Paolo Buffa Settee
View Similar Items
Paolo Buffa Settee
About the Item
- Creator:Paolo Buffa (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 35.5 in (90.17 cm)Width: 46.5 in (118.11 cm)Depth: 28.5 in (72.39 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU81311115274
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.
- Italian Settee in Style of Paolo BuffaBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Los Angeles, CAItalian settee in style of Paolo Buffa. Reupholstered in red leather and velvet, period 1950s. Shipping to US continental in home delivery $500Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Settees
MaterialsVelvet, Leather
- French Art Deco SetteeLocated in Los Angeles, CASettee new reupholstered in cotton Italian upholstery material. Dark walnut color wood .Clean line designee ,settee can be implemented in modern or classic antique design.Category
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Settees
MaterialsWalnut
$3,800 - Paolo Buffa Attributed Rosewood Parquetry BuffetBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Los Angeles, CA1940s Italian credenza with lockable doors complete with five (5) keys. The interior is comprised of six sections. Double doors are located at each ...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Credenzas
MaterialsBrass
- Italian Settee by Isa BergamoBy ISA BergamoLocated in Los Angeles, CAItalian Isa Bergamo mid century settee original faux leather upholstery and original mid century condition. Brass legs.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Settees
MaterialsBrass
- Italian 1960s settee by Sergio AstiBy Sergio AstiLocated in Los Angeles, CASettee by Sergio Asti period 1962 and it is new reupholstered in leather .Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Settees
MaterialsLeather, Wood
- Settee in the Style of Knoll, Milo BaughmanBy Milo Baughman, KnollLocated in Los Angeles, CANew upholstered settee, leather and lamb fur on the brushed chrome base. The settee is new reupholstered in Lamb fur and white leather .Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Settees
MaterialsMetal
- 2 Seats Sofa /Settee in the Style of Paolo Buffa, Italy, 1950sBy Paolo BuffaLocated in London, GBBeautiful and original vintage sofa designed in the 1950s and attributed to the craftsmanship of Paolo Buffa, of fine Italian manufacture. It features sculpted sinuous hardwood arms with sleek and delicate legs. They rise on the armrests taking a very soft bend, which seems to echo those of a very gentle and sinuous tree branch. The seat is very comfortable, The backrest is very high precisely to give a unique comfort to the sitter. Reupholstered in a neutral grey tone. Paolo Buffa was an Italian architect and designer best known for his designs of mid-century furniture. Characterised by a melding of tradition and modernity, he used a combination of low-profile, rectilinear, and hardwood forms to produce his most classic pieces. Born in 1903 in Milan, Italy, Buffa studied at the Polytechnic Institute of Milan before working for the prominent Italian architect and designer Gio Ponti. After opening a firm with his frequent collaborator Antonio Cassi Ramelli...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsUpholstery, Walnut
- Paolo Buffa Mid-Century Modern Italian Armchair, 1950sBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Puglia, PugliaBeautiful armchair with curved armrests, made by Paolo Buffa in 1950. The structure in curved and padded wood, the upholstery was redone more than twenty years ago but it is in very ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Beech
$1,537 Sale Price20% Off - Paolo Buffa Mid-Century Modern Italian Velvet Sofa, 1950sBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Puglia, PugliaPaolo Buffa 3-seat sofa, structure in stained and polished beech, the blue velvet upholstery was redone a few years ago, the cushions are original in goose down.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Settees
MaterialsVelvet, Beech
- 20th Century White Sheepskin Divano - Vintage Italian Beech Sofa by Paolo BuffaBy Paolo BuffaLocated in West Palm Beach, FLA vintage half-rounded Mid-Century Modern Italian three-seat sofa or divano made of Beechwood. Designed by Paolo Buffa in good condition. Newly upholstered in white natural sheepskin...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsAnimal Skin, Sheepskin, Beech
- 20th Century Sheepskin Divano, Italian Two-Seat Sofa Attributed to Paolo BuffaBy Paolo BuffaLocated in West Palm Beach, FLA vintage Mid-Century Modern yellow divano, designed most likely by Paolo Buffa in good condition. The seat backrest has a floating back with gently outstretched arms. The large Ital...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Settees
MaterialsMetal, Brass, Iron
- 20th Century Italian Vintage Polished Walnut Living Room Set by Paolo BuffaBy Paolo BuffaLocated in West Palm Beach, FLA vintage Mid-Century Modern Italian living room set, composed with one two seater sofa, two lounge chairs and one ottoman, footrest made of hand crafted polished Walnut, designed by...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Living Room Sets
MaterialsFabric, Upholstery, Walnut, Bouclé