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.
Ico Parisi Positano cabinet with pullout trays
By MIM Roma, Ico Parisi
Located in London, GB
A rare cabinet with 4 adjustable wooden pullout trays designed by Ico Parisi and produced by MIM Roma C1950-1959 Walnut, rosewood , black enamelled steel with brass sabot
Brass, Enamel, Sheet Metal
Mid-Century modern valet clothes by Ico Parisi
By Ico Parisi, Fratelli Reguitti
Located in Courbevoie, FR
Mid-Century modern valet clothes stand designed by Ico Parisi during the 1950s. Manufacturerd in Italy by Fratelli Reguitti, the stand is made of beech wood.
Brass
Ico Parisi, Dresser, Wood, Brass, Italy, 1960s
By Ico Parisi
Located in High Point, NC
A dark-stained wood and brass dresser designed by Ico Parisi and produced by Colombo e Clerici, Italy, 1960s. Red staining on tabletop surface. Wear consistent with age and use. Ov...
Brass
Dressing table 'Positano 1306' by Ico & Parisi
By Ico Parisi
Located in MADRID, ES
Mid Century dressing table model 'Positano 1306' by Ico & Luisa Parisi in rosewood and metal legs. Italy, 1950s. Length: 85cm Height: 77cm Depth: 45cm Mirror diameter: 38cm
Iron
$7,446Sale Price|20% Off
Ico Parisi Cabinet and Dry Bar Manufactured by De Baggis, Italy 1950s
By Angelo De Baggis, Ico Parisi
Located in Milan, IT
Splendid Ico Parisi Grissinato Wood Cabinet and Dry Bar. Manufactured by De Baggis, Original Label Italy 1950s
Brass
Rare Italian Mid-Century Sideboard by Ico Parisi, Italy, 1950s
By Ico Parisi
Located in Buccinasco, MI
Rare Italian Mid-Century Sideboard by Ico Parisi, Italy, 1950s – Documented in the Catalogue Raisonné An elegant and architecturally balanced Italian Mid-Century sideboard designed ...
Brass
20th Century, Ico Parisi Wooden Bookcase mod. 1955.DB3
By Angelo De Baggis, Ico Parisi
Located in Torino, Piemonte
Ico Parisi was an Italian architect and designer, born in Palermo in 1916. His activity, marked by continuous experimentation, consists in an incessant research in the fields of arch...
Wood
Sideboard by Ico Parisi 1960s Production Brugnoli Cantù
By Ico Parisi, Brugnoli Mobili Cantú
Located in Milano, IT
Sideboard cabinet with hinged doors and exposed drawers, made of exotic wood veneer with brass handles. Completely Restored.
Wood
Ico Parisi Urio Wall Bookcase for MIM Rome, Teak & Metal, 1965
By Ico Parisi, MIM Roma
Located in bari, IT
Two-module bookcase model Urio designed by Ico Parisi for MIM Roma in the 1960s. The two modules contain three storage cabinets and a teak drawer cabinet all anchored to aluminum upr...
Metal
Urio Wall System by Ico Parisi for Mim Roma, Italy, 1957
By MIM Roma, Ico Parisi
Located in Barcelona, ES
Urio wall system in hardwood designed in 1957 by Ico Parisi for MIM Roma, Italy. Different elements including shelves, desk, chest of drawers and cupb...
Metal, Aluminum
Mid-Century Modern Italian Teak Wall Unit by Ico Parisi, 1960s
By Ico Parisi
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Italian Teak Wall Unit by Ico Parisi, 1960s
Teak
Ico Parisi Bookcase Model 459 Italy 1955
By Ico Parisi
Located in Miami, FL
An Ico Parisi bookcase in mahogany veneer with a glass shelf and brass accents.
