
$4,157 / item
Donghia Athena Alta Vintage Murano Glass Lamp
By Donghia
Located in Woodbury, NY
Vintage Murano glass lamp from Donghia, named for the goddess Athena. Nearly all ancient statues of the goddess show her standing tall just like the presence this lamp exudes. Its feminine curves are a nod to the Greek female...
Glass
$4,017 / item
Donghia Vita Vintage Murano Glass Lamp
By Donghia
Located in Woodbury, NY
Hollow, handblown vintage Murano glass lamp from Donghia. Sinuous lines in this lamp tantalize with a sense of movement. 7 feet of beige rayon-covered twisted cord exits at base. 2 p...
Glass
$4,218 / item
Donghia Corda Luxury Vintage Glass Lamp
By Donghia
Located in Woodbury, NY
Solid, handmade vintage Murano glass floor lamp with brass hardware from Donghia. Meaning "rope" in Italian, the Murano glass makers were able to create the effect of a rope wrapping...
Glass
$4,017 / item
Donghia Vita Vintage Murano Glass Lamp
By Donghia
Located in Woodbury, NY
Hollow, handblown vintage Murano glass lamp from Donghia. Sinuous lines in this lamp tantalize with a sense of movement. 7 feet of beige rayon-covered twisted cord exits at base. 2 p...
Glass