A modern Renaissance man, Italian designer Carlo di 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 di Carli furniture captures the extraordinary essence of Italian mid-century modernism.
Carlo di 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, di 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 di 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, di Carli is best known for his chair and table designs.
What sets di 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, di 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, di 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.
Find vintage Carlo di Carli armchairs, dining chairs and coffee tables on 1stDibs.
Franco Campo & Carlo Graffi for Home Torino: Wood and Metal Bench, 1960s
By Franco Campo & Carlo Graffi
Located in Naples, IT
Bench, which can also be used as a low table, An iconic piece of Italian design, designed in 1958 by architects Franco Campo and Carlo Graffi and manufactured by Home Torino. The f...
Metal
Gae Aulenti for Poltronova Panca Bianca "Locus Solus," Italy 1964
By Poltronova, Gae Aulenti
Located in Naples, IT
Locus Solus is a series of outdoor furniture designed by architect Gae Aulenti in 1967, produced by Poltronova, Zanotta and later acquired by Exteta. The elements of the series are: ...
Metal
Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Knoll Pair of Armchairs "Bastiano," Italy 1970s
By Knoll, Afra & Tobia Scarpa
Located in Naples, IT
Elegant pair of club/lounge chairs Model Bastiano, designed by iconic Italian design duo Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Knoll, Italy. The chairs have a solid wooden frame and have recently...
Velvet, Wood
Giovanni Travasa for Bonacina Armchair "Eva," Italy 1960s
By Bonacina
Located in Naples, IT
Poltrona Mod. Eva, designed by Giovanni Travasa in 1965 for the Italian company Bonacina. The frame is made of hand-bent reed (also often called Manao or Malacca). The seat consists ...
Fabric, Rush
Vico Magistretti for Artemide "Vicario" Chair Ivory, Italy 1960s
By Artemide, Vico Magistretti
Located in Naples, IT
La poltrona Vicario è stata disegnata da Vico Magistretti alla fine degli anni '60 per Artemide. In production from 1970 until the mid-1970s. Made of ABS plastic, this chair features...
Plastic
Single Oak Wood Chair or Bench, Italy 1980s
Located in Naples, IT
Solid oak corner bench chair, the design is created by clean lines making the chair/armchair a unique and functional piece that fits in various environments. Wood retains its structu...
Wood
Antonio Citterio Esosoft Bench for Cassina, Upholstered Mid-Century
By Antonio Citterio
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Antonio Citterio Esosoft Benches For Cassina A living room system designed to define the domestic landscape in a fluid, flexible manner. The first project designed by Antonio Citter...
Upholstery
Antonio Citterio Esosoft Bench by Cassina, Mid-Century Modern Italy
By Antonio Citterio, Cassina
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Antonio Citterio Esosoft bench Manufactured by Cassina in Itlay A living room system designed to define the domestic landscape in a fluid, flexible manner. This is Esosoft ? the first project by Antonio Citterio for Cassina ? a modular sofa that embodies the timeless elegance and style the Italian designer is known for and, at the same time, is an aspirational tribute to the art of the great masters and to the practice of visualizing furniture by detaching the structural part from its padded interior. In fact, Esosoft consists of an aluminium exoskeleton and a shell with an organic silhouette upon which soft cushions are placed. Past and future coexist in this shape ? reminiscent of the concept of casual comfort typical of the 1960s ? that benefits from cutting-edge production techniques, mindfully chosen to make the system circular and sustainable. Thanks to the work of Cassina LAB, materials like a polyurethane foam that contains a percentage of polyols deriving from biological sources and blown recycled PET fibre in the backrest cushions. The Esosoft collection comprises eight modules that can be used as individual sofas or combined to form corner arrangements, lending the utmost flexibility to the configuration of living spaces...
Fabric
Antonio Citterio Esosoft Stool or Bench by Cassina, Italy, new
By Cassina, Antonio Citterio
Located in Berlin, DE
Antonio Citterio Esosoft bench or stool by Cassina, Italy - 2022. Prices vary dependent on the chosen material and color.
Fabric
Italian modern bench Carimate by Vico Magistretti for Cassina, 1970s
By Vico Magistretti, Cassina
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern bench Carimate by Vico Magistretti for Cassina, 1970s Bench model Carimate in black lacquered wood with a glossy finish and a straw seat. The armrests and backrest ar...
Straw, Wood
Italian wood fabric bench Tokyo by Charlotte Perriand for Cassina, 1960s
By Charlotte Perriand, Cassina
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian wood and fabric bench Tokyo by Charlotte Perriand for Cassina, 1960s Bench or sofa model Tokyo with seat and backrest, padded and upholstered in white-beige fabric. The woode...
Fabric, Wood
Adjustable White Wood Daybed By Gianni Songia for Sormani, Italy, 1960s
By Sormani, Gianni Songia
Located in Milan, IT
Rare white daybed by Gianni Songia for Sormani. Sliding backrest allows to transform it as a comfortable single bed.
Fabric, Wood