Glass, Wood
$17,453
Console by Ico Parisi, 1958
By Ico Parisi, Brugnoli Mobili Cantú
Located in Berlin, DE
Console for wall, made of walnut with brass handles. Three drawers. Dimensions / H.16/30cm - W.150.5cm - D.41cm Design / Ico Parisi 1958 Manufacturer / Colombo e Clerci Como ...
Brass
$1,628Sale Price / item|49% Off
Ico Parisi Wall Unit with Mirror and Stool, 1950, Italy
By Ico Parisi
Located in Oirlo, LI
Ico Parisi wall unit with mirror and stool 1950 Italy Mahogany wall unit or beautiful in the hall with wooden top and finials, with drawer an...
Mahogany
Vintage 20th Century Italian Chest Of Drawers By Ico Parisi For Mim Roma c.1950
By MIM Roma, Ico Parisi
Located in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
A 20th Century sleek Italian wooden chest of drawers by Ico Parisi for Mim Roma, leading advocates of minimal and conceptual furniture design in the 1950s. Ico Parisi (1916–1996) wa...
Metal
Ico Parisi Bookcase in wood and brass, mod. 457, Italy 1955
By Ico Parisi
Located in Argelato, BO
Ico Parisi bookcase, mod. 457, De Baggis production, lacquered wood, mahogany, brass, Italy, 1955. This bookcase with four shelves in different colors was originally designed for...
Metal, Brass
Ico Parisi, Italian Midcentury Long Sideboard in Walnut, circa 1950
By Ico Parisi
Located in Milan, IT
Ico Parisi, Italian midcentury long sideboard in walnut with white top, circa 1950 Ico Parisi played a significant role in the mid-20th-cen...
Wood
A Pair of Italian rosewood chests of drawers by Ico Parisi for Mim.
By MIM Roma, Ico Parisi
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A Pair of Italian rosewood chests of drawers by Ico Parisi for Mim circa 1950.
Chrome
1950s Black Lacquer Trolley by Ico Parisi with Removable Serving Trays
By Ico Parisi
Located in London, GB
A 1950s cart trolley in black lacquer by Ico Parisi with the top two trays being removable serving trays with orignal castors.
Wood, Lacquer
Mid-Century Modern Italian Wall Unit Model ''Urio'' by Ico Parisi for MIM, 1960s
By Ico Parisi
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Italian Wall Unit Model ''Urio'' by Ico Parisi for MIM, 1960s
Wood
$5,585Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage italian "Number 58" wood and glass bar cart by Ico Parisi for De Baggis
By Ico Parisi
Located in Milano, IT
Offered is a very rare and extremely well preserved bar cart designed by Ico Parisi around the mid 1950s. Created for the Italian furniture firm De Boggis, its official denomination ...
Brass
Mid-Century Modern Dry Bar by Ico Parisi in Mahogany, Glass, Brass - Italy
By Ico Parisi
Located in Girona, Girona
Dry bar, mahogany veneer, central glass flap door with two small drawers inside, two glass shelves on top, brass handles. Design: Ico Parisi Italy, 1948.
Brass
Cabinet with Drawers, Black / Ico Parisi, 1970
By Brugnoli Mobili Cantú, Ico Parisi
Located in Berlin, DE
This extraordinary drawer cabinet in black lacquered wood was designed by architect and designer Ico Parisi around 1970. The nine drawers of different sizes are equipped with rectang...
