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, Mobile contenitore, prod. Saporiti, 1977
By Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi
Located in Rivoli, IT
Rare wooden storage cabinet mod. Trunk. Ai cassetti e ai ripiani si accede mediane lo scorrimento del settore superiore. Prod. Saporiti anni '70 Etichetta originale del Produttore s...
Wood
$3,398
H 28.75 in W 100.4 in D 16.93 in
Giotto Stoppino for Acerbis – Parioli sideboard, satin-finished steel, 1977
By Acerbis, Giotto Stoppino
Located in bari, IT
Giotto Stoppino He designed the Parioli sideboard for Acerbis in 1977, the same year that the Sheraton sideboard—designed with Lodovico Acerbis for the same manufacturer—won the Com...
Aluminum, Steel
$2,320 / 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
Torbecchia sideboard by Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova
By Giovanni Michelucci, Poltronova
Located in Ravenna, IT
Furniture designed by Michelucci and manufactured by Poltronova. The cabinet consists of two lower hinged doors, which can be opened by a handle, and two upper hinged doors, which ca...
Walnut
$5,238
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
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
$2,929
H 25.2 in W 53.15 in D 22.05 in
Italian chest of drawers by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti 1980s
By Giovanni Offredi, Saporiti
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
$1,800
H 47 in W 22 in D 22 in
Alberto Rosselli for Saporiti P800 Chrome and Glass Italian Modern Showcase
By Saporiti
Located in Philadelphia, PA
1970s Alberto Rosselli for Saporiti P800 Chrome and Glass Italian Modern Showcase. Item features glass on all sides including the top and bottom, 2 glass shelves, 1 swing door, nice ...
Chrome
$9,600
H 37.41 in W 96.46 in D 19.69 in
Italian "Pellicano" Sideboard by Vittorio Introini for Saporiti
By Saporiti, Vittorio Introini
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Italian midcentury "Pellicano" wooden sideboard designed by Vittorio Introini for Saporiti / Made in Italy in 1960s Measures: length 96.5 inches, base height 29.5 inches, total heig...
Wood
$11,700
H 85.04 in W 144.1 in D 22.84 in
Vittorio Introini for Saporiti Wall Unit in Lacquered Ash and Chrome
By Vittorio Introini
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Vittorio Introini for Saporiti, multifunctional wall unit, black lacquered ash, chrome and white fabric, Italy, 1980s. Rare multifunctional wall unit designed by the Italian design...
Chrome
Vittorio Introini for Saporiti Cabinet in Walnut
By Vittorio Introini, Saporiti
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Vittorio Introini for Saporiti, cabinet, walnut, chromed metal, smoked glass, Italy, 1960s Mid-century modern cabinet designed by Italian designer Vittorio Introini for Saporiti. Th...
Metal
Phillip Lloyd Powell Wall Mounted Cabinet circa 1977
By Phillip Lloyd Powell
Located in Amarillo, TX
Phillip Lloyd Powell Cabinet with Four Doors in Mixed Woods and Mirrored Glass USA circa 1977 Walnut, mirrored glass, oak, zebrawood, mahogany, ash, ebony and maple burl. Measures...
Glass, Mirror, Ash, Ebony, Mahogany, Maple, Oak, Walnut, Zebra Wood, Burl
$11,249Sale Price|20% Off
H 74.02 in W 125.99 in D 23.63 in
Cabinet Attributed to Giovanni Gariboldi, possibly made by Colli
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Milano, IT
Enchanting vintage 6-door wooden cabinet designed Attributed to Giovanni Gariboldi, possibly made by Colli, circa 1948, fine Italian manufacture. The closet is made entirely in the l...
Brass
Sold
H 24.41 in W 98.43 in D 25.6 in
Sideboard Model "Birds-Eye" in Maple by Giovanni Offredi for Saporiti, 1970s
By Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi
Located in Hellouw, NL
Saporiti's darling Giovanni Offredi showed with this 1970s sideboard from the 'Birds-Eye' series that he remained true to his modernist view on design. As a great critic of the rise ...
Maple
Set of Three Cabinets by Saporiti Italia
By Saporiti, Giovanni Offredi
Located in Dronten, NL
Spectacular bird's-eye maple cabinets by Saporiti Italia. The gloss finish and sleek profile make these cabinets stand out in any setting. With seven shelves and four roomy drawers the three cabinets...
Birdseye Maple