Pair of Paolo Buffa Armchairs in Mahogany and Black Velvet, Italy, 1940s
View Similar Items
Pair of Paolo Buffa Armchairs in Mahogany and Black Velvet, Italy, 1940s
About the Item
- Creator:Paolo Buffa (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 32.68 in (83 cm)Width: 26.38 in (67 cm)Depth: 28.35 in (72 cm)Seat Height: 14.57 in (37 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Late 1940s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:The Hague, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1803315450182
Paolo Buffa
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.
- Exceptional Guglielmo Ulrich Armchair in Velvet and Fluted Walnut, Italy, 1940sBy Guglielmo UlrichLocated in The Hague, NLThis exceptionally rare armchair was designed by Guglielmo Ulrich in the 1940s. The elegant design is marked by the distinct, curved lines of the winged backrest and the rounded li...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsVelvet, Walnut
- Pair of Bertil Söderberg Armchairs in Mahogany for Nordiska Kompaniet, 1940sBy Bertil Söderberg 1, Nordiska KompanietLocated in The Hague, NLThis rare pair of armchairs was designed by Bertil Söderberg and produced by Nordiska Kompaniet in Sweden in the 1940s. The elegant shape of the desig...Category
Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wool, Upholstery, Wood, Mahogany
- Paolo Buffa Attributed Sideboard in Walnut and Brass, Serafino Arrighi, 1940sBy Serafino Arrighi, Paolo BuffaLocated in The Hague, NLThis exceptional sideboard was produced by the company Serafino Arrighi in Cantù, Italy in the late 1940s. The design is attributed to Paolo Buffa, who worked with Serafino Arrighi f...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
MaterialsBrass
- Pair of Jacob Kjær High Back Armchairs in Bouclé and Mahogany, Denmark, 1940sBy Jacob KjaerLocated in The Hague, NLThis very rare pair of armchairs was designed and produced by Jacob Kjær in Denmark in the late 1940s. The sumptuous design is marked by the distinct combination of curved and straig...Category
Vintage 1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wool, Bouclé, Upholstery, Wood, Mahogany
- Axel Larsson Armchair in Bouclé and Mahogany, Sweden, 1940sBy SMF Svenska Möbelfabriken Bodafors, Slagelse Mobelvaerk, Axel LarssonLocated in The Hague, NLThis rare armchair was designed by Axel Larsson and produced in Sweden in the 1940s. The elegant and dynamic design is formed by the curved shape of the armrests and backrest. The le...Category
Vintage 1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wool, Bouclé, Upholstery, Wood
- Paolo Buffa Buffet / Sideboard in Walnut and Brass, Mario Quarti, Milan, 1940sBy Mario Quarti, Paolo BuffaLocated in The Hague, NLThis exceptional counter-buffet / sideboard was designed by Paolo Buffa and produced by Mario Quarti in Milan, Italy, in the 1940s. The sideboard stands on four grooved, turned twis...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Modern Sideboards
MaterialsBrass
- Spectacular Pair of Paolo Buffa Armchairs, Italy, 1940sBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Milan, ITSplendid pair of streamline Paolo Buffa armchairs, Sculpted wood parts. Ref: I mobili di Paolo Buffa p. 23.Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Club Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Paolo Buffa Style Mid-Century Italian Armchair Heavenly Velvet Wood, 1940sBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Palermo, SicilyPaolo Buffa style mid-cemtury Italian armchair heavenly velvet wood brown 1940s.Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsVelvet, Walnut
$2,184 Sale Price20% Off - Paolo Buffa High Back Armchairs in Original Ochre Upholstery, Italy, 1940sBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Milan, ITPaolo Buffa high back armchairs in original ochre upholstery, Italy 1940s.Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Pair of 1940s Italian Wing Armchairs Light Blue Tufted Back by Paolo BuffaBy Paolo BuffaLocated in London, GBA great pair of 1940s wing armchairs, Italian design by Poalo Buffa. Tufted back, light blue fabric upholstery tapered cone shaped dark wooden feet, compl...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Hardwood
- pair of green velvet Paolo Buffa armchairs, 1950By Paolo BuffaLocated in Rome, ITpair of rare green wing back armchairs by Paolo Buffa circa 1959 directly from the original forniture of the Hotel Bristol, Merano re-upholstery in green velvet and mint velvet cor...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsVelvet, Walnut
$5,241 / set - Wingback Armchair by Paolo Buffa Reupholstered in Bouclé Fabric, Italy 1940s ThBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Almelo, NLWingback Armchair by Paolo Buffa Reupholstered in Bouclé Fabric, Italy 1940s This elegant high-back Paolo Buffa armchair featured a sculpted wingback and armrest was made in Italy i...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
MaterialsBouclé, Walnut