From his early start at his father’s boutique furniture and cabinetry atelier — Arredamenti Borsani (ABV) — Italian designer Osvaldo Borsani began to steadily dream to life the movement-inducing pieces that would eventually lead to him founding his innovative furniture company, Tecno, with his twin brother, Fulgenzio.
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. He first worked for the family furniture-making firm, ABV, an atelier influenced by the more expressive and curvaceous wing of Art Deco design. Borsani took over Arredamenti Borsani in 1937.
With his stylish and technically innovative furniture, 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.
While he is today recognized as a master of mid-century modernist Italian furniture, Borsani is most famous these days for cofounding Tecno. (He and Fulgenzio also created Villa Borsani, a visionary mid-century estate cherished for its modern lines and exquisite custom furnishings.)
When Borsani opened Tecno, an office-focused maker of industrial design, his design sensibilities had evolved toward furnishings with strong, simple forms enhanced by mechanical innovations, as with the P40 adjustable armchair.
When they were originally released, Tecno pieces like the P40 and the award-winning D70 sofa bed were acclaimed as cutting-edge, and they are still considered groundbreaking in their adaptability and functionality. The firm quickly garnered widespread acclaim for its tech-forward designs and quality craftsmanship.
Borsani would be Tecno’s lead designer for 30 years, while partnering on projects with the likes of architect Eugenio Gerli and fostering work by Vico Magistretti, Carlo De Carli, Robin Day and others.
Borsani designed pieces for Tecno until shortly before his death in 1985, when his daughter Valeria and her husband, Marco Fantoni, took over the creative work.
Today, the family’s legacy is preserved by Borsani’s architect grandson Tommaso Fantoni, who, along with Norman Foster, curated a blockbuster retrospective of Osvaldo Borsani’s work at Milan’s Triennale Design Museum in 2018.
Find vintage Tecno chairs, tables, desks and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Set of 3 Nesting Tables T61E by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, Italy, 1957
By Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno
Located in Brussels, BE
Mid-Century Set of 3 Nesting Tables T61E by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, Italy, 1957
Metal
$5,584 / set
Tables Gigognes - ModèleT61
By Tecno, Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Paris, FR
Set of three side tables in rosewood, veneer and metal legs by Italian designer Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno
Metal
$5,880Sale Price / item|20% Off
Nesting Tables by Marco Fantoni
By Marco Fantoni, Tecno
Located in Chicago, IL
Marco Fantoni for Tecno, these unique nesting tables were designed for Borsani Commission. Bronze painted metal with leather tops. Measures: Height of largest table 16"width 23"dept...
Bronze
$4,216 / set
H 17.52 in W 27.56 in D 16.15 in
Teak "Sladen" “The Sled” Nesting Table by Carl Malmsten, Sweden
By Carl Malmsten
Located in Östermalm, Stockholms län
Beautiful “The Sled” nesting table by Carl Malmsten, made from teak. Light, graceful design with sled shaped legs and a discreet decor of inlaid spheres at the edges of the table tops.
Teak
$58,800 / set
H 44 in W 20.5 in D 23.5 in
Osvaldo Borsani Set of Eight Unique High Back Dining Chairs for Tecno, 1971
By Tecno, Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Chicago, IL
Osvaldo Borsani set of eight unique high back swivel dining chairs for Tecno 1971, Original cotton velvet upholstery, aluminum with bronzed finish. A copy of the blueprint included ...
Metal
T96 Desk Boomerang by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, 1950s
By Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno
Located in bruxelles, BE
1st edition of Wood and metal desk in the shape of a boomerang by Osvaldo Borsani. 2 modules, one with 3 drawers and another with 3 drawers and storage. No Keys. Wear due to time and...
