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Paolo Buffa Mirrors

Italian, 1903-1970

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.

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Creator: Paolo Buffa
Pair of Rectangular Ivory Lacquered Wooden Wall Mirrors by Paolo Buffa, Italy
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy. 1948 - 1950 . These mirrors feature a gold and ivory lacquered beech frame. They are vintage pieces, therefore they might show slight their original patina and traces...
Category

1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paolo Buffa Mirrors

Materials

Mirror, Beech, Maple

20th Century Italian Rectangular Mahogany Wall Glass Mirror by Paolo Buffa
By Paolo Buffa
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A light-brown, vintage Mid-Century Modern Italian wall mirror with its original mirror glass, enhanced by brass nailheads, designed by Paolo Buffa in good condition. The backside of ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Paolo Buffa Mirrors

Materials

Metal, Brass

Paolo Buffa Carved Walnut Wall Mirror, circa 1940
By Paolo Buffa
Located in New York, NY
A Paolo Buffa designed very finely carved walnut mirror, Italy, circa 1940. This exquisite and grand in scale wall mirror is trapezoid in form, with exceptional and delicate hand-car...
Category

1940s Italian Art Deco Vintage Paolo Buffa Mirrors

Materials

Crystal

Paolo Buffa Italian Mid-Century Brown Rectangle Wall Mirror
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Queens, NY
Italian Mid-Century large mahogany horizontal wall mirror (PAOLO BUFFA) frame needs some repair and refinishing
Category

20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Paolo Buffa Mirrors

Materials

Glass

Mirror by Paolo Buffa
By Paolo Buffa
Located in San Francisco, CA
A tailored mirror with a unique cast brass edge detail by Paolo Buffa. Italy, circa 1950s. Paolo Buffa for Serafino Arrighi.
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Paolo Buffa Mirrors

Materials

Brass

Italian Art Deco Cherry Wood and Glass Mirror by Paolo Buffa, 1940s
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Meda, MB
This Art Deco mirror was produced in Italy in the 1940s by Paolo Buffa. The structure is in cherry wood, while the frontal part are in mirror and glass.. Matching hanging console av...
Category

1940s Italian Art Deco Vintage Paolo Buffa Mirrors

Materials

Cherry, Mirror, Glass

Paolo Buffa Art Deco figured walnut full length Mirror with metal crown 1930s
By Paolo Buffa
Located in London, Fitzrovia
PAOLO BUFFA & ANTONIO CASSI RAMELLI mirror, execution by Paolo Lietti e Figli, Cantù. A Paolo Buffa good quality, heavy 1930s Art Deco Figured Walnut full length wall mirror with ...
Category

20th Century Italian Art Deco Paolo Buffa Mirrors

Materials

Metal

Paolo Buffa for Serafino Arrighi Rare Walnut Radicca Mirror, Italy, 1930s
By Paolo Buffa
Located in New York, NY
Paolo Buffa designed and executed by cabinetmaker Serafino Arrighi rare walnut radica mirror, Italy, 1930s. This exquisite hand-crafted artisan mirror i...
Category

1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Paolo Buffa Mirrors

Materials

Walnut

Rectangular Ebonized beech and Maple Wall Mirror Attr. to Paolo Buffa, Italy
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Bresso, Lombardy
Made in Italy. 1940s . This mirror features an ebonized beech and maple frame. It is a vintage piece, therefore it shows slight traces of use and signs of oxidation that are coheren...
Category

1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paolo Buffa Mirrors

Materials

Mirror, Beech, Maple

Paolo Buffa Bedroom Set with Vanity Mirror, Armchairs and Ottoman
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Milano, IT
Wonderful bedroom set designed by the great designer Paolo Buffa in the 1950s for fine Italian manufacture. The set consists of dressing table cabinet with vanity mirror...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Paolo Buffa Mirrors

Materials

Fabric, Mirror, Wood

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Rare brass mirror by Paolo Buffa, with cornocopies
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Art Deco Credenza in Rosewood and Maple with Mirror by Paolo Buffa, 1940s, Set
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Paolo Buffa Vintage Mirror in Bronze and Iron Netting
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Paolo Buffa Vintage Wooden Separator with Mirror
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Mirror by Paolo Buffa
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Brass framed mirror by Paolo Buffa, the plate engraved with receding star motifs, manufactured by Paolo Lietti E Figli, Italy, circa 1940s, with "Certificate of Authenticity" from th...
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Mirror by Paolo Buffa
Mirror by Paolo Buffa
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Important and Large Paolo Buffa Mahogany Wall Mirror, 1948
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Rome, IT
Important large wall mirror designed by Paolo Buffa, 1948. Executed by F.lli Lietti, Cantù. Mahogany, mirror. Very good condition. Measures: H 85 cm: 128 x 5 cm. The lot comes ...
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1940s Italian Modern Vintage Paolo Buffa Mirrors

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Italian Mirror 50s By Paolo Buffa
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Italian mirror 50's by Paolo Buffa. This whimsical mirror is just another fine example of Italian design brought to you by Eccola!
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1950s Italian Vintage Paolo Buffa Mirrors

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1950s Italian Vintage Paolo Buffa Mirrors

Paolo Buffa mirrors for sale on 1stDibs.

Paolo Buffa mirrors are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of mirror and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Paolo Buffa mirrors, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original mirrors by Paolo Buffa were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider mirrors by Giovanni Gariboldi, Ico Parisi, and Carlo Scarpa. Prices for Paolo Buffa mirrors can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $2,875 and can go as high as $29,500, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $7,500.

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