Willy Rizzo pair of bar cabinets with metal structure and with glass tops 1970s

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Willy Rizzo pair of bar cabinets with metal structure and with glass tops 1970s

Name: Willy Rizzo pair of bar cabinets with metal structure and with glass tops 1970s
Brand: Willy Rizzo
Rating: 4.7 (3 reviews)

About the Item

A pair of Willy Rizzo bar cabinets with a metal structure and laminated wood with glass tops and display cases. Aluminum corners and details. Made in Italy, approx. 1970. This bar cabinets perfectly suits with other furniture from different period and allows to create 70s atmosfere. The high quality of this piece of furniture makes it truly unique and rappresents Italian collectible design. « Imagination and strong modern style that blend perfectly with the rest of the environments » This definition designates the Italian style of the years 1965-1980, in which Willy Rizzo recognizes himself. As the artist tells us, it all began towards the end of 1966 in a hairdressing shop located in Piazza di Spagna in Rome. While his wife Elsa Martinelli gets her hair done, they discuss the upcoming installation in Italy, where their careers often took them. Willy loves this neighborhood and so asks the hairdresser if there was a real estate agency nearby. "Sure, there's one on the corner of the street but you'll need a real miracle to find an apartment." And the miracle takes shape in a room located on the second floor of a building overlooking the Spanish Steps, a space then occupied by a shirt manufacturer. It was a commercial environment, without water and practically uninhabitable. Fascinated by the potential of the place, Willy immediately signs a six-month lease and returns triumphantly to the hairdresser, all in 45 minutes! With a group of craftsmen from the neighborhood, Willy transforms that place into an apartment. He creates a space with dark walls and touches of gold, a kitchen entirely in silver tones with black fixtures and ceilings. He then conceives the design elements: sofas, low tables, consoles, hi-fi furniture and many more. The result is super chic. Willy Rizzo did not initially intend to become a designer but after his friends and acquaintances see what he is capable of, and also the example of his wonderful Roman apartment, they fall in love with those very special furnishing elements. Since Willy has many contacts in the fashion and cinema fields, orders begin to arrive in large numbers. One of the first clients was in fact Ghihi Cassini, a social journalist for the American Hearst newspaper, who invented the nickname "Jet set" to describe the universe and lifestyle that Fellini immortalized in Dolce Vita. Cassini wanted a modern apartment in a classic building, so Willy Rizzo, who has always loved beauty and antiques, was able to create contemporary furniture for him that integrates perfectly with environments with an older character. This order leads to many others arriving from the entire Jet set and Italian high society. Salvador Dali orders several pieces, as does Brigitte Bardot for the interior of her "Madrague" home in Saint-Tropez. Willy also furnished the aristocratic Roman apartments of Palazzo Borghese and Palazzo Ruspoli. The Rizzo style marked an era. Considered as the designer of the Dolce Vita, it truly embodied it. The demand was such that in 1968, he decided to found his own company. He settled in the outskirts of Rome, more precisely in Tivoli, where the number of his collaborators increased from 8 to 150. In the following years he created more than 30 furnishing elements, including splendid steel tables with travertine tops and bronze lamps, all handmade in Italy. His furniture has a contemporary style and is made of natural and noble materials such as wood, marble, stainless steel and copper. Willy Rizzo opens his first store in Paris on rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, and later expands to other cities in France, as well as the rest of Europe and even New York, Miami and Los Angeles. His works have been published in numerous famous design magazines. In 1978, Willy sold the business to return to his first great love: photography. « I never intended to become a businessman and honestly I'm starting to get bored. I really miss my bohemian life as a photographer", he will later say. During the following decade, Rizzo, a great admirer of the sophistication of Mies van der Rohe, Corbusier and Ruhlmann, developed a style that is still extremely recognizable today. His designer pieces have simple lines with well-defined geometric shapes. They are made of carefully chosen materials, combined with fine chrome or copper. Willy Rizzo has always remained faithful to the use of traditional materials typical of artisans, avoiding entering the mass production system which then mainly used plastic. His style is further defined also thanks to the continuous commissions received from the numerous interiors to be decorated. Comfort, solidity and practicality are equally important aspects for Willy. In fact, it can be said that Rizzo's photos are fascinating for their rare simplicity, and in the same way it can be observed how the style of his furnishing elements also works perfectly in contemporary decorations since they have an ethereal simplicity; such an elegant soul, typical of a real reason for being. The originality of his furniture derives from his independence as a creator who never has copies

Creator:
Willy Rizzo (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 68.71 in (174.5 cm)Width: 29.53 in (75 cm)Depth: 13.39 in (34 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Materials and Techniques:
Glass,Metal,Wood
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
1970-1979
Date of Manufacture:
1970 ca
Condition:
Minor losses.
Seller Location:
Milan, IT
Reference Number:
Seller: 2821601stDibs: LU5054136186382

Shop All Willy Rizzo

Willy Rizzo

Renowned Italian furniture designer Willy Rizzo is celebrated for having produced eye-catching, sensational showpieces that merged plush fabrics with wood, metal and glass. Influenced by European modernists and drawing on the spare forms and clean lines of the American mid-century modern style, Rizzo prized functionality and simplicity in his dazzling work.

Born in Naples, Rizzo never intended on designing furniture. Instead, he began pursuing photography at the age of 12. By the 1960s, he had become a notable photographer, having captured images of such celebrities as Marilyn Monroe, Fred Astaire and Spanish artist Salvador Dalí. His experience with furniture design came about inadvertently when he moved to Rome in 1966. There, Rizzo rented an apartment with his wife Elsa that he described as "practically uninhabitable." Dissatisfied with the Scandinavian furniture options on offer, Rizzo built sofas, coffee tables and other furniture to suit the space's strong modern vibe. When his friends saw what he had accomplished, they were enamored by his furniture creations and commissioned him to build similar items for them.

The demand for Rizzo’s furniture grew from there. He established a production facility and workshop in Tivoli, just outside of Rome, which grew to house over 150 employees. There, finding inspiration in the work of iconic architects including Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Le Corbusier, he created more than 30 unique furniture designs. Over the years he opened boutiques around the world to showcase and sell his furniture.

Rizzo prided himself on seamlessly blending the contemporary with the classic. “It was about creating something new for a traditional setting,” he said of his work. From his sleek sideboards to his low-profile side tables, elegant chairs and entire living room sets, Rizzo's style sensibility is evident throughout every detail of his designs.

Rizzo sold his company in 1978 and returned to photography. However, the presence of his furniture resonated into the new century and is sure to impact interior décor enthusiasts into the next. Over the years, high-profile collectors of Rizzo’s work have included French actress Brigitte Bardot, Salvador Dalí and American musician Lenny Kravitz.

On 1stDibs, find a range of vintage Willy Rizzo tables, lighting, seating and storage pieces.

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Wooden Credenza with Storage Units and Drawers, Italian Design, 1960s

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Amazing credenza in wood with and nickel-plated metal hadles and legs featuring storage units, drawers and nickel-plated metal hadles and legs. Italian design at its finest.

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Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Cabinets

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This 1970s 'Alveo' cabinet, which works excellent as a sideboard or small credenza, designed by Willy Rizzo for Mario Sabot. The modern design consists o...

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