Osvaldo Borsani Wardrobes and Armoires
Italian, 1911-1985
With his stylish and technically innovative furniture, Osvaldo Borsani helped change the face of Italian design in the 1950s and ’60s. His sofas and chairs, featuring deeply upholstered seating and adjustable position settings, have an aura of optimism and efficiency that still seems fresh and lively today.
Born in the commune of Varedo in northern Italy’s Lombardy region, Borsani studied at the Brera Academy in Milan — the same school attended by such luminaries as designer Piero Fornasetti and artist Lucio Fontana — as well as the Polytechnic University of Milan. Borsani first worked for his father’s furniture-making firm, Arredamenti Borsani, an atelier influenced by the more expressive and curvaceous wing of Art Deco design.
By 1953, when, along with his twin brother, Fulgenzio — the pair also created this visionary mid-century villa — Borsani opened the furniture company Tecno, his design sensibilities had evolved toward furnishings with strong, simple forms enhanced by mechanical innovations, as with the P40 adjustable armchair. Borsani would be the firm’s lead designer for 30 years, while fostering work by Vico Magistretti, Carlo De Carli, Robin Day and others.
Similar to Gio Ponti in the earliest years of his career, Borsani first created designs marked by lush and buoyant lines: tables with voluptuous curved legs, sofas with undulating backrests.
But Borsani’s best-known and most novel pieces date from Tecno’s initial furniture lines: the adjustable D70 sofa, which folds open to make a daybed, and the P40 recliner. The latter — now included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum — is an articulated lounger with a back, seat and leg rest that can be moved into 486 different positions. Not only is it extremely comfortable, it is also enduringly chic.
Find a collection of vintage Osvaldo Borsani tables, dining chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.
to
Height
to
Width
to
Depth
to
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
2
1
1
2
2
2
2
2
278
30
30
23
22
Creator: Osvaldo Borsani
Osvaldo Borsani oak cabinet with doors, drawers & drop-front panel, Italy, 1945
By Osvaldo Borsani, Arredamenti Borsani
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
A large oak storage cabinet with doors, drawers and drop-front panel
design by Osvaldo Borsani, manufactured by Arredamenti Borsani Varedo, Italy, 1945
This substantial storage cabi...
Category
1940s Italian Art Deco Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Brass
20th Century Osvaldo Borsani Two Mirrored Doors Closet with Lights for ABV, 40s
By Osvaldo Borsani, Atelier Borsani Varedo
Located in Turin, Turin
Osvaldo Borsani in 1953, together with his brother Fulgenzio, realized his most complex project: a company idea named after the "techne" of the Greeks, which means both art and techn...
Category
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Brass
Related Items
20th Italian Wardrobe walnut four doors mirror
Located in Buggiano, IT
Italian wardrobe with 4 doors, in solid walnut, rusticated on the sides and on the front.
It can be completely disassembled. Inside, in the left part there is a chest of drawers wit...
Category
Late 20th Century Italian Rustic Osvaldo Borsani Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Walnut, Fir
Room '56 bedroom closet for Dico, 1950's
Located in Steenwijk, NL
This refined wooden bedroom closet was designed for the former and renowned Dutch bed manufacturer DICO in the 1950's. It was part of the 'Kamer 56' (tr...
Category
1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Metal
Spanish 19th Century Geometric-Carved Panel 2-Door Wood Cabinet
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Spanish carved-wood tall cabinet with two doors from the 19th century. This antique armoire from Spain features a molded cornice at top, with a case that houses a pair of four pane...
Category
19th Century Spanish Antique Osvaldo Borsani Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Wood
20th Wardrobe two doors white shelves
Located in Buggiano, IT
Italian wardrobe with two doors in fir, completely dismountable. It has two transverse clothes hanger rods inside. The useful depth is 38cm.
If you want I can customize it by adding ...
Category
Early 20th Century Italian Rustic Osvaldo Borsani Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Fir
20th Century Single Italian Door Wardrobe in Solid Walnut with External Mirror
Located in Buggiano, IT
20th century Single Italian door wardrobe in solid walnut with external mirror, with internal drawer and clothes rail.
