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.
Giovanni Offredi Saporiti bookcase in maple Italy 1978
By Giovanni Offredi, Saporiti
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
‘Crossing’ bookcase designed by Giovanni Offredi and manufactured by Saporiti Italia, Italy, 1978. This exceptional and large-scale work is a prime example of Offredi’s ability to me...
Glass, Birdseye Maple
Giovanni Offredi Crossing Bookcase for Saporiti Italia Birdseye Maple Wood 1970s
By Giovanni Offredi, Saporiti
Located in Conversano, IT
A radical icon of 1970s Italian design, the "Crossing" bookcase by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti represents one of the most striking structural experiments of the era. More than a si...
Smoked Glass, Birdseye Maple
Mid-Century-Inspired Floe Bookcase in Maple
By James Loewen
Located in Goshen, IN
Inspired by mid-century modernism, Floe is made from solid hardwood using real joinery. With its low profile, Floe will fit nicely under a window by the wall, or against the back of...
Maple, Hardwood
$2,295
H 82.5 in W 34 in D 18 in
Jack Cartwright for Founders Burl Wood Lighted Bookcase or Bar Cabinet, 1970s
By Jack Cartwright, Founders Furniture Company
Located in South Bend, IN
A beautiful Milo Baughman style lighted display cabinet, bar cabinet, or bookcase By Jack Cartwright for Founders USA, 1970s Gorgeous book-matched burl wood front, with smoked gl...
Glass, Burl
Antique Maple Three Stack Barrister Bookcase by Hale
By Hale
Located in West Chester, PA
Antique Hale Maple Barrister bookcase comprised of five total sections including a top, three glass door sections, and a base. Manufactured in Herkimer, New York USA. Two upper secti...
Glass, Maple
$2,307 / set
H 15.75 in W 27.56 in D 27.56 in
Set of Two "Inlay" Night Stands by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti, Italy, 1980s
By Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi
Located in Milan, IT
Set of two "Inlay" nightstands - chest of drawers by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti. Extremely capable deep drawers, burnished brass details and iridescent wood surfaces. Also availab...
Wood
$8,304Sale Price / set|25% Off
H 102.37 in W 114.18 in D 18.51 in
Vintage Art Deco Bookcase, Flamed Maple & Ebonized Wood, Italy, 1970s
Located in Roma, IT
Vintage bookcase realized in Art Déco style by an italian manufacture in 1970s. Flamed maple veneer, ebonized wood detailing, and lacquered finish, totally handcrafted. This striki...
Metal
$2,913
H 25.2 in W 53.15 in D 22.05 in
Italian chest of drawers by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti 1980s
By Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi
Located in Padova, IT
CONDITION: Very good with small, inevitable signs of age and use. A small amount of discoloration on the top, highlighted in the photos, is due to an object being placed on top. Bur...
Brass
Louis Philippe Style Maple Two Shelf Open Bookcase
By Louis Philippe
Located in Astoria, NY
Louis Philippe Style Maple Open Bookcase, two shelves flanked by faux columns. 36.75" H x 39.5" W x 15.75" D. Provenance: An Upper East Side Townhouse.
Maple
$4,800 / set
H 98.43 in W 45.28 in D 8.67 in
Set of Four "Rialto" Wood Bookcases by Carlo Scarpa for Simon Gavina, 1970s
By Gavina, Carlo Scarpa
Located in Milan, IT
Set of four "Rialto" bookcases by Carlo Scarpa for Gavina. "In the early 1970s, Carlo Scarpa designed this model for his home. After three years of "enjoyable" discussions, Gavina ...
Wood
$5,210
H 35.44 in W 86.62 in D 22.45 in
Credenza modello Lenox di Giovanni Offredi per Saporiti Italia
By Giovanni Offredi, Saporiti
Located in Ghedi, IT
La Credenza Lenox progettata da Giovanni Offredi per Saporiti Italia negli anni ’70 rappresenta uno dei capolavori iconici del design italiano postmoderno e radicale. Realizzata con ...
Hardwood
Bernini Italian Bookcases in Walnut and Glass
By Bernini
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Bernini, bookcases, walnut, glass, metal, brass, Italy, 1970s Pair of Italian Bernini bookcases from the 1970s, made in walnut with glass doors. The design is tall and straightforwa...
Metal, Brass
$7,273Sale Price|20% Off
H 59.85 in W 59.85 in D 14.97 in
Derk Jan De Vries for Maisa White and Natural Oak Wood Bookcase, Italy 1970s
By Derk Jan De Vries, Maisa
Located in Reggio Emilia, IT
Stackable and modular bookcase, Samara series, designed by Derk Jan De Vries for Maisa, composed of 9 modular elements: 3 in ash wood and 6 in white-stained ash. The bookcase featur...
Oak
On Hold|$3,729
H 105.12 in W 109.85 in D 18.12 in
Libreria da parete di Gianni Moscatelli per Formanova anni 70
Located in Milano, IT
Libreria progettata da Gianni Moscatelli per Formanova negli anni '70, caratterizzata da un design modulare con ancoraggio a muro che ne garantisce la stabilità. Realizzata in legno ...
Smoked Glass, Wood