Wood
Urio Modular Wall System by Ico & Luisa Parisi for MIM Roma, Architectural Bookc
By Ico Parisi, Luisa Parisi
Located in Sant'Arsenio, Campania
Rare “Urio” modular wall system designed by Ico and Luisa Parisi for MIM, Rome, Italy, 1957. This important piece is part of the pioneering work developed by Ico and Luisa Parisi within the MIM (Mobili Italiani Moderni) production system in Rome, representing one of the earliest and most sophisticated examples of Italian modular architectural furniture. The system is conceived not as a simple storage unit but as an architectural composition, in which structure, rhythm, and modularity define the spatial organization of an interior. The two-module configuration allows for flexible arrangements, reflecting the experimental approach of postwar Italian design, in which furniture was conceived as an extension of architectural space. Made of wood veneer with metal structural elements, the system combines contrasting finishes and geometric clarity, creating a strong visual identity even when used in a partial configuration. The original design allowed for multiple combinations, including wall-mounted and freestanding arrangements. Created in 1957, the Urio system reflects the collaboration between Ico Parisi and Luisa Aiani Parisi—a key partnership in Italian modernism—and is closely associated with the avant-garde design culture of Milan and Rome in the late 1950s. A highly collectible example of Italian architectural furniture design, suitable for modern interiors, design studios, and curated architectural spaces. Professionally preserved in very good vintage condition, with minor wear consistent with its age and use. KEYWORDS 1STDIBS Ico Parisi Luisa Parisi Urio Modular System MIM Roma Mid-Century Wall System Architectural Bookshelf Modular Wall Unit Italian Modular Furniture Italian Design 1957 Mid-Century Modern Italy Italian Modernism Wall-Mounted System Architectural Furniture Teak Modular Shelving...
Steel, Iron
Ico Parisi Wooden Magazine Holder, Mid-Century Italian Design, 62\"
By Ico Parisi
Located in Roma, IT
Magazine holder is an original design item realized by Ico Parisi in the half of 20th century. A precoius wooden magazine holder decorated wi...
Wood
Mid-Century Modern Ico Parisi Edited by Mim Pair of Italian Bedside Tables
By Ico Parisi
Located in Madrid, ES
Pair of bedside tables designed by Ico Parisi edited by MIM. Composed of solid walnut wood structure and metal legs. Interior lighting “mod. 222" designed by Gino Sarfatti for Artel...
Metal
MIM chest of drawers, Italy 1960s
By Ico Parisi, MIM Roma
Located in Correggio, IT
Chest of drawers produced by MIM Rome, 1960s. The essential and balanced line is suitable for both an office and a private residence. Very refined feet, with aluminum detail. Comple...
Metal
Mid-Century Teak Wall Unit by Ico Parisi, Italy 1960s
By Ico Parisi
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-century teak wall unit by Ico Parisi - Italy 1960s.
Teak
Mid-Century Modern Ico Parisi Sideboard, Double opening, Italy, 1960s
By Ico Parisi
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Modern Ico Parisi Sideboard,Double opening, Italy, 1960s
Wood
Ico Parisi Mid-Century Modern Jatoba Wood Credenza
By Ico Parisi
Located in Weesp, NL
Mid-Century Modern Jatoba wood Ico Parisi cabinet A spectacular bespoke trumeau designed by Ico Parisi and very likely produced by Ariberto Colombo, by special order only. Very few p...
Brass
Sideboard with Wheels, Sliding Door Credenza di Ico Parisi for MIM Roma, Italy
By MIM Roma, Ico Parisi
Located in Roma, IT
Sliding door Wood sideboard by Ico Parisi for MIM, Rome. Sideboard with wheels, two scooped doors and four shelves.
Metal
Ico Parisi Wall-mounted coat rack. Brass wood glass 1950s Italy
By Ico Parisi
Located in Milano, IT
EXCEPTIONAL AND RARE BRASS GLAZED GOWN HANGER by Ico PARISI
Brass
Movable Chest of Drawers by Ico Parisi for Longhi, Italy, 1970s
By Ico Parisi, Longhi
Located in Milan, IT
Chest of drawers by Ico Parisi for Longhi. Oval piece with side wings, white top and three drawers. Four wheels allow to easily move the piece.
Wood
Ico Parisi, Dresser with riser series 540, prod. Longhi Brothers, 1969
By Fratelli Longhi, Ico Parisi
Located in Rivoli, IT
Lacquered wood frame, wood and metal details. Prod. Fratelli Longhi, 1960s Bibl.: Domus No. 478, Sept. 1969, advertising page
Metal