Set of 4 Vintage Dining Chairs by Luigi Massoni for Fratelli Boffi, 1970s Italy

Luigi Massoni was one of Italy’s most prolific designers and instrumental in the growth of the country’s design industry in the postwar years through his products, advertising campaigns and journalistic work at Italian magazines.

Born in Milan, Massoni trained at the Collettivo di Architettura in Milan and worked as an architect and designer as well as a freelance journalist and consultant. He was involved with many of Italy’s most influential brands, such as Poltrona Frau, the Guzzini group and Alessi. Massoni was hired by Alessi, the legendary housewares and kitchen utensils manufacturer, which had been around since 1921, in the mid-1950s. In 1957, he collaborated with like-minded product designer Carlo Mazzeri on the universally renowned stainless-steel cocktail shaker 870, which, followed by other kitchen containers for the brand, was one of the first objects from Alessi that hadn’t been created in-house.

Together with architect Carlo De Carli, Massoni founded a magazine called Il Mobile Italiano and later Mobilia, an association of Italian furniture makers and one of the first organizations that focused on the promotion of Italian design. In the 1960s, Massoni began to design lamps and serveware for Guzzini, where he also consulted on design and company communications. He designed revolutionary furnishings for the kitchen at Boffi Cucine, producing modular kitchens, cabinets without traditional handles and more.

On 1stDibs, browse a collection of vintage Luigi Massoni vanity tables, sideboards, table lamps and more.

Fratelli Boffi is an Italian furniture maker with a rich history of manufacturing excellence and whimsical design. The company's armchairs, side tables and cabinets feature high-end yet playful modern and Baroque-inspired silhouettes. Each piece contains at least one delightfully surprising element, whether it’s an unconventional shape or a bold color combination.

Artist and woodworker Carlo Boffi established Fratelli Boffi in 1928. Boffi had come to fame in the 1920s for carving exquisite chairs in the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles. He opened a furniture factory in Brianza, where he took commissions from all over Italy. In 1953, the company was passed down to Boffi's sons, Federico, Roberto and Michele. The second Boffi generation continued to run a successful business and even opened a new factory in Lentate sul Seveso.

In the 1980s, Fratelli Boffi took an avante-garde direction thanks to collaborative projects with Italian nonconformist architect and designer Aldo Cibic. The company became known for making furniture in sculptural, eye-catching shapes. The ornate bases of Fratelli Boffi coffee tables and its architectural sofas are excellent examples.

In the 2000s, Fratelli Boffi embarked on numerous collaborations with other celebrated designers. Each year, the company presents new and exciting collections by names like Marc Krusin, Christophe de la Fontaine, Nigel Coates, Giopato Coombes, Philippe Bestenheider and Ferruccio Laviani.

Today, Fratelli Boffi operates a major contracting division that has been involved in prestigious hotel, office and residential projects around the world. Cibic continues to use Fratelli Boffi furniture in his home designs, as do New York–based designers Greg Dufner and Daniel Heighes Wismer.

On 1stDibs, find Fratelli Boffi seating, tables, storage cabinets and more.