Skip to main content

Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Italian, 1927-2007

Of his mid-century modern furniture designs, which marry minimalist simplicity with elegance and symmetry, Italian designer Giovanni Offredi once said: “Beauty should not be confused with appearance, since the latter is the superficial part of the form.”   

Born in Milan, in 1927, Offredi did not pursue formal education as an architect, unlike many of his contemporaries in the first half of the 20th century. He also did not begin designing furniture until later in his career. His earliest known furnishings were commissioned by wealthy Milanese families in 1960.

It wasn’t until the late 1960s — when Offredi met Sergio Saporiti, owner of Italian furniture manufacturer and design shop Saporiti — that his furniture designs would become more prominent. In 1970, Offredi entered into a partnership with Saporiti, producing several innovative and modernistic furniture lines. 

Among Offredi’s most notable pieces are the gently curving Wave chair, sofa and lounge chair, the Onda coffee table and the Paracarro dining room table, with its cylindrical concrete base, glass top and metal cross section. He also designed a series of credenzas and sideboards in lacquered wood, featuring a high gloss finish and bold colors.

Offredi enjoyed a successful collaboration with Saporiti throughout the 1970s. In 1984, he began a partnership with Italian cabinet and kitchen manufacturer Snaidero, designing modern kitchens. His final kitchen design, Kube, in 2006, featured streamlined forms, contrasting materials and colors and a recessed aluminum toe kick with a reflective mirror finish, which made the kitchen appear suspended above the ground. The kitchen won a Good Design Award from the Chicago Design Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design, in 2008. Offredi never had the opportunity to accept that prize — he died in 2007.

Although Offredi’s works are relatively obscure, they are sought out by in-the-know furniture collectors and enthusiasts worldwide. 

On 1stDibs, discover a range of vintage Giovanni Offredi chairs, tables, case pieces and storage cabinets.

to
1
1
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
68
35
22
12
11
Creator: Giovanni Offredi
Rare Pair of "Wave" Occasional Chairs by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Italia
Rare Pair of "Wave" Occasional Chairs by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Italia

Rare Pair of "Wave" Occasional Chairs by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Italia

By Giovanni Offredi, Saporiti

Located in Danville, CA

Pair of wave lounge chairs by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti. Saporiti has long been the most Avant Garde of the high end Italian furniture makers and these chairs are no exception. T...

Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

Related Items
Giovanni Offredi White Leather and Steel "Lens" Chairs for Saporiti, Italy, 1968
Giovanni Offredi White Leather and Steel "Lens" Chairs for Saporiti, Italy, 1968

Giovanni Offredi White Leather and Steel "Lens" Chairs for Saporiti, Italy, 1968

By Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi

Located in Roma, IT

Marvellous midcentury lounge chair with tubular steel frames and white leather seat. The "Lens" model was designed by Giovanni Offredi and produced for Saporiti in 1968. This chair has a white leather seat with original upholstery and a fantastic tubular structure, available as it is or can be restored. A wonderful space-age design piece, fused with sumptuous and elegant materials. A magnificent and iconic piece that will be perfect for a midcentury-style living room or study and a must-have for vintage leather seats lovers. The condition of the chair has some normal signs of use and vintage condition, as shown in the photos. Giovanni Offredi (born 1927, Milan–died 2007, Milan) was a prominent Italian furniture and product designer of the second half of the 20th century. As opposed to most of the other Italian furniture designers of his time, Giovanni Offredi was not an architect, nor did he start designing early in his professional career. Instead, Offredi partially fits the career path of some of the talented contemporary designers who pursue product design outside of formal education in architecture. The earliest furniture design work known by Giovanni Offredi consists of exemplary furnishings made specifically for some of the wealthy families in Milan. Such is the case of the works done by Offredi for Casa C., in 1960, in Gorgonzola, a small town 14 miles from Milan. These works were designed with a surprisingly minimal simplicity and elegance, and they also clearly display a hallmark of his design work with the use of angular lines and exposed metal or wood frames—not unlike some of the modern Scandinavian design of the time. In the late 1960s, Giovanni Offredi met Sergio Saporiti, the owner of Italian design shop and furniture maker Saporiti, and in 1970, Offredi formalized a partnership with the furniture maker. This partnership would be long and successful and resulted in many furniture designs of distinct precision that were clearly modern and innovative and that went on to enjoy considerable commercial success. The most prominent furniture designs that Offredi made for Saporiti include the Paracarro table...

Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Steel, Stainless Steel

Giovanni Offredi 'Wave' Sofa By Saporiti, Italy #1
Giovanni Offredi 'Wave' Sofa By Saporiti, Italy #1

Giovanni Offredi 'Wave' Sofa By Saporiti, Italy #1

By Giovanni Offredi

Located in Bridgeport, CT

Crafted with industrial steel frames with the two seat upholstered loveseat mounted atop the frame. The sofa has affixed upholstered seat and seat back cushions. Presents as sleek ...

