Paolo Buffa Italian Mid-Century Parchment Sideboard
About the Item
- Creator:Paolo Buffa (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 47 in (119.38 cm)Width: 73 in (185.42 cm)Depth: 16.5 in (41.91 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1930s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Queens, NY
- Reference Number:Seller: CHM0091stDibs: LU977911510901
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.
You May Also Like
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Brass
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Mirror, Parchment Paper
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Wood
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Brass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Wood
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Modern Sideboards
Brass
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Wood
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dry Bars
Brass
20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Mahogany
More From This Seller
View All20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Mahogany
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Mahogany
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sideboards
Glass
Vintage 1940s French Art Deco Sideboards
Wood, Parchment Paper
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Marble, Brass
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Sideboards
Bronze
