With a surname that loosely translates to a synonym for “bizarre” in Italian, Milanese designer and architect Paolo Buffa is best known for capturing the best of both old and new in his plush, enveloping lounge chairs and wingback chairs as well as his range of modern tables, each dazzling and provocative but built using classical techniques.
Purposely playful and airy, mid-century Italian interiors encouraged merriment and socializing. Buffa’s work was well suited to this, but unlike the postwar designers who established recognizable trademarks and signatures, his vintage furniture for Cassina and other firms — the sculptural side tables and case pieces of walnut and solid oak, the luxurious sheepskin sofas — differed considerably from one design to the next, making them appealing to a range of interior decorators and socialites with specific taste. The son of a highly sought-after artist, Giovanni Buffa, Paolo graduated in 1927 from Politecnico di Milano. He then spent time working under architects and designers Gio Ponti and Emilio Lancia. Ponti, who himself crafted thousands of furnishings and endlessly creative rooms, was so taken with the young designer that in 1928 he featured his simple and elegant rosewood dressing table in his new magazine, Domus.
After opening a firm with his regular collaborator Antonio Cassi Ramelli, Buffa became one of the leading tastemakers of Italian mid-century modern furnishings, designing for villas and residential buildings across the country. His style was a mix of Art Deco, Rationalism, neoclassicism and a bit of whimsy. He used high-quality materials and regularly worked with local ateliers known for their fine craftsmanship to produce his designs, such as Serafino Arrighi and Marelli & Colico. In 1940, he partnered with the Mario Quarti furniture studio on the royal palace of Albania’s King Zog, with Buffa designing the furniture, and in 1951, Egypt’s King Farouk enlisted him to redecorate his yacht.
While Buffa’s transcendent pieces are now collector’s items, there are a few still in production, such as those he made with Angelo Marelli. His eponymous firm, the Italian furniture producer Eredi Marelli, still manufactures some designs based on Buffa’s archives.
Find a collection of vintage Paolo Buffa furniture today on 1stDibs.
Paolo Buffa Floor Lamp in Parchement and Wood, 1952
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Paolo Buffa Floor Lamp in Parchement and Wood, Italy, 1952 Designed in 1952, this floor lamp by Paolo Buffa reflects the quiet elegance that defines his postwar production. The tape...
Wood, Parchment Paper
Italian wood arc floor lamp in rattan, 1970s
Located in Antwerpen, VAN
Beautiful arched floor lamp in rattan with a jute shade. It was made in Italy in the 1960s but remains in very good condition. Not only is it an interesting piece visually, the vibe ...
Wicker, Rattan, Wood
Scandinavian Midcentury Floor Lamp in Brass and Wood
By Aneta
Located in Karlstad, SE
Scandinavian midcentury tripod floor lamp in brass and wood by Aneta, Sweden. This lamp is made of solid brass, with details of black painted wood. Condition: Very good original...
Brass
$21,739 / item
H 78.75 in W 59.06 in D 43.31 in
Sculptural Floor Lamp - Organic Shaped Floor Lamp in Red Oak and Walnut Wood
By Alexander Knysch
Located in Waiblingen, BW
The floor lamp is sculpted using various hand tools, making each piece unique with its own distinctive wood grain. The sculptural floor lamp is characterized by its seamless flow, wi...
Oak, Walnut
Robert Mathieu, Floor Lamp "Pendulum", France, 1952
By Robert Mathieu
Located in Barcelona, ES
Robert Mathieu (1921-2002) Floor lamp model 56 or “Pendulum” Manufactured by Arteluce France, 1952 Brass, fabric Measurements: 190 cm height 74.8 in height Biography R...
Brass
Floor Lamp No. 5 - Vrksa Series - Bent Wood Lamp in Ash Wood
By Raka Studio
Located in Cape Girardeau, MO
This sculptural floor lamp is part of the Vrksa Series and derives its inspiration from The Forms line of works. The piece demonstrates the flow of wood, the emerging and the reducti...
