Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Entrepreneur Aurelio Zanotta founded Zanotta in 1954 in Nova Milanese, Italy. Originally called Zanotta Poltrona, it specialized in traditional furniture. By the early 1960s, however, Zanotta had established a reputation for edgy mid-century modern design. Today’s vintage furniture collectors know the brand well for its innovative and wholly sculptural chairs, coffee tables and more.
One of Zanotta’s earliest successes was the Mezzadro stool — better known as the Tractor stool — designed by Pier Giacomo Castiglioni and his brother Achille in the late 1950s. In 1965, Zanotta was among the first furniture companies to work with expanded polyurethane foam and frameless construction, such as for the Throw-Away sofas and armchairs designed by Willie Landels. Another popular design was the Blow chair — designed by Jonathan De Pas, Donato D’Urbino, Paolo Lomazzi and Carla Scolari — viewed by many as a physical expression of late '60s carefree culture.
In 1969, amid the provocative movement we now call Italian Radical Design, Zanotta’s Sacco chair garnered major attention. The boundary-pushing beanbag chair was the brainchild of designers Piero Gatti, Cesare Paolini and Franco Teodoro who presented it to Aurelio Zanotta as a transparent vinyl sack loosely filled with small polystyrene balls. He suggested its signature brightly colored leather.
The Sacco chair won the 1970 ADI Design Museum’s Compasso d’Oro award. In 1972, the Museum of Modern Art in New York included it in the landmark exhibition “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape” curated by designer Emilio Ambasz. In 2020, it received a Compasso d’Oro ADI Lifetime Achievement Award for 50 years of enduring popularity. It is now in museum collections around the world including the Triennale Design Museum of Milan, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, and London’s Victoria & Albert Museum.
After Aurelio Zanotta died in 1991, the company remained in his family and has been run by his three children since 2002. Zanotta continues to set the bar high for furniture design with trend-setting pieces.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Zanotta seating, tables and other furniture.
1980s Italian Bauhaus Vintage Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Stainless Steel
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Plastic
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Cowhide
21st Century and Contemporary Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Cowhide
21st Century and Contemporary Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Plastic
21st Century and Contemporary Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
1970s Italian Vintage Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Crystal, Steel
1970s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
Early 20th Century Czech Bauhaus Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Chrome
Early 20th Century American Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Wood, Walnut
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Granite, Copper
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Stainless Steel, Iron
Late 20th Century French Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Glass, Laminate
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Teak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Plastic
Early 20th Century Czech Bauhaus Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Chrome
Mid-20th Century Modern Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Laminate, Wood, Lacquer
Late 20th Century German Post-Modern Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Wood
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
2010s Italian Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Glass, Oak
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Glass, Oak
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Laminate
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Laminate, Wood
1970s Italian Modern Vintage Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Birch
1980s Italian Modern Vintage Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Brass
Late 20th Century Italian Modern Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Laminate, Wood
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Crystal, Metal
21st Century and Contemporary American Modern Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Steel
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Crystal, Metal
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Zanotta Desks and Writing Tables
Metal