The piece of furniture can be completely disassembled into 10 p...
Category
20th Century Italian Rustic Osvaldo Borsani Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Walnut, Fir
$1,513
H 90.16 in W 45.28 in D 22.05 in
Rare Osvaldo Borsani Floral Painted Cabinet
By Adriano Spilimbergo, Osvaldo Borsani
Located in North Miami, FL
Full documented Borsani cabinet, painted by Adriano Spilimbergo in relief pastel floral motif. Subtle yet amazingly beautiful. Cast brass hardware, original green glass interior shelf. Interior is entirely original down to the harlequin vinyl upholstery and wood carved coat rack...
Category
1940s Italian Art Deco Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Brass
Early 20th Century Whitewashed Massive Baltic Pine Two-Door Armoire
Located in Barntrup, DE
This beautiful and massive early 20th-century Baltic armoire features paneled doors and two pull-out drawers below, three massive turned column pilasters, and two half-columns on each door. The exterior front side has a whitewashed finish. Inside, the pine remains in its raw color. The right side is equipped with two drawers, in both sides, there are original wooden clothes hangers...
Category
Early 20th Century Latvian Art Nouveau Osvaldo Borsani Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Metal
$2,635
H 77.96 in W 59.06 in D 27.17 in
Tall Italian Cabinet w/ Photography Print Front Doors
Located in North Miami, FL
Entirely repurposed as an elegant bar cabinet. The interior provides shelves and a cotton fabric paneling in neutral stripes which compliments beautifully the architectural photogra...
Category
1950s Italian Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Brass
Osvaldo Borsani Mid-Century Modern Italian Sideboard with Bar Cabinet, 1950s
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Sideboard with bar mobile Osvaldo Borsani for Furniture Varedo Borsani. The locker in the center has a limelight and four drawers, in the upper part 3 folding doors and inside the co...
Category
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Brass
$4,683 Sale Price
40% Off
H 57.09 in W 70.87 in D 17.72 in
20th Century Italian Large Mahogany Cocktail Bar Attributed to Osvaldo Borsani
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A large vintage Mid-Century modern Italian cocktail bar with a counter made of hand crafted polished Mahogany and Rosewood, designed most likely by Osvaldo Borsani, in good condition...
Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Osvaldo Borsani Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Marble, Metal, Brass
$42,900
H 68.5 in W 56 in D 44.5 in
11 door brass and bronze closet design luciano frigerio 1970s
By Luciano Frigerio di Desio
Located in taranto, IT
stunning 11-opening closet, design luciano frigerio, featuring bronze handles, brass frames, and beige fabric panels.
measures about 290 cm wide, 63 cm deep and 280 cm high (...pos...
Category
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Brass, Bronze
$8,983
H 109.45 in W 113.39 in D 24.81 in
20th Century Italian Three Door Wardrobe in Original Cream Colour and Gold
Located in Buggiano, IT
20th Century Italian three door wardrobe original cream and gold.
The wardrobe is made up of three blocks joined together, the lateral ones with three drawers at the bottom and a do...
Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Osvaldo Borsani Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Beech, Fir
$1,437 Sale Price
38% Off
H 88.59 in W 72.84 in D 23.63 in
Previously Available Items
Pair of wooden wardrobes model system E22, by Osvaldo Borsani, Italy, 1960s
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Milano, IT
Pair of wooden wardrobes model system E22, by Osvaldo Borsani, Italy1960s .
Beautiful pair of one door wall wardrobe with black painted metal posts and woo...
