Nerone and Patuzzi furniture is a shining example of the experimental side of mid-century modern design. While the style is known mainly for its clean lines and simple forms, this Italian duo showcased how artistic it could be. Together, they designed beautiful abstract and figurative sculptures, as well as sculptural coffee tables and wall lights.
Gianni Patuzzi (1932–2022) and Giovanni Ceccarelli (1937–1996), who went by the name Nerone, worked together under the NP2 Group. They met while they were both students at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia and were acquainted again in Turin in 1959. The two struck up a fruitful partnership, and in 1962, they started the NP2 Group out of a studio in the Borgaro Torinese northwest of the city.
The idea behind the NP2 group was to integrate art with architecture and furniture making, bringing it out of museums and making it more accessible. The studio of the two young designers quickly became an exciting hub of innovation, attracting talented designers and artists like Marcel Breuer and Emilio Vedova.
In 1964, Nerone’s younger brother, Piercarlo Ceccarelli, joined the NP2 Group as a manager and administrator. Ceccarelli was instrumental in creating relationships with galleries, showrooms and architects throughout Europe and the United States. The group began receiving both public and private commissions.
By the late 1960s, the work of Nerone and Patuzzi was being exhibited around the world, earning recognition and awards. Their designs included everything from furniture and fittings to monumental sculptures. They utilized a wide range of techniques, including woodworking, metalworking and marble engraving.
Around this time, Nerone and Patuzzi began working on individual side projects, but they continued collaborating as the NP2 Group until 1974.
In an interview with the European Parliamentary Research Service in 2016, Patuzzi reflected fondly on his time collaborating with Nerone, remembering that they worked hard but with great enthusiasm.
On 1stDibs, find Nerone and Patuzzi decorative objects, tables, lighting and more.
Gruppo NP2 Nerone & Patuzzi table "Conchiglia", Italy, 1970s, Signed
By Nerone and Patuzzi
Located in Paris, IDF
Very rare table Gruppo NP2 Nerone & Patuzzi "Conchiglia" Italy, 1970s, Signed and documented Made of marble with a special sculpting treatment in s...
Marble, Metal
$1,562Sale Price|30% Off
H 14.38 in W 42.92 in D 28.94 in
Italian Design Wooden Coffee Table with Bar Compartment, 1970s
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
This is a stunning and sophisticated piece of mid-century furniture. 1970s Italian design often combines elegance and practicality, making this coffee table truly unique. Its rectan...
Glass, Plywood
Italian Design Square Coffee Table in Walnut Burl, 1970s
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
Here is a beautiful and sophisticated piece of modern furniture: this stunning coffee table embodies the elegance and practicality that is characteristic of 1970s Italian design. Cr...
Walnut, Burl
Nerone & Patuzzi Coffee Table for Gruppo NP2, 1972
By Nerone and Patuzzi, Gruppo NP2
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Nerone & Patuzzi Coffee Table for Gruppo NP2, glass and wood, Italy, 1972. The Nerone & Patuzzi for Gruppo NP2 Coffee Table is a masterpiece of wood and glass from Italy, 19...
Glass, Wood
$2,280
H 20.48 in W 53.15 in D 29.53 in
Mid Century Rectangular Marble Coffee Table, Made in Italy, 1970s
Located in Odense, DK
This beautiful rectangular coffee table, made in Italy during the 1970s, is an elegant example of mid-century design with a bold sculptural presence. The tabletop is crafted from war...
Marble, Iron
Nerone & Patuzzi for Gruppo NP2 Sculptural Coffee Table
By Nerone and Patuzzi
Located in London, GB
Designed by Italian duo Nerone and Patuzzi, this sculptural coffee table is truly a work of art. Its asymmetrical wooden base extends beyond the glass top, emphasizing the piece’s th...
Iron
Italian Design Coffee Table, 1970s
By Marco Zanuso, Zanotta
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
This is a beautiful and sophisticated piece of 20th-century furniture. 1970s Italian design is distinctive and evident in this rectangular coffee table. Made with minimalist cylindr...
Metal, Chrome
$38,500
H 15.56 in W 41.54 in D 35.44 in
Nerone & Patuzzi for Gruppo NP2 'C10T' Coffee Table in Wood and Crystal Glass
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Nerone & Patuzzi for Gruppo NP2, produced by Forme & Superfici, coffee table, wood, glass, Italy, numbered A61/100, Italy, 1970s Designed by the Italian duo Nerone and Patuz...
Glass, Wood
Italian Design Square Coffee Table, 1970s
By Zanotta, Marco Zanuso
Located in Casale Monferrato, IT
This is a beautiful and sophisticated piece of furniture from the 20th century. The Italian design of the 70s is distinctive and evident in this square coffee table. Made of minimal...
Metal, Chrome
$38,500
H 16.07 in W 41.74 in D 35.83 in
Nerone & Patuzzi for Gruppo NP2 'C10T' Coffee Table in Wood and Crystal Glass
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Nerone & Patuzzi for Gruppo NP2, coffee table, wood, glass, iron, Italy, 1970s Designed by the Italian duo Nerone and Patuzzi, this sculptural coffee table is a true statement p...
Iron
Double Coffee Table attributed to Grupo NP2, Nerone e Patuzzi
Located in New York, NY
This exceptional coffee table is attributed to the Italian design duo Grupo NP2 – Nerone and Patuzzi, created in the 1970s. It consists of two identical parts that can be arranged to...
Travertine, Metal
$5,403
H 15.75 in W 31.5 in D 19.69 in
Mid-Century Modern Brass Chrome Coffee Table by Willy Rizzo Signed 1970s Italy
By Willy Rizzo
Located in Vienna, AT
This signed Willy Rizzo vintage coffee table was made of brass and chromed metal and appears as an elegant beauty. Willy Rizzo (1928-2...
Metal, Brass
$29,750
H 28.35 in Dm 47.25 in
Nerone Ceccarelli for Gruppo NP2 — Sculptural Round Dining Table, Italy, 1982
By Nerone Giovanni Ceccarelli
Located in Almelo, NL
Nerone Ceccarelli for Gruppo NP2 — Sculptural Round Dining Table, Italy, 1982 A powerful and architectural table designed by Nerone Ceccarelli for the avant-garde collective Gruppo ...
Wood, Glass