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Carlo De Carli D154 chest of drawers by Sormani, Italy, 1963
About the Item
A chest of drawers, model D154, in painted wood with brass cast elements, designed by Carlo de Carli, manufactured by Sormani, Italy, 1963. The intense red color characterizes this three-drawer piece designed by Carlo de Carli.
A true symbol of Italian design, the D154 chest of drawers is a furnishing capable of embodying the entire creative momentum of an irreplaceable era. Splitting his focus between architecture and interior design, in 1963, the same year he designed the famous chest of drawers, de Carli emerged as an established designer. A decade earlier, he had won the Compasso d'Oro and was an active intellectual in architectural theory. At the pinnacle of his career, the Milanese designer, at 53 years old, felt the need to deeply explore the genesis of the design process and its meanings, as well as the roles that artifacts, whether in wood or reinforced concrete, aspire to represent once they abandon the drafting table to inhabit the world.
The D154 piece and other architectural works of the period can be seen as responses to these inquiries. Throughout his professional and academic career, De Carli demonstrates an approach focused on conceiving Space as a place devoid of formal determination, where the encounter between Technique and human demands such as Ethics, Morality, and consequently politics, takes place. A clear vision of reality capable of manifesting with equal power in both architecture and object design. De Carli views the role of the designer as that of a creator of "relationships" between objects, environments, and large buildings. Antitheses once considered archaic, such as the opposition between interior/exterior of a dwelling, street/home, private garden/park, thus blur. And so does the clear functional division of domestic spaces lose its significance.
Thus, the idea of a chest of drawers like the one presented comes to life, recognizable for its striking color and characteristic brass knobs. Terminals with such reduced sections that openly question the canonical relationship between perceived weight and volume extension. The entire piece of furniture presents itself as a clear break from the past and detached from its identity as bedroom furniture. Free to fulfill its function as storage furniture, the D154 piece is capable of creating that intimate connection between physical space and the necessities of living, which revolve around human needs and desires, both individual and collective.
This is the message that an architect like Carlo de Carli wanted to convey through his achievements, university lectures, and literary activity. A message still contemporary and readable through the proposed piece of furniture.
Professionally restored in and original in all its parts, the piece measures: 145W x 54D x 80H cm
- Creator:Carlo De Carli (Designer),Sormani (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.5 in (80 cm)Width: 57.09 in (145 cm)Depth: 21.26 in (54 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1963
- Condition:Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Chiavari, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU6764239465192
Carlo De Carli
A modern Renaissance man, Italian designer Carlo de Carli wove his personal philosophy into his furniture creations. He believed that furniture should suit human movement and the surrounding environment, and each piece was made not only with an eye to form but also for everyday practicality. In today’s interiors, vintage de Carli furniture captures the extraordinary essence of Italian mid-century modernism.
Carlo de Carli was born in Milan in 1910. He studied at the Polytechnic University of Milan and developed an interest in design, architecture, writing and philosophy. After graduating in 1934, he worked under revered Italian architect and designer Gio Ponti. Shortly afterward, de Carli opened a studio with furniture maker Renato Angeli. In 1940, he began a relationship with the Milan Triennial design and art museum, where he eventually joined the board of directors.
Most of de Carli's furniture and architectural works came to fruition between the 1940s and 1970s. His architectural projects included the Church of Saint Ildefonso and the Via dei Giardini 7 building in Milan. However, de Carli is best known for his chair and table designs.
What sets de Carli’s chairs and other seating apart from those of other designers is that they are made to be lived in. As a result, his comfortable, functional and inviting designs earned the attention of leading Italian furniture companies like Cassina, Singer & Sons, Tecno and GUBI, and he played a significant role in 20th-century Italian furniture design.
In 1954, de Carli was awarded the Compasso d’Oro for his Cassina Model 683 chair. In 1957, he also won a Grand Prix at the Milan Triennial exhibition for a chair he designed for Tecno. Still committed to his academic pursuits, de Carli served as dean of the architecture faculty at the Polytechnic University of Milan from 1963 to 1968. He continued teaching until 1986 and continued writing until his death in 1999. His most important writings were published in a book titled Architettura, Spazio Primario.
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- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Chiavari, Italy
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