Stylish Three Seat Sofa by Paolo Buffa
About the Item
- Creator:Paolo Buffa (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 38.59 in (98 cm)Width: 62.21 in (158 cm)Depth: 29.53 in (75 cm)Seat Height: 14.97 in (38 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1940
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Dover, United Kingdom
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Pair Of Paolo Buffa Lounge ChairsBy Paolo BuffaLocated in London, GBA pair of stylish Italian lounge chairs by Paolo Buffa. In walnut and blond wood and newly upholstered in apple green wool herringbone. En suite witha matching sofa.Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBeech, Walnut
- Pair of Black Lacquered Midcentury Secretaires by Paolo BuffaBy Paolo BuffaLocated in London, GBA pair of Italian midcentury Neo-Classical black lacquered secretaires by Paolo Buffa. Each with three drawers and a fall front desk compartme...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Secretaires
MaterialsBeech
- Pair of Ladder Back Paolo Buffa Style ChairsBy Paolo BuffaLocated in London, GBA set of two elegant curved ladder back hall chairs in the manner of Paolo Buffa. Newly upholstered in scarlet velvet.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsBeech
- Pair of Paolo Buffa Wing Back Lounge ChairsBy Paolo BuffaLocated in London, GBA pair of Italian wing back lounge chairs by Paolo Buffa, in walnut. Extremely comfortable and newly upholstered in ivory boucle.Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWalnut
- Sculptural Italian Midcentury SofaLocated in London, GBAn Italian mid-century sofa of sculptural form, on brass legs and newly upholstered in a stone coloured wool boucle.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsBrass
- Sculptural Midcentury Italian Sofa in Faux LambswoolLocated in London, GBAn Italian sofa of sculptural design, with soft curves, on six tapering wooden legs and newly upholstered in buttoned faux lambswool.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsBeech
- Paolo Buffa Walnut Sofa, 1950By Paolo BuffaLocated in Rome, ITRare curved sofa attributed to Paolo Buffa, circa 1950 walnut, original gold velvet, iron very good original condition Measures: 145.5 x 60 cm height 94 cm height seat. 41 cm.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsIron
- Sofa by Paolo Buffa Wood, Italy, 1950sBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Rome, ITTwo-seater sofa by the Italian designer Paolo Buffa, featuring a wooden structure and cushions in texture. Made in Italy, circa 1950.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsWood
- Sofa in Cherrywood by Paolo Buffa, 1950sBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Montelabbate, PUSofa from the 1950s in cherry wood, upholstered in cotton with a pattern of leaves, a harmonious interplay of beige and wheat tones with hints of green.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsCotton, Cherry
- 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
- 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
- 1950s Italian Newly Upholstered Sofa in Style of Paolo BuffaBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Praha, CZBeautiful vintage sofa made in Italy in the 1950's in style of Paolo Buffa. Compleately restored, newly upholstered in quality synthethic fab...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Wood