Category

20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Steel

Saporiti Italia Two Seater "Wave" Sofa by Giovanni Offredi 1970s
Saporiti Italia Two Seater "Wave" Sofa by Giovanni Offredi 1970s

Saporiti Italia Two Seater "Wave" Sofa by Giovanni Offredi 1970s

By Fratelli Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi

Located in Dallas, TX

Designed in 1974 by Giovanni Offredi, "Wave" two seat sofa / settee. Since 1950 Saporiti has produced some of the most sophisticated and advanced pieces of furniture in the history o...

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Steel

Saporiti Italia "Wave" Sofa by Giovanni Offredi 1970s
Saporiti Italia "Wave" Sofa by Giovanni Offredi 1970s

Saporiti Italia "Wave" Sofa by Giovanni Offredi 1970s

By Fratelli Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi

Located in Dallas, TX

Designed in 1974 by Giovanni Offredi, "Wave" three seat sofa. Since 1950 Saporiti has produced some of the most sophisticated and advanced pieces of furniture in the history of Itali...

Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Steel

Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Chaise Longue
Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Chaise Longue

Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Chaise Longue

$3,950

H 36.82 in W 30.32 in D 68.9 in

Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Chaise Longue

By Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi

Located in Waalwijk, NL

Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Italia, chaise longue, chrome-plated metal, textured multicolored fabric, Italy, 1970s This exquisite lounge chair, designed by Giovanni Offredi for th...

Category

1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Chrome, Metal

Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Leather Sofa
Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Leather Sofa

Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Leather Sofa

$6,800

H 29 in W 106 in D 32 in

Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Leather Sofa

By Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi

Located in Chicago, IL

Leather sofa designed by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti, Italy, 1980. All original and in great vintage condition. Arms are removable.

Category

1980s American Modern Vintage Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Leather

Strato sofa by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti, 1970
Strato sofa by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti, 1970

Strato sofa by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti, 1970

$5,768

H 22.84 in W 65.36 in D 33.47 in

Strato sofa by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti, 1970

By Giovanni Offredi, Saporiti

Located in Conversano, IT

Saporiti “Strato” sofa, an extraordinary project by Giovanni Offredi, produced in Italy in the 1970s for Saporiti Italia, one of the most radical and experimental companies in the la...

Category

1970s Italian Vintage Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Leather, Wood

Postmodern Leather "Wave" Chaise by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti
Postmodern Leather "Wave" Chaise by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti

Postmodern Leather "Wave" Chaise by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti

By Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Fully restored postmodern leather "Onda" or "Wave" Chaise designed in 1974 by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti, (Milan, Italy). The jewel of the Sapor...

Category

1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Steel

Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Chaise Longues in Vibrant Upholstery
Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Chaise Longues in Vibrant Upholstery

Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Chaise Longues in Vibrant Upholstery

$3,950 / item

H 36.82 in W 30.32 in D 68.9 in

Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Chaise Longues in Vibrant Upholstery

By Giovanni Offredi, Saporiti

Located in Waalwijk, NL

Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Italia, chaise longues, chrome-plated metal, textured multicolored fabric, Italy, 1970s This exquisite lounge chair, designed by Giovanni Offredi for t...

Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Chrome, Metal

Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti 'Onda Wave' Lounge Chairs, 1970s
Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti 'Onda Wave' Lounge Chairs, 1970s

Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti 'Onda Wave' Lounge Chairs, 1970s

$3,955Sale Price / set|20% Off

H 31.89 in W 25.2 in D 29.53 in

Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti 'Onda Wave' Lounge Chairs, 1970s

By Giovanni Offredi

Located in Greding, DE

Armchairs with leather upholstery in blue and beige on metal frame. Signs of age and use.

Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Metal

Wave Lounge Chair by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti, Italy, 1974
Wave Lounge Chair by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti, Italy, 1974

Wave Lounge Chair by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti, Italy, 1974

$5,177Sale Price|20% Off

H 29.14 in W 37.41 in D 68.9 in

Wave Lounge Chair by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti, Italy, 1974

By Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi

Located in Antwerp, BE

This iconic "Wave" lounge chair by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Italia is a masterpiece of postmodern design, blending elegance with ergonomic comfort. Its sleek, exposed steel fram...

Category

1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

Pair of Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Leather Vela Alta Chairs
Pair of Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Leather Vela Alta Chairs

Pair of Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Leather Vela Alta Chairs

$3,320Sale Price|20% Off

H 33 in W 34.5 in D 35.5 in

Pair of Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Leather Vela Alta Chairs

By Fratelli Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi

Located in Chicago, IL

Pair of organic shaped, cream leather lounge chairs by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti. A classic design by Offredi. Who began working with th...

Category

1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Steel, Chrome

Previously Available Items
Giovanni Offredi 'Wave' Lounge Chair in Night Blue Leather
Giovanni Offredi 'Wave' Lounge Chair in Night Blue Leather

Giovanni Offredi 'Wave' Lounge Chair in Night Blue Leather

By Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi

Located in Waalwijk, NL

Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti, lounge chair, dark blue leather, steel frame, Italy, 1970s. Thi iconic wave lounge chair is designed by Giovanni Of...

Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Steel

"Wave" armchair by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti
"Wave" armchair by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti

"Wave" armchair by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti

Sold

H 27.56 in W 30.71 in D 30.71 in

"Wave" armchair by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti

By Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi

Located in Conversano, IT

Stunning and rare version of the "Wave" Armchair designed by Giovanni Offredi and produced by Saporiti Italia in the late 1970s. Very rare in the version with gloss black painted fee...

Category

1970s Italian Vintage Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Steel

Pair Mid-Century Modern White Leather Lounge P-64 Chairs by Giovanni Offredi
Pair Mid-Century Modern White Leather Lounge P-64 Chairs by Giovanni Offredi

Pair Mid-Century Modern White Leather Lounge P-64 Chairs by Giovanni Offredi

By Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi

Located in Philadelphia, PA

A very rare pair of chairs (model P64) designed by Giovanni Offredi and produced by Saporiti in 1972. The chairs feature polyurethane interior foam and covered in their original stit...

Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Leather

Pair of Midcentury Italian Modern Onda Slipper Lounge Chairs by Saporiti
Pair of Midcentury Italian Modern Onda Slipper Lounge Chairs by Saporiti

Pair of Midcentury Italian Modern Onda Slipper Lounge Chairs by Saporiti

By Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi

Located in Philadelphia, PA

A handsome pair of Italian lounge "Onda" lounge chairs designed by Giovanni Offredi and manufactured by Saporiti. These feature heavy solid chrome bases with original velvet upholstery.

Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Saporiti Pair of "Onda Lounge Chairs", 1970s
Saporiti Pair of "Onda Lounge Chairs", 1970s

Saporiti Pair of "Onda Lounge Chairs", 1970s

Sold

H 33.5 in W 31.5 in D 33.5 in

Saporiti Pair of "Onda Lounge Chairs", 1970s

By Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi

Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Pair "Onda (Wave) Lounge Chairs" with frames in stainless steel by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti, Italy 1970s (signed on bases, “Saporiti Italia”). Newly upholstered by Lobel Modern.

Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

Saporiti Pair of Onda "Wave" Chairs, 1970s
Saporiti Pair of Onda "Wave" Chairs, 1970s

Saporiti Pair of Onda "Wave" Chairs, 1970s

Sold

H 33 in W 31.5 in D 33 in

Saporiti Pair of Onda "Wave" Chairs, 1970s

By Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi

Located in Fort Lauderdale, FL

Pair of "Onda (Wave) Lounge Chairs" with frames in stainless steel by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti, Italy, 1970s. Signed on bases “Saporiti Italia”.  

Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Pair of Giovanni Offredi 'Onda' Slipper Chairs in Black Wool for Saporiti
Pair of Giovanni Offredi 'Onda' Slipper Chairs in Black Wool for Saporiti

Pair of Giovanni Offredi 'Onda' Slipper Chairs in Black Wool for Saporiti

By Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi

Located in Astoria, NY

A pair of 'Onda' slipper chairs, designed circa 1970s Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti of Italy, each with cushioned headrest and curved seat, upholstered in black wool, on highly linea...

Category

Late 20th Century Italian Modern Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Stainless Steel

Pair of Saporiti Italia "Onda" Lounge Chairs, Signed
Pair of Saporiti Italia "Onda" Lounge Chairs, Signed

Pair of Saporiti Italia "Onda" Lounge Chairs, Signed

By Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi

Located in New York, NY

Two iconic Onda lounge chairs designed by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti Italia; so marked; mirror-polished steel frames newly upholstered in white fa...

Category

1970s Italian Vintage Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Steel

Pair of Saporiti Italian Leather and Chrome Onda Chairs, 1970
Pair of Saporiti Italian Leather and Chrome Onda Chairs, 1970

Pair of Saporiti Italian Leather and Chrome Onda Chairs, 1970

By Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi

Located in Hamburg, PA

Newly upholstered in black supple leather labeled Saporiti Italia designed by Giovanni Offredi. New York City Delivery available for $249.00.

Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Pair of  Saporiti Onda Chrome Chairs and Ottoman
Pair of  Saporiti Onda Chrome Chairs and Ottoman

Pair of Saporiti Onda Chrome Chairs and Ottoman

By Giovanni Offredi

Located in Winter Park, FL

Designed by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti, this trio was purchased by the original owner in 1975. The upholstery fabric has been professionally cleaned and can be used as is, but we ...

Category

1970s Italian Vintage Giovanni Offredi Slipper Chairs

Giovanni Offredi slipper chairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Giovanni Offredi slipper chairs are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of upholstery and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Giovanni Offredi slipper chairs, although white editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original slipper chairs by Giovanni Offredi were created in the mid-century modern style in italy during the 1970s. Prices for Giovanni Offredi slipper chairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $4,000 and can go as high as $9,500, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $6,750.