Modern Pair of Olive Green Velvet Lounge Chairs by Roberto Lazzeroni, Flexform

Comfort, consistency and high-quality Italian craftsmanship are the values on which furniture manufacturer Flexform has built its global reputation. The third-generation family-run business is based in Brianza, Italy’s premier furniture manufacturing district, and produces sofas, chairs, outdoor seating and other pieces known for their modern aesthetics and functional designs.

The brand dates back to 1959 when the Galimberti brothers — Romeo, Pietro and Agostino — started the Flexform di Galimberti workshop. Flexform prides itself on crafting pieces that are perfectly proportional and versatile enough to adapt to the needs of the user and the space in which they are placed. Always elegant and refined in appearance, Flexform’s furniture is recognizable by its timelessness and use of high-end, sustainably sourced materials like linen, cotton, cashmere and wood including oak, ash, walnut and rosewood. Among the company’s most iconic collections are its take on the sectional sofa, which accounts for how lifestyles have changed: People now read, watch TV, eat and work on sofas. The 2001 Groundpiece collection, designed by Antonio Citterio, is one of its best sellers. The low, deep sofa, with its signature goose-down cushions and padded armrests that provide a flat multipurpose surface, is a casual take on the sectional that focuses on maximum comfort.

The company keeps its designs fresh by collaborating with architects and other designers to bring in new perspectives about people’s wants, needs and interactions with furniture. Designer Citterio, for instance, has been partnering with Flexform for almost 50 years and has been instrumental in creating some of the brand’s most celebrated and successful pieces. Along with the Groundpiece collection, this includes the 1996 metal and leather-upholstered A.B.C. armchair. (Its 2014 update is the award-winning A.B.C.D. chair.) Other partners include some of Italy’s most prominent creative minds: Cini Boeri, Joe Colombo, Paolo Nava, Carlo Colombo and Giulio Manzoni.

With over 20 flagship stores around the world, Flexform’s furniture can be found in spaces as diverse as Middle Eastern hotels, Italian villas and American lofts. By avoiding seasonal trends and focusing on consistent innovations in comfort and style, Flexform has been an exemplary figure of the “Made in Italy” luxury furniture scene.

Find Flexform sofas, lounge chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.

Italian modern furniture designer Roberto Lazzeroni uses the term “sentimental design” for the marriage between the past and the future in his work. This approach has also been called “transitive design,” as it bridges familiar traditions with forward-thinking innovation, creating a feeling of both tension and nostalgia. Lazzeroni’s discerning eye for detail has informed an artistic direction for his furniture that reimagines balance, style and class. 

Born in Pisa, Italy, Lazzeroni chose to remain in his home city and develop his business there. He studied architecture in Florence, Italy, and was drawn to conceptual art and radical design. When he launched his career in the early 1980s, his work quickly gained notice for its distinctive forms. Lazzeroni was intrigued by industrial interior design, a style he specialized in and described as “fundamental” in the development of industrial products. With a passion for the historical aspects of design, Lazzeroni employed his skill and knowledge to make a noteworthy shift in the style of the era.

Lazzeroni has continued to produce inventive work throughout his dynamic career, including through collaborative projects with furniture brands and companies like Ceccotti Collezioni, Flexform and Poltrona Frau. 

He has consistently been a driving force of unique, luxurious and visually striking furniture. He has garnered many prestigious accolades and awards, such as the ELLE DECO International Design Award.

On 1stDibs, find a selection of Roberto Lazzeroni seating, tables, lighting and more.