Paolo Buffa, An Italian Upholstered and Mahogany Sofa / Bench
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Paolo Buffa, An Italian Upholstered and Mahogany Sofa / Bench
About the Item
- Creator:Paolo Buffa (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.75 in (75.57 cm)Width: 60.75 in (154.31 cm)Depth: 19 in (48.26 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Circa 1940
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Expertly restored, newly repolished, ready to place in your home.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:Seller: 100791stDibs: LU85566548203
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.
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$4,009 Sale Price20% Off - Paolo Buffa Style Italian Pair on Benches Brass Legs and Guild FabricBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Prato, TuscanyWe kindly suggest that you read the entire description, as with it we try to give you detailed technical and historical information to ensure the authenticity of our objects. Iconic and elegant pair of benches; the whole structure is solid, and the elegantly shaped legs are an integral and important part of the whole design and with their inclination make the benches very stable. In addition, the legs have a rare construction peculiarity: the core is made of wood and the outer covering is made of brass (see photo); the shaping of the entire form is very elegant and understated. The benches were created between 1960 and 1965 in the Brianza area (Lombardy, Italy), a historic location known for its designer furniture made with great craftsmanship. The artisans were inspired by the style of Paolo Buffa, with the desire to design two objects with small dimensions favoring the idea of comfort and coziness, and gave the benches a timeless originality, following the fashion of those years; we know for certain that the architect Buffa used Lombard craftsmen of recognized skill for the construction of his furniture, who used very refined materials also because the objects were intended mainly for the apartments of the rich Milanese bourgeoisie; our benches with their characteristics of quality, accuracy, and finish, were certainly made by those master craftsmen. Paolo Buffa (1903-1970) was an Italian architect and designer known for his mid-century furniture designs. More than a forerunner, he is a faithful spokesman for the taste of his time: neoclassical first and Novecentist later. Paolo Buffa was highly esteemed internationally for his refined design and rigorous execution, displaying expertise that was singularly Italian. Before his death in 1970 in Milan, Italy, Buffa had been named one of the country's leading designers. The structure has been left in its original condition, while we have upholstered the top with an iconic and sophisticated "cut velvet "with a unique pattern with a geometric cut by Designer Guild; the pattern is Quarenghi-Cocoa, one of the company's best fabrics. (see original Guild set photo). Color and classic reinvented and reinterpreted in a current key. Striking combinations, big flowers, elegant design. Fabrics and wallpapers with great decorative impact, color, and classic reinvented and reinterpreted in a current key. Striking combinations, big flowers, elegant design. Fabrics and wallpapers of great decorative impact, but also easy and always up-to-date solutions. This, and more, is the Designers Guild. Designers Guild, founded in 1970 by Tricia Guild, is an international home and lifestyle company, with headquarters and showrooms in London's Kings Road and Marylebone High Street and its own stores around the world; it also designs and distributes collections of high-impact luxury upholstery fabrics...Category
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