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.
An Iconic 1970s Mid-Century Modern Wood Mirror by Gianfranco Frattini
By Gianfranco Frattini
Located in Aci Castello, IT
A mid-century modern wood mirror by Gianfranco Frattini is a remarkable piece of design that encapsulates the essence of the era. Gianfranco Frattin...
Mirror, Wood
$345Sale Price|53% Off
Vintage 1970s wooden wall mirror design Gianfranco Frattini
By Gianfranco Frattini
Located in None, IT
Wall mirror with walnut wood frame , design Gianfranco Frattini, 1970s. CONDITION: In good condition, may show signs of wear given by time. DIMENSIONS: Height 100 cm; width 58 cm; ...
Glass, Wood
Gianfranco Frattini, Rosewood Mirror, 1970
By Gianfranco Frattini
Located in Saint ouen, FR
Gianfranco Frattini Rosewood mirror Circa 1970 Dimensions : W 100 x L 58cm x 2,5cm Price: 1900€ (€).
Palisander
Mid-century 1970s wall mirror
Located in Praha, CZ
Mid-century 1970s wall mirror, Signs of use, has patina and rust, original condition
Metal
Italian Mid-Century Modern Steel Circular Mirror, 1970s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian Mid-Century Modern steel circular mirror, 1970s. Fantastic and rare steel frame and original mirror of the 1970 period. Produced from an Italian company of the period and de...
Metal
Space Age Mirror Design 1970s Modern Vintage
Located in Taranto, IT
Specchio da parete dal forte impatto scenico, realizzato in legno laccato arancio con inserto circolare in vetro e dettagli geometrici in rilievo. An iconic piece of 1970s Space Age ...
Wood
Mid-Century Modern Five-Panel Beveled Wall Mirror, 1970s
Located in South Bend, IN
A stylish Mid-Century Modern five-panel beveled wall mirror USA, 1970s Measures: 39.75"W x 1"D x 36"H. Very good original vintage condition.
Mirror
Italian Mirror 1970s
Located in Ljubljana, SI
Vintage Italian Mirror. Made in 1970s. Simplicity of form and eternal design. This mirror will upgrade any room with its minimalistic aesthetic in white. material: plastic, mirror C...
Mirror, Plastic
$886Sale Price|38% Off
H 1.58 in Dm 25.2 in
Mid-century modern green round mirror by Veca, Italy, 1970s
By VECA
Located in Nicolosi, IT
Mid-century modern green round mirror by Veca, Italy, 1970s This elegant mid-century modern mirror by Veca is a stunning example of Italian design from the 1970s. Featuring a round ...
Glass, Mirror
Rosewood Grain Painted & Ebonized Mirror
Located in Hudson, NY
This masculine grain painted mirror frame is composed of two separate frames. The inner frame is grained rosewood in deep long strokes creating a pattern around the mirror and the se...
Mirror, Wood
1970s mangrove mirror
Located in Haaltert, BE
Mirror surrounded by a frame in mangrove root. Arround 1970.
Wood
Mid-Century Modern Italian Smoked Bronze Large Mirror, 1970s
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Imposing and elegant circular wall mirror in the center in silver glass, on smoky bronze colored mirrored glass in a square shape with rounded corners. The mirror is adaptable to any...
Mirror
Mid- Century Modern Beveled Glass Wall Mirror, Italy 1970s
By Lupi Cristal Luxor
Located in Ceglie Messapica, IT
Mid- Century Modern Beveled Glass Wall Mirror, Italy 1970s A 1970s beveled mirror manufactured in Italy in the 1970s (attributed to Cristal Luxor manufacturing), featuring double‑la...
Crystal
Large Danish Mid-Century Modern Rosewood Mirror, 1970s.
Located in Asaa, DK
Large Danish Mid-Century Modern Rosewood Mirror, 1970s. Large and impressive vintage Rosewood/palisander mirror made in Denmark in the 1960s. Nice and wide frame in rosewood veneer...
Rosewood
Sergio Rodrigues Rosewood Wall Mirror
By Sergio Rodrigues
Located in San Francisco, CA
Sergio Rodrigues design wall mirror. Superb quality construction made from solid Brazilian rosewood in excellent condition.
Rosewood
Vintage wood wall mirror, Gianfranco Frattini style, Italy 1950s
By Gianfranco Frattini
Located in Ceglie Messapica, IT
Vintage wood wall mirror, Gianfranco Frattini style, Italy 1950s A beautiful italian Mid century mirror from the 1950s designed in the style of the iconic italian designer Gianfranc...
Glass, Wood