Category
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Metal
H 108.27 in W 27.56 in D 19.69 in
Unique Osvaldo Borsani Highboard in Cherry with Flora and Fauna Motifs
By Osvaldo Borsani, Arredamenti Borsani
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Osvaldo Borsani for Arredamenti Borsani Varedo, wardrobe, cherry, lacquer, lacquered wood, brass, mirrored glass, aluminum, metal, Italy, circa 1950
A truly exceptional piece designed custom for a private client by the Italian visionary Osvaldo Borsani for Arredamenti Borsani Varedo. As early as 1941, ABV showcased one of the first wardrobes featuring intricate flora and fauna illustrations—a testament to their artistic approach. Wardrobe designs stood as an important endeavor for ABV, and Borsani's ingenuity was apparent in the numerous adaptations made: doors adorned with diverse prints, interiors tailored to suit specific client preferences, and a spectrum of customizable finishes were all hallmarks of their creative output. The body of this piece is meticulously crafted from exquisite warm-toned cherry wood, adhering to a simple yet elegant design enriched by intricate carvings running along its border. The four door panels bear the skilled handiwork of Adriano Spilimbergo (1908-1975), a painter known for his picturesque landscapes. These panels are adorned with mesmerizing illustrations of leaves and flowers, achieved through the art of relief lacquering, and rendered in subtle and delicate colors. Inside, the interior is adorned with a vibrant blue hue, and it is thoughtfully furnished with coat racks, tie rack, drawers, and mirrors. This piece stands as a genuine masterpiece, excelling not just in its functionality but also in its aesthetic excellence.
Osvaldo Borsani (1911-1985) was an Italian designer and architect, raised by a family of fine furniture makers in Varedo. At the age of 16, he joined his father’s furniture shop, the Atelier di Varedo, which was fully engaged in designing and furnishing homes inspired by the Italian Art Deco movement. The designer of the atelier was the Italian architect Gino Maggioni (1898-1955) who was known for his Viennese Jugendstil orientation of the early 20th century. In the 1930s, he graduated from the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera and Politecnico di Milano, where he studied Fine Arts and Architecture respectively. In 1932, the family company was renamed ‘Arredamenti Borsani’ and opened its first studio in Milan. During this period, he encountered Avant-Garde artists of various artistic disciplines like Lucio Fontana (1899-1968), Agenore Fabbri (1911-1998), Aligi Sassu (1912-2000), Roberto Crippa (1921-1972), Fausto Melotti (1901-1986), Arnaldo Pomodoro (1926-) and Giò Pomodoro (1930-2002). These collaborations resulted in the creation of furniture and interior design projects with a high-level of craftsmanship and artistry. In 1953, Borsani founded together with his twin brother Fulgenzio Borsani ‘Tecno’, a design and manufacturing company that produced items based on mechanical innovations and refined technicality. The ‘P40’ adjustable lounge chair (1953) has become the ideological manifesto of Borsani's Tecno program, and still remains the best known, exemplary piece in the Tecno catalogue. Other iconic works that were produced by Tecno were created by Gio Ponti (1891-1979), Vico cham...
Category
1940s Italian Art Deco Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Metal, Aluminum, Brass
H 70.87 in W 86.62 in D 22.64 in
Osvaldo Borsani Cabinet
By Osvaldo Borsani, Arredamenti Borsani
Located in New York, NY
2-door pleated cabinet #6426 by Osvaldo Borsani for ABV. Mahogany, maple, bronze, brass. Pleated wood face, and interior drawers and shelving on shaped wood base. Wood has been refin...
Category
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Brass, Bronze
Mid Century Modern Italian Cabinet by Osvaldo Borsani
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in London, GB
Large cabinet with carved doors by Osvaldo Borsani, with carving by Voltan. The interior is currently fitted for coat hanging but this could be easily con...
Category
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Osvaldo Borsani Wardrobes and Armoires
Materials
Fruitwood
Osvaldo Borsani wardrobes and armoires for sale on 1stDibs.
Osvaldo Borsani wardrobes and armoires are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Osvaldo Borsani wardrobes and armoires, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original wardrobes and armoires by Osvaldo Borsani were created in the mid-century modern style in italy during the 1940s. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider wardrobes and armoires by and Paolo Buffa. Prices for Osvaldo Borsani wardrobes and armoires can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $28,368 and can go as high as $38,700, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $33,534.