Domenico “Ico” Parisi was one half of a prolific postwar design duo he comprised with his wife, Luisa. Their furniture designs are known for running the stylistic gamut, with celebrated mid-century modern pieces ranging from elegantly skeletal — like dramatic ebonized dining chairs — to plush and shapely, like the iconic 1951 Egg chair, in a plethora of materials.
The son of an art teacher father, Ico Parisi was exposed to art at an early age. Born in 1916 in the Sicilian capital of Palermo, he and his family moved to Como in 1925. There, the young Parisi would begin to develop his interest in architecture and design. After earning a degree as a building inspector in 1936 and working as a civil engineer, Parisi took on an apprenticeship in the studio of Giuseppe Terragni, the modernist, fascist Italian architect, pioneer of the Rationalist movement and creator of the iconic Casa del Fascio.
While working for Terragni, Parisi crossed paths with such contemporary design talents as Lucio Fontana, Bruno Munari and Pietro Lingeri, though he briefly moved away from design and architecture to explore photography and film. His artistic work would soon be interrupted, however, by the outbreak of World War II, during which he served at the front before returning to Como in 1943. There, he resumed work as a designer and architect, founding two architecture groups: the Alta Quota and the Gruppo Como.
Through his creative circles, Parisi met Luisa Aiani, a former student of the prolific architect and furniture designer Gio Ponti, who was affiliated with the Alta Quota. They married in 1947 and founded the studio La Ruota — a cross between a design firm and an intellectual salon — in Como shortly thereafter. In 1950, Parisi finally completed his architectural schooling, studying under the nationalist architect Alberto Sartoris at the Athenaeum Architecture School in Lausanne, Switzerland. He and Aiani began several decades of sophisticated output, designing curved sofas upholstered in yellow velvet and armchairs with slender mahogany frames for enduring Italian manufacturers such as Cassina and others.
Much like Charles and Ray Eames in America, the Parisis worked as a team and relied on experimentation in style and material for many of their designs. Ico Parisi died in Como in 1996.
Find a collection of vintage Ico Parisi coffee tables, dining chairs and more on 1stDibs.
1950's Italian Dining Chairs by Ico and Luisa Parisi for Ariberto Colombo
By Ico Parisi
Located in Paris, FR
20th century collectible chairs designed by the iconic duo Ico and Luisa Parisi for Ariberto Colombo in the mid-1950s. This classic design is highlighted by the curved backrest, spla...
Upholstery, Beech
Pair of Ico Parisi for Singer and Sons Beige Leather Side / Game Chairs
By Ico Parisi
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Mid-Century side / game chairs with beige leather upholstery and solid slightly tapered backs, resting on four tapered square walnut legs. (ICO PARISI FOR SINGER & SONS)(PRIC...
Leather, Upholstery, Wood, Walnut
Ico Parisi Midcentury Italian Metal & Black Leather Upholstered Slipper Chair
By Ico Parisi
Located in Queens, NY
Mid-Century Italian (1950s) slipper chair with a silver metal frame anchored by horizontal wood stretchers and upholstered in button tufted black leather. (ICO PARISI) Leather is cr...
Metal
Set of 8 Ico Parisi Italian Ebonized Green Leather Upholstered Dining Chairs
By Ico Parisi
Located in Queens, NY
Set of 8 Mid-Century Italian dining chairs featuring ebonized frames with shaped openwork backrests, green leather upholstered seats and splayed front legs with a subtle angular swee...
Upholstery, Leather, Wood
Pair of Ico Parisi for Singer and Sons Beige Leather Side / Game Chairs
By Ico Parisi
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of Mid-Century side / game chairs with beige leather upholstery and solid slightly tapered backs, resting on four tapered square walnut legs. (ICO PARISI FOR SINGER & SONS)(PRIC...
Wood, Leather, Upholstery, Walnut
$16,262 / set
H 33.47 in W 20.48 in D 25.6 in
Set of 8 Contemporary Dining Chairs Upholstered in Brick Velvet
Located in NEW YORK, NY
Timeless design in combination with handmade couture techniques. The dining chairs features curved wooden upholstered back for greater comfort. Offere...
Fabric, Wood
$1,450
H 37 in W 17.25 in D 19 in
Expertly Restored - Mid-Century Desk Chair by Ariberto Colombo for Ico Parisi
By Ariberto Colombo, Ico Parisi
Located in Los Angeles, CA
________________________________________ Transforming a piece of Mid-Century Modern furniture is like bringing history back to life, and we take this journey with passion and precis...