Ash, Bentwood
English Midcentury Brass and Wood Floor Lamp
Located in Leicester, GB
Beautiful midcentury floor lamp from England. The lamp is made of brass and wood. The stand has an ebonized mahogany base with brass details and is ...
Brass
$3,525
H 55.91 in Dm 23.63 in
Scandinavian Midcentury Floor Lamp in Brass and Wood by Falkenbergs, Sweden
By Falkenbergs Belysning
Located in Karlstad, SE
Lovely floor lamp in brass and rosewood by Falkenbergs, Sweden, 1960s. The design is simple and lets the attention focus on the perfectly harmonizing details of this lamp. Condition...
Brass
Rare Angelo Lelii Adjustable Italian Marble and Brass Floor Lamp, 1952
By Angelo Lelii
Located in Praha, CZ
A rare, collectible floor lamp designed by Angelo Lelii, crafted in Italy in the 1952s and admired for its sculptural elegance and refined functionality. The lamp features a solid wh...
Marble, Metal, Brass, Aluminum
$7,638
H 55.12 in W 9.06 in D 31.5 in
Paolo Tilche Floor Lamp Model S3 Produced by Sirrah in Bologna, Italy
By Paolo Tilche
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
Rare flexible floor lamp model S3 designed by Paolo Tilche. Produced by Sirrah in Bologna, Italy.
Metal, Chrome
Gilt and Painted Wood Floor Lamp
Located in Antwerp, BE
A candelabrum shaped carved, gilt and painted wood lamp stand in the neoclassical style, mid-20th century. Height without shade: 168 cm. Diameter: 38 cm. Height with shade: 177 cm. ...
Giltwood, Wood
Giuseppe Ostuni Floor Lamp Oluce, 1952
By Giuseppe Ostuni, Oluce
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Very nice and sophisticated floor lamp designed by Giuseppe Ostuni and manufactured by Oluce, Italy, 1952. This lamp has a stem that is adjustable in angle and the shade is as well. ...
Marble, Aluminum, Brass
Floor lamp designed by Silvio BILANGIONE and Paolo PORTOGHESI, 1967
By Silvio Bilangione, Paolo Portoghesi
Located in Berlin, Berlin
Floor lamp by Silvio Bilangione and Paolo Portoghesi. Italy, Fumagalli, 1967. 'HELGA' floor lamp has a solid wood base and a shaped plywood top, lacquered in white satin paint. One ...
Plywood
Sold
H 28 in W 14.5 in D 8.5 in
Paolo Buffa Rare Pair of Large Brass Wall Lights with Paper Shades, 1940s
By Paolo Buffa
Located in New York, NY
Paolo Buffa for Achille Donzelli rare and important pair of large six-arm wall lights or sconces with intricately decorative brass structures each with six lights with vellum or pape...
Brass
20th Century Paolo Buffa Crystal Pendant Lamp 1930
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Turin, Turin
Paolo Buffa (Milan 1903-1970), architect and designer, worked in the field of furniture design. Trained in the studio of Ponti and Lancia, from where he borrowed elements of neoclass...
Brass
Single Sconce by G.C.M.E.
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Custom sconces by G.C.M.E. Designed and manufactured in Italy, circa the 1940s. Three cone shaped lights are masked by a beautiful scallop lipped shade. The shade can pivot up and do...
Aluminum, Brass
Pair of Custom Sconces by Paolo Buffa
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of custom sconces by Paolo Buffa. Designed and manufactured in Italy, circa the 1940s. Three cone shaped lights are masked by a beautiful scallop lipped shade. The shade can piv...
Brass, Aluminum
A Paolo Buffa Chandelier
By Paolo Buffa
Located in St.Petersburg, FL
A rare chandelier by Paolo Buffa, edition Donzelli, Italy, 1930's.
Glass