Achille Salvagni, Lacquer and Bronze Bench, Italy, 2015

Known for his use of luxurious materials such as precious metals, warm woods and even gemstones in his extensive range of tables, lighting and decorative objects, Italian architect and interior designer Achille Salvagni is widely collected and celebrated by design enthusiasts around the globe.

Born in Rome in 1970, Salvagni was raised in a home that was filled with an eclectic mix of early 20th-century furniture and objects, thanks to his father’s buying tours of art and furniture galleries in Milan and Rome. Salvagni’s father was a key influence on his early interest in art and design — the younger Salvagni began drawing furniture at the age of 10. He would later find inspiration in the work of modernist architects like Alvar Aalto and Erik Gunnar Asplund.

Salvagni attended Sapienza University in Rome, obtaining a degree in architecture in 1998. He subsequently won a grant to study at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. 

In 2002, Salvagni founded his architecture firm Salvagni Architetti where his early projects included supermarket interiors, grand Italian apartments and yacht cabins. In 2007, he won an award at the World Yacht Trophies in Cannes for his work on the M.Y. Mikymar, a 120-foot, four-cabin yacht. 

Salvagni’s reputation for his sleek, lavish interiors drew acclaim from critics and fellow designers, and he soon established an elite global clientele. Although his primary focus was on interior design, Salvagni often found himself creating furnishings to complement his decorating projects.

While Salvagni draws from a wide range of historical elements in many of his furniture designs — for example, his Lancea table lamp is inspired by a voluminous skirt worn by Queen Elizabeth I — the influence of Art Deco can be seen in some of his coffee tables, wall sconces, side tables and chairs.

“Art Deco is the perfect balance between the past and the future,” Salvagni told Introspective. 

Salvagni has exhibited at several galleries worldwide, including Maison Gerard in Manhattan and the Laguna gallery in London. His first show at the former took place in 2013, and designers like Amy Lau, Victoria Hagan and Jamie Drake bought pieces on behalf of clients. Salvagni's works have also been shown at PAD exhibitions in Paris, London, Monaco and Geneva. 

Find Achille Salvagni decorative objects, seating, storage cabinets and other furniture on 1stDibs.