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.
Customizable Tacchini Sesann Ottoman by Gianfranco Frattini
By Gianfranco Frattini, Tacchini
Located in New York, NY
Together with the armchair and sofa already featured in a Tacchini re-edition in 2015, the Sesann ottoman continues the story of a vision of contemporar...
Leather, Fabric
$15,200
H 27.56 in W 94.49 in D 35.44 in
Gianfranco Frattini “Sesann” Sofa for Cassina, Cognac Leather, 1969
By Gianfranco Frattini, Cassina
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Gianfranco Frattini “Sesann” Sofa for Cassina, cognac leather, Italy, 1969 Designed in 1969 by Gianfranco Frattini, the Sesann collection marked a turning point in upholstered furni...
Leather
$2,523 / item
H 15.36 in Dm 46.86 in
Tacchini Spin Ottoman in Blue Delphinum Fabric by Claesson Koivisto Rune
By Tacchini, Claesson Koivisto Rune
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Spin is a family of ottomans which resumes a technique such as “random” stitching, already applied in the Doodle chairs by designers Claesson Koivisto Run...
Fabric
$1,043Sale Price|20% Off
H 11.8 in W 24.8 in D 24.8 in
TORUS Ottoman designed by Umberto Bellardi Ricci for Tacchini
By Tacchini
Located in Carson, CA
Torus Designed by Umberto Bellardi Ricci In the Torus ottomans, industrial materials converse with soft upholstery to create an original piece of furniture that reinvents the concept...
Aluminum
"Sesann" Sofa by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina, Italy 1970s
By Cassina, Gianfranco Frattini
Located in Roma, IT
A vintage sofa from "Sesann" Series, realized by Frattini in 1970. Alcantara upholstery, tubular chromed steel. Cassina label. Inches 23.6 (h) x 66.9 x 35.4 (d). An iconic expres...
Steel
Lina - Iconic Armchair by Gianfranco Frattini for Tacchini
By Tacchini, Gianfranco Frattini
Located in Varedo, MB
The Lina armchair, designed by Gianfranco Frattini, combines solidity and lightness in a welcoming, timeless design. Its elegant presence transforms any space, offering comfort and s...
Fabric, Wood
$1,254Sale Price|20% Off
H 16.5 in W 32.7 in D 32.7 in
TORUS Ottoman designed by Umberto Bellardi Ricci for Tacchini
By Tacchini
Located in Carson, CA
Torus Designed by Umberto Bellardi Ricci In the Torus ottomans, industrial materials converse with soft upholstery to create an original piece of furniture that reinvents the concept...
Aluminum
$1,154Sale Price|20% Off
H 16.93 in W 17.7 in D 17.7 in
Trono Ottoman with Velvet Upholstery by Tacchini
By Tacchini
Located in Carson, CA
Trono Designed by Umberto Bellardi Ricci Trono is an original stool that stimulates interaction between architecture and design while exploring the fascinating dialogue between shape...
Steel
$24,500 / item
H 26.4 in W 94.5 in D 37 in
Gianfranco Frattini Sesann Sofa in Dedar Karakorum by Tacchini
By Tacchini
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
The Sesann sofa is a masterpiece of modern style and comfortable elegance. It features a tubular metal frame that accentuates and shapes the plush cushions forming a timeless silhoue...
Chrome
Sofa "Sesann" by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina, 1970s
By Cassina, Gianfranco Frattini
Located in bruxelles, BE
Sofa in pink fabric and metal, model: Sesann by Gianfranco Frattini. Seat height: 34 cm. Stamped Cassina on the underside. Wear due to time and age of the sofa. For shipping, reque...
Metal
$4,074Sale Price|40% Off
H 26.37 in W 43.3 in D 37 in
Sesann Lounge Chair by Tacchini designed by Gianfranco Frattini
By Gianfranco Frattini, Tacchini
Located in Carson, CA
The Sesann armchair designed by Frattini is an icon of 1970s Italian design, the absolute representation of softness, inviting one to give in to the beauty of the most authentic comf...
Chrome
$3,480Sale Price|77% Off
H 26.38 in W 70.87 in D 37.01 in
Tacchini Sesann Sofa by Gianfranco Frattini in STOCK
By Gianfranco Frattini, Tacchini
Located in New York, NY
Sesann 180cm Sofa Mays Color 01 - Cat. M Frame T07 Painted Black Walnut T43 Feet A reissue of a historic design by Gianfranco Frattini, Sesann is a collection of sofas and armchairs...
Fabric
Cassina Sesann Lounge Chair by Gianfranco Frattini, Italy, 1970s
By Gianfranco Frattini, Cassina
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Sesann lounge chair designed by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina, produced in Italy, 1970s. A signature postmodern silhouette with generous proportions, low profile, and sculptural ar...
Leather
Sold
H 40.95 in W 33.08 in D 37.01 in
Ultra Rare Rosewood Gianfranco Frattini 877 Lounge Chair & Ottoman, Cassina, 1959
By Gianfranco Frattini
Located in bergen op zoom, NL
Stunning and ultra rare rosewood variant of the 1959 Gianfranco Frattini '877' lounge chair complete with the even rarer matching rosewood ottoman. Both pieces are signed with origin...
Fabric, Latex, Rosewood, Rubber, Wool
Armchair with Stool by Gianfranco Frattini
By Gianfranco Frattini
Located in Berlin, DE
Armchair with stool by Gianfranco Frattini