Fabric, Mohair, Foam, Wood, Beech
$4,800 / set
H 32.75 in W 20.5 in D 22.25 in
Four Midcentury Side Chairs by Ditte and Adrian Heath for France and Son
By France & Søn, Ditte & Adrian Heath
Located in Houston, TX
Four midcentury cantilevered side chairs, or dining chairs, designed by female architect Ditte Heath along with her husband Adrian. In original wheat-color cotton-synthetic blend canvas, with olive green and navy stripes over oak cantilevered...
Canvas, Oak
$2,975
H 30.71 in W 18.12 in D 18.51 in
Set of Two Dining Room Chairs by Ico Parisi Model 110, Italy 1960s
By Ico Parisi, Figli di Amadeo Cassina
Located in Hellouw, NL
Ico Parisi’s talent for refining structure into elegance is evident in this rare pair of Model 110 dining chairs, designed in 1961 for Figli di Amedeo Cassina in Meda. The model is w...
Fabric, Teak
$2,914
H 33.47 in W 21.66 in D 23.63 in
Pair of Swivel Desk Chairs "Terni" by Ico Parisi for MIM Rome Italy
By Ico Parisi, Mobili Italiani Moderni (MIM)
Located in Albano Laziale, Rome/Lazio
This elegant and incredibly comfortable pair of executive desk chairs from the Terni series was designed by Ico and Louisa Parisi and manufactured by MIM Roma, Italy, in 1960. Each c...
Aluminum
$2,975 / set
H 35.04 in W 17.72 in D 18.51 in
Set of 3 Mahogany Dining Chairs in the manner of Ico Parisi 1960s
By Ico Parisi
Located in Berlin, DE
3 Dining Chairs in the manner of Ico Parisi, Italy - 1960s. Reupholstery option available in our in-house atelier. Please ask for a quote.
Fabric, Wood, Mahogany
$4,250
H 33.47 in W 94.49 in D 64.97 in
Ico Parisi Mid-Century Modern Italian Corner Sofa for Ariberto Colombo, 1950s
By Ariberto Colombo, Ico Parisi
Located in Puglia, Puglia
L corner sofa designed by Ico Parisi for Ariberto Colombo Cantù. The sofa, as shown in the photo, is L-shaped, has a depth of 165cm and a length of 240cm...
Fabric, Beech
$2,429Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 19.69 in W 28.35 in D 30.71 in
Ico Parisi Italian Midcentury Armchairs for Mim
By MIM Roma, Ico Parisi
Located in bari, IT
Set of four armchairs in white fiberglass Kubilia series of Ico Parisi for M.I.M. Rome, Italy. Ico Parisi was born in Palermo in 1916. He gained a diploma in construction and served his apprenticeship in Giuseppe Terragni's studio. In 1937 he carried out, for the magazine Quadrante, a photographic study of the Casa del Fascio that marked the entire research that Parisi conducted in "meditating on the legacies and contradictions of the enormous baggage of ideas and forms constituted by the experience of the masters". His activity, marked by continuous experimentation, is an incessant quest in the fields of architecture, art and design. Between 1948 and 1950 he devoted himself to the study of furniture elements. In the field of design, crucial encounters with Munari and Fontana (1951) and Melotti profoundly marked his experience. In 1948 he founded the studio La ruota with his wife Luisa Aiani, a designer and designer, which ceased its activity in 1995. In 1954 he was awarded the Gold Medal at the X Milan Triennale with the work Padiglione Soggiorno, with Silvio Longhi and Luigi Antonietti. In 1957 he presented at the exhibition Colori e forme della casa d'oggi the work Casa per vacanze, which was the result of a collaboration with Manlio Rho...
Velvet, Fiberglass
Pair of Vintage Leather Side Chairs by Donghia
By Donghia
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This attractive pair of modern Italian side chairs feature stylish leather upholstered frames and make a stunning addition to any seating area. An extremely comfortable lounge chair ...
Leather
Pair of Jens Risom 666 Side Chairs for Knoll
By Knoll, Jens Risom
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rare Jens Risom chairs made in the 1940s, model “666” of the 600 series from 1941.
