Donghia Benches
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.
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Early 20th Century American American Empire Donghia Benches
Silk, Upholstery, Wood, Lacquer
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Donghia Benches
Brass
2010s Canadian Modern Donghia Benches
Fabric, Walnut
1980s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Donghia Benches
Upholstery, Wood
2010s Canadian Modern Donghia Benches
Fabric, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Donghia Benches
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Donghia Benches
Textile, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Donghia Benches
Lucite
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Donghia Benches
Copper, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Donghia Benches
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary American Donghia Benches
Oak
20th Century Rustic Donghia Benches
Wood, Lacquer, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Donghia Benches
Nickel
Donghia benches for sale on 1stDibs.
- Is Donghia still in business?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Yes, Donghia is still in business as of January 2021. However, the brand did announce it was closing its showrooms in 2020, and Kravet Inc., purchased Donghia following bankruptcy proceedings. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of Donghia furniture from some of the world’s top sellers.