Gianfranco Frattini is widely regarded as a mid-century master of Italian modern design. He was an award-winning architect and designer, and specialized in creating furniture and decor that is both decorative and practical — Frattini’s vintage desks, armchairs, nesting tables and other works are celebrated for their sophisticated merging of function and form.
Born in Padua in 1926, Frattini studied architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan. He later apprenticed with his teacher and mentor, Gio Ponti. Through Ponti — arguably the most important figure in 20th-century Italian architecture and design — Frattini met many notable modernist designers such as Oscar Niemeyer and Le Corbusier, but an introduction to famed Italian entrepreneur Cesare Cassina would prove incredibly significant in helping launch his career.
During the mid-1950s, Frattini began to collaborate with Cassina’s eponymous company. He designed the brand’s acclaimed leather and walnut Model 849 lounge chair — a winner of the Compasso d’Oro award — the Marema nesting tables and the iconic Sesann collection. The latter, an enduring 1970s suite of impossibly welcoming leather-covered seating, is now produced by Tacchini. In addition to Cassina, Frattini created furniture and lighting for other manufacturers such as Bernini, Arteluce, Artemide, Knoll and more.
While many of his designs incorporate glass, tubular steel and other materials, Frattini loved working with wood. The sculptural Albero bookcase — an innovative floor-to-ceiling structure made in walnut that swings on a 360-degree vertical swivel axis — is a striking example of Frattini’s dedication to traditional woodworking techniques. In the early 1970s, he traveled to Japan with friend and collaborator Pierluigi Ghianda — a master Milanese cabinet maker — in order to study the work of artisans in Kyoto. The trip inspired his design of the Kyoto table, a work of solid beech with Canaletto walnut inserts that is part of the permanent collection of the Milan Triennale’s Design Museum. The Kyoto and Albero have been revived by Poltrona Frau.
Frattini’s designs are in the permanent collections of prestigious museums such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.
Find vintage Gianfranco Frattini furniture, lighting and decor on 1stDibs.
Set of Four Boxes by Gianfranco Frattini for Progetti, Italy, 1970s
By Gianfranco Frattini, Progetti
Located in Milan, IT
Set of four boxes by Gianfranco Frattini for Progetti. Versatile elements composed by melamine base and rubber lids.
Plastic, Rubber
Gianfranco Frattini, Red Centerpiece / Tray, Progetti Italy, 1970s
By Progetti, Gianfranco Frattini
Located in Firenze, IT
Red enamelled aluminium stackable tray / centerpiece designed by Gianfranco Frattini Manufactured by Progetti, Italy, 1970s. Manufacturer's label on the base Measures: Height 6 cm...
Aluminum
Italian Silver Box Raised, 1970s
Located in Delft, NL
Italian silver box raised on 4 feet, 1970s Italian silver box in curvy octagonal shape with repousse design of flowers and scrolls The purity de...
Silver
$94 / set
H 1.97 in W 6.3 in D 4.34 in
Set of 5 Vintage 1970s "Venice" Fabric and Wood Boxes - Italian Mid-Century Deco
Located in Manzano, IT
Set of 5 Vintage 1970s "Venice" Fabric and Wood Boxes - Italian Mid-Century Decor Product Description: Add a touch of Italian vintage charm to your home with this exquisite set of f...
Ceramic, Fabric, Velvet, Wood
Italian Brass-Banded Wood Box, 1970s
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A distinctive Italian decorative box crafted from richly grained wood and accented with hand-applied vertical brass bands across the lid, creating a rhythmic, architectural compositi...
Wood
Space Age Vanity Set by Makio Hasuike for Gedy, Italy 1970s
Located in San Benedetto Del Tronto, IT
This Space Age vanity set was designed by Makio Hasuike for Gedy and produced in Italy during the 1970s. It represents a refined example of Italian plastic design, where functionalit...
Glass, Plastic
Italian Hardstone 'Rhodonite' Box, circa 1970s
Located in Litchfield, CT
This fabulous Italian hardstone box is a sleek, colorful example of seventies decorative objets, Italy, circa 1970s. The Rhodonite used in this one was c...
Rhodoid
Set of 2 Wooden Boxes with Decorative Inlays, France, 1970s
Located in Auribeau sur Siagne, FR
Pair of wooden boxes with decorative marquetry, France, 1970s. Set of two rectangular wooden boxes, each featuring an inlaid design on the lid. The first is adorned with a stylized ...
Wood
$571
H 11.62 in W 10.04 in D 2.17 in
Mid-Century Jewelry Box by Giacomo Sinopoli (attr) for Liwan's Rome Italy 1970s
By Giacomo Sinopoli, Liwan's Rome
Located in Palermo, IT
Very elegant steel and glass jewelery box, attributable to Giacomo Sinopoli, made by Liwan's Roma, with "Liwan's Rome Italy" brand embedded under the bottom. The box is made of chrom...
Metal
Ceramic & Brass Box Tommaso Barbi for B Ceramiche, Italy, 1970s
By B Ceramiche, Tommaso Barbi
Located in Rome, IT
Oval box in ceramic with marble effect borders and brass handle by Tommaso Barbi for B Ceramiche made in Italy in the 1970s. The original label is stil...
Metal, Brass
Beautiful Italian Decorative Box 1970s
Located in Los Angeles, CA
beautiful Italian decorative box 1970s.
Silver
Set of Brass Apple Jewelry Boxes 1970s
Located in ROUEN, Normandie
Set of Brass Apple Jewelry Boxes 1970s. These apple-shaped boxes are entirely made of solid brass. Each box opens in two and allows for a very decor...
Brass, Bronze
$14,583
H 4.34 in W 11.03 in D 5.52 in
Italian Mid Century Wooden Box in Pine by Mario Ceroli for Poltronova, 1970s
By Poltronova, Mario Ceroli
Located in Stockholm, SE
Very rare Italian mid century wooden and decorative case box designed by Mario Ceroli from the "Mobili della Valle" series produced by Poltronova Italy, 1977. This small box is a uni...
Pine
Gianfranco Frattini Italian Postmodern Black Box for Progetti
By Gianfranco Frattini, Progetti
Located in New York, NY
A black Postmodern period Italian round cylindrical vessel box by architect and designer G. F. 'Gianfranco' Frattini for Progetti, circa late-20th century, 1980s-1990s, Italy. A grea...
Composition