Poltrona Frau Desks and Writing Tables
If an Italian soldier named Renzo Frau had never traveled to Great Britain and set eyes on a Chesterfield armchair, it is unlikely that legendary handcrafted furniture maker Poltrona Frau and its classic sofas, armchairs and vanities would exist today.
Upon completing his service in the Italian army during the early 1900s, the Sardinian-born Frau worked for faux leather manufacturing company Dermoide Patent in Turin. While at the firm, he was sent to England, where he became enamored with leather Chesterfield armchairs. Intrigued and inspired by their rolled arms and tall, imposing profile, Frau returned to Turin, where he started his own leather-upholstered furniture company, Poltrona Frau, in 1912. He began to import the sumptuous Edwardian seating for the high-end domestic market.
Frau made slight modifications to the English seat that he’d so admired, and among Poltrona Frau’s first successful designs was an iconic armchair in 1919 appropriately called the Chester. Believed to have been custom-made for Filiberto Ludovico of Savoy, Duke of Pistoia, the Chester reflected the era’s emerging Art Deco style. Frau’s chair was comfortable and functional, and he implemented the traditional upholstery technique capitonné, which refers to stuffing that is buttoned. The Chester featured a pouf and an arm that was possibly included to hold the Duke’s ashtray. The seat’s high-quality craftsmanship and integration of exquisite full-grain leather made it covetable among Italy’s elite.
When Renzo Frau died in 1926, Poltrona Frau was appointed furniture supplier to Italy’s royal family. The company furnished grand hotels, designed the interiors for Expo Turin 1928 and outfitted an Italian transatlantic ocean liner.
For more than a century, Poltrona Frau has collaborated with hundreds of leading architects and designers from around the world. It issued such iconic mid-century modern pieces as Gio Ponti’s Dezza armchair, the 1960s-era Dilly Dally vanity by Italian designer Luigi Massoni, stackable tubular steel Movie armchairs by Italian architect Mario Marenco and French architect Jean-Marie Massaud’s sleek, angular Kennedee office sofa.
Poltrona Frau has established showrooms all over the world and creates interiors for Italian automotive brands Maserati and Ferrari. The company is owned by Haworth and continues to introduce innovative, handmade home furnishings while occasionally gazing back into time — its Chester line, a modular seating system by Poltrona Frau CEO Nicola Coropulis and Roberto Lazzeroni, is a contemporary interpretation of the founder’s original Chesterfield-style seating.
Find vintage Poltrona Frau club chairs, coffee tables, desks and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Early 2000s Italian Modern Poltrona Frau Desks and Writing Tables
Aluminum, Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Poltrona Frau Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Plastic
1960s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Poltrona Frau Desks and Writing Tables
Aluminum, Steel, Chrome
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Poltrona Frau Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
1950s Italian Modern Vintage Poltrona Frau Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Poltrona Frau Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Plastic
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Poltrona Frau Desks and Writing Tables
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Poltrona Frau Desks and Writing Tables
Plastic
2010s American Modern Poltrona Frau Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Poltrona Frau Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Poltrona Frau Desks and Writing Tables
Aluminum
1960s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Poltrona Frau Desks and Writing Tables
Aluminum
1930s Italian Art Deco Vintage Poltrona Frau Desks and Writing Tables
Brass, Copper, Steel
Early 2000s Italian Poltrona Frau Desks and Writing Tables
Leather
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Poltrona Frau Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Poltrona Frau Desks and Writing Tables
Poltrona Frau desks and writing tables for sale on 1stDibs.
- What is Poltrona Frau leather?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Poltrona Frau is a furniture-maker in Turin Italy that has a special technique it uses to craft durable leather. Leather made by Poltrona Frau goes through a 21-step tanning process, which is much more than standard practice. The full-grain leather is dyed through so a scratch will not reveal a different hue underneath. Its estimated that 95% of the company's products are made by hand to ensure superior quality. Shop a collection of Poltrona Frau furniture from some of the worlds top sellers on 1stDibs.