Birch
$3,360Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 32 in W 14.5 in D 17.5 in
Set of 4 Zanotta Burgundy Leather Dining Chairs, Italy, 1980s, Signed
By Mario Bellini, Cassina, Zanotta
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A handsome and well-crafted set of four dining chairs by Zanotta, Italy circa 1980s, in rich burgundy leather. Often compared stylistically to Mario Bellini’s iconic 'Cab' chairs for...
Leather
$1,882
H 31.5 in W 25.2 in D 25.2 in
Cognac Leather and Rosewood Office Chair by Ico Parisi for Mim Roma Italy, 60s
By MIM Roma, Ico Parisi
Located in Roma, IT
I am offering for sale an armchair originally designed for the office but which is also perfect for home use, as a lounge chair in a living room or in the bedroom to hang clothes. De...
Aluminum
Mid Century Italian Armchair by Ico Parisi in Sage Mohair
By Ico Parisi, Ariberto Colombo
Located in Brooklyn, NY
A mid century Italian armchair designed by Ico Parisi and manufactured by Ariberto Colombo. Newly reupholstered in a plush sage colored mohair featuring tapered wooden legs.
Mohair
Sold
H 35.83 in W 17.72 in D 20.87 in
1950's Italian Chairs by Ico and Luisa Parisi for Ariberto Colombo, Set of Two
By Ico Parisi
Located in Paris, FR
Two 20th century collectible chairs designed by the iconic duo Ico and Luisa Parisi for Ariberto Colombo in the mid-1950s. This classic design is highlighted by the curved backrest, ...
Upholstery, Beech
Ico Parisi Dining Chairs
By Ico Parisi, Fratelli Rizzi
Located in New York, NY
Rare Set of 6 Dining Chairs by Ico Parisi. Italian walnut, fabric. Produced by Fratelli Rizzi, Intimiano, Italy. Fantastic architectural form with rich wood structures. A rare custom...
Upholstery, Walnut
Sold
H 31.5 in W 15.75 in D 19.69 in
Ico Parisi for Fratelli Longhi, Italian Mid-Century Chair in Tubular Metal, 1969
By Fratelli Longhi, Ico Parisi
Located in Milan, IT
Ico Parisi for Fratelli Longhi, Italian Mid-Century Chair in Tubular Metal and White Leather, 1969
Metal
Malatesta and Mason pair of easy chairs by Ico Parisi
By Malatesta and Mason, Ico Parisi
Located in Antwerp, BE
Bubinga, mahogany and brass pair of chairs by Ico Parisi for Malatesta and Mason Italy 1950s. Gorgeous examples of mid-century modern Italian design. These sculptural armchairs wer...
Brass
Ico Parisi Pair of Ebonized Side Chairs
By Ico Parisi
Located in CA, CA
Ico Parisi pair of ebonized side chairs An elegant pair of Ico Parisi side chairs of sculpted wood and ebonized finish. Made in Italy ...
Softwood
Six Ico Parisi Dining Chairs
By Ico Parisi
Located in New York, NY
Six original Ico Parisi dining chairs.
Walnut
Ico Parisi '' Carmogli '' Teak Bench for MIM Roma, 1950s
By Ico Parisi, MIM Roma
Located in Rome, IT
Very rare ''Camogli'' bench designed by Ico Parisi and Manufactured by M.I.M. Roma in 1958 The low seat is made of teak with burnished brass details Original mark on aluminium plat...
Wood
Side Chairs by Ico Parisi for MIM Mobili
By Ico Parisi, Mobili Italiani Moderni (MIM)
Located in Asbury Park, NJ
Three simple side chairs by Ico Parisi for MIM Mobili with thin tubular steel legs and naugahyde upholstery.
Set of Six Dining Chairs by Ico Parisi
By Ico Parisi
Located in San Francisco, CA
A set of six side chairs by Ico Parisi circa 1950 Italy made for Ariberto Colombo. Each chair is made in walnut with a blackened finish and maple color vinyl covered seat.
Walnut
Set of 4 Side Chairs by Ico Parisi
By Ico Parisi
Located in Westport, CT
Set of 4 Side Chairs by Ico Parisi.
Wood, Upholstery
MIM Desk Chair by Ico Parisi
By Ico Parisi
Located in Beverly Hills, CA
Classic single MIM desk chair by Ico Parisi. All original tan leather padded seat, wood back, and 4-star steel base. Armless design is simple and func...
Steel