Metal
Nesting Mirrored Table Set
Located in Houston, TX
Nesting mirrored table set of two tables featuring antiqued mirror surfaces and silver gilt trim. Table 1: 28"H x 28"W x 24"D Table 2: 25.75"H x 23.25"W x 24"D
Silver Leaf
McCobb for Winchendon Planner Group Nesting Tables c 1950's
By Winchendon, Paul McCobb
Located in New York, NY
Rare set of nesting tables designed by Paul McCobb for Winchendon Furniture. The rectangular tables nest, for easy storage and display. Both tables are selling in as is, as found condition, both show significant cosmetic wear, and will need to be refinished, the smaller table is missing the screw in end cap feet, please see images. Although the tables need some restoration, they are an unusual and hard to find form, and will clean up nicely as the tops are solid wood, and the wrought iron frames can easily be repainted. Larger Table 36 W x 18.5 D x 20 H inches Smaller Table 24...
Wrought Iron
Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno Tavolino "T1" , Italy 1960s
By Tecno, Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Naples, IT
Rare and stunning small table model T1 by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno. The coffee table is distinguished by its silhouette, characterized by a spherical element placed in the center of...
Chrome
$3,450
H 18.9 in Dm 30.71 in
Rare 'Mobiletto T128' Revolving Cabinet by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, Italy
By Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno
Located in Dronten, NL
An exceptionally rare Mobiletto T128 revolving cabinet designed by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno. A masterful example of Borsani's innovative approach to furniture design, the T128 combi...
Steel
$5,165 / set
H 19.69 in W 20.48 in D 20.48 in
Duna Nest Table, Side Table, Bedside Table in Solid Poplar Wood by Joel Escalona
By Joel Escalona
Located in Ciudad de México, CDMX
Duna Nest Table, Side Table, Bedside Table in Solid Poplar Wood by Joel Escalona Duna Collection is a set of wood tables and surfaces inspired by the vast sand dune regions of the w...
Wood, Poplar, Oak, Hardwood
$8,500 / set
H 17.5 in W 60 in D 32 in
Parchment Modern Sculptural Nesting Coffee Tables by Costantini, Cadenza
By Costantini
Located in New York, NY
Cadenza Parchment Modern Sculptural Nesting Coffee Tables. The Cadenza Nesting tables are handcrafted out of wood wrapped with geniune Argentine Goatskin, shown here in a natural fi...
Goatskin, Wood
$4,229 / item
H 16.93 in W 16.54 in D 25.99 in
Cosmos Nesting Coffee Table Shagreen & Bronze-Patina Brass by R&Y Augousti
By R & Y Augousti
Located in New York, NY
The Paris based label has distinguished themselves since their launch, with their iconic use of shagreen mixed with brass and other exotic materials. All furniture is handcrafted by skilled artisans, ultimately making each piece unique, designed in Paris and produced in the Philippines. The Cosmos nesting coffee...
Brass
Large Coffee Table by Marco FANTONI for TECNO 1971
By Marco Fantoni
Located in Berlin, Berlin
Minimalist coffee table (Tecno T147) with brushed metal base on wood containing eight drawers, thick glass shelf with brushed metal insert. Tecno labels on glass and all drawers. Eig...
Metal
Osvaldo Borsani T96 Executive Desk for Tecno, Italy, 1956
By Tecno, Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
The T96 is an executive desk that organises its architecture around two chromed pylons and a boomerang-shaped top, pushed out at each end into obtuse angles that open the desk toward...
Aluminum
Bar Trolley for Tecno 1970s
By Tecno
Located in bruxelles, BE
Furniture on casters stamped Tecno. Wear due to time and age of the furniture. Leather and wood covering.
Wood
Osvaldo Borsani Nesting Tables T61E Tecno Italy, 1957
By Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Nesting table set model T61E designed by Osvaldo Borsani and manufactured by Tecno, Italy 1957. The 3 tables have a v shaped black painted metal frame that slides in each other and t...
Metal
Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno Set of 3 Nesting Tables Model T61
By Tecno, Osvaldo Borsani
Located in New York, NY
Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno set of 3 modernist nesting tables with rosewood veneer tops on three black enamel tapering metal legs, Italy, circa 1957. The table tops consist of three st...
Metal