Paolo Buffa Wood Coffee Table, Italy 1940s
About the Item
- Creator:Paolo Buffa (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 19.69 in (50 cm)Diameter: 24.22 in (61.5 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1940s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Milan, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU952724964212
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: Milan, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Paolo Buffa Wooden Coffee Table with Squares Top, Italy, 1940sBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Milan, ITPaolo Buffa beautifully executed wooden coffee table with squares top, Glass protective top. Italy, 1940s.Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsGlass, Wood
- Italian 1940s Circular Two Tier Glass and Turned Wood Coffee TableLocated in Milan, ITItalian 1940s circular two tier glass and turned wood coffee table.Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsGlass, Wood
- Paolo Buffa grissinato wood desk with four drawers, Italy 1940sBy Galdino Maspero, Paolo BuffaLocated in Milan, ITSplendid and essential Paolo Buffa Desk in grissinato wood with four drawers and saber legs. Iconic Paolo Buffa design manufactured by Galdino Maspero, Italy 1940sCategory
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
MaterialsWood
- Spectacular Pair of Paolo Buffa Armchairs, Italy, 1940sBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Milan, ITSplendid pair of streamline Paolo Buffa armchairs, Sculpted wood parts. Ref: I mobili di Paolo Buffa p. 23.Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Club Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Splendid Italian Coffee Table, Italy 1940sBy Guglielmo UlrichLocated in Milan, ITSplendid Italian coffee table, Italy 1940s The piece was bought at a Guglielmo Ulrich designed Apartment. Milan, Italy The coffee table has brass feet and a brass inner frame on th...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Italian 1940s Folk Art Wood Side Table with three Scrolled LegsBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Milan, ITItalian 1940s Folk Art Wood Side Table with three Scrolled LegsCategory
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsWood
- Rare Small Walnut Coffee or Side Table Attributed to Paolo Buffa, Italy, 1940sBy Paolo BuffaLocated in New York, NYRare and exquisite small coffee or side table in walnut, attributed to Paolo Buffa, 1940s. This rectangular coffee or cocktail table has a beautifully grained walnut wood top, intri...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWalnut
- Spider Legs Round Wood Coffee Table, Paolo Buffa for Brugnoli, Italy 1950'sBy Brugnoli Mobili Cantú, Paolo BuffaLocated in Ceglie Messapica, ITPaolo Buffa spider legs coffee table for Brugnoli, Italy 1950's A rare and beautiful spider leg coffee table designed by Paolo Buffa for "Brugnoli mobili" manufacturer. Iconic ita...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood, Glass
- Italian Coffee Table, Paolo Buffa Style, 1940sLocated in Palermo, PAItalian coffee table, Paolo Buffa style, 1940s. Dimensions: H= 56 cm; W=76 cm; D= 46 cm.Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood
- Side Table by Paolo BuffaBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Sag Harbor, NYItalian side table by Paolo Buffa for the Hotel Bristol. Etched rectangular glass with stars and circles motives hold by a mahogany pedestal base...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsBrass
- Mid-Century Modern Vintage Coffee Table Attributed to Paolo Buffa, Italy 1940sBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Vienna, ATThe coffee table attributed to Paolo Buffa circa 1940 was made of solid mahogany and veneered mahogany, lacquered. Also the coffee table features golden details and a clear glass top...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
MaterialsMahogany
- Paolo Buffa Coffee Table Wood Glass 1950, ItalyBy Paolo BuffaLocated in Milano, ITPaolo Buffa coffee table wood glass, 1950, Italy.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Other Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood