Luisa Chair
After working for approximately 15 years through several prototypes of the design (one of which was manufactured by Knoll in the late 1940s), the Italian designer, architect and urban planner Franco Albini (1905–77) finished what is considered to be a masterpiece: the Luisa chair. The dignified armchair is upholstered in warm red fabric and named after Luisa Colombini, Albini’s personal assistant and secretary of two decades. Lightweight and initially available in teak, mahogany and beech, the definitive version of the Luisa chair was put into production by Poggi in 1955.
The Luisa is often compared to the similarly minimal and sturdy Leggera chair conceived by like-minded rationalist architect and designer Giò Ponti, under whom Albini apprenticed after receiving his degree in architecture from the Polytechnic University of Milan in 1929.
Not unlike Ponti’s work, Albini’s designs often merged traditional Italian craftsmanship with the modernist flourishes that had occupied Italian rationalists. It was this blend of functionalism and style that earned Albini numerous awards, including several Compasso d’Oro prizes, a prestigious Italian award for excellence in industrial design. His first Compasso d’Oro was for the Luisa chair, which is part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and is still manufactured by Cassina.
Luisa Chair
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Wood
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Rattan
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Rattan, Reed
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Vintage 1940s Italian Dining Room Chairs
Naugahyde, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Wood, Fabric
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Wood
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Teak
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Wood
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Footstools
Rattan
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Iron
Vintage 1960s Italian French Provincial Ottomans and Poufs
Rattan
1990s Moroccan Moorish Ottomans and Poufs
Leather
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Rattan
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chaise Longues
Cotton, Cord, Sycamore
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Wood, Rattan
Mid-20th Century Italian Ottomans and Poufs
Wicker, Rattan
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Wood
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Rattan
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Upholstery
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Bamboo, Rattan, Wicker
21st Century and Contemporary Belgian Ottomans and Poufs
Velvet, Wood
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Teak
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Wood
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Footstools
Rattan
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Textile, Wood
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Bouclé, Wood
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Wood
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Vintage 1950s Italian Modern Chairs
Textile, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Wool, Walnut
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Nutwood
2010s Italian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Leather