Vintage Azucena furniture is elegant and inviting — the esteemed mid-century Milanese manufacturer’s wall lights, armchairs and side tables, which are marked by simple symmetry and thoughtfully contrasting materials, can likely be found in the living rooms of design lovers all over Italy.
Azucena was founded in 1947 by three leading figures of 20th-century Italian architecture: Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Ignazio Gardella and Corrado Corradi Dell’Acqua. The trio initially established Azucena in order to furnish the interiors of buildings they’d designed but found a robust business opportunity in manufacturing individual pieces from those collections for postwar consumers. And as the company founders borrowed the brand name from a conniving character in the Giuseppe Verd opera Il Trovatore, it is appropriate, then, that the furniture for which Azucena is known is practical but exudes a hint of playfulness.
The best of Italian modernism combines cheekiness and bold functionality with provocative and thoughtful design, and Azucena is deeply rooted in that tradition. While its brass-and-walnut mid-century-modern-era dining tables and stackable coffee tables — created by the likes of Dell’Acqua and Vico Magistretti — are exceptionally unobtrusive in small spaces and framed in clean lines, Dominioni designed chunky, enveloping armchairs during the 1970s upholstered in striking red fabric.
Among Azucena's most successful and iconic designs is also Dominioni's most famous piece of furniture: the minimalist Catalina chair. After it debuted at the Milan Triennial in 1957, the Catalina chair, with its generously curving enameled steel frame and plush leather cushion, became an instant sensation. Dominioni’s other enduring designs for Azucena include the Monachella lamp, the ABCD armchair and the versatile Cilindro ottoman.
Italian furniture manufacturer B&B Italia acquired Azucena in 2018 and has reissued a number of designs from the legendary brand’s portfolio, such as the Imbuto lamp, the Catalina armchair and the Cavalletto table.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Azucena lighting, tables, seating and more.
Modern Stools by an Unidentified Designer, Metal and Wood, Italy, 1980s
By Non-Standard Furniture and Lighting
Located in Milano, IT
Group of stools with enameled metal frame, wooden seat with foam and fabric upholstery. An additional 50 pieces are available in stock, including some with dark brown metal frames, a...
Metal
Tavolino Tria di Gianfranco Frattini per Acerbis, Anni 80
By Acerbis, Gianfranco Frattini
Located in Milano, IT
Tris di tavolini, legno laccato.
Wood
A pair of elegant nesting side tables with brass legs and glass tops from the 1960s.
By Non-Standard Furniture and Lighting
Located in Milano, IT
Nested coffee tables from the 1960s with brass legs featuring exquisite craftsmanship, which adds an exotic and sophisticated touch to the decor. The brass frame not only ensures sta...
Brass
Mid-Century Modern Coffee Table, Wrought Iron and Glass, Italy, 1950s
By Non-Standard Furniture and Lighting
Located in Milano, IT
Enameled iron coffee table, glass top.
Wrought Iron
Set of three stackable 1950s-style side tables made of glass and beech wood
By Non-Standard Furniture and Lighting
Located in Milano, IT
Side tables made of stained beech wood, with brass accents and clear glass tops. Restored
Glass, Beech
Mid-Century Modern Ebony Chairs, Italy, 1950s, Designer Unknown
By Non-Standard Furniture and Lighting
Located in Milano, IT
Ebony-stained wooden chairs, sprung seat with original period skai upholstery.
Wood
American Designer, Stools, Iron, Fabric, USA, 1950s
Located in High Point, NC
A set of three black-painted iron and beige fabric stools designed and produced in the US, 1950s.
Iron
Wood and Iron Stacking Tables / stools
By Luther Conover
Located in Denton, TX
Set of four iron tripod legged stools / tables with ebonized wood tops. There is a nice patina of rust on the legs and wear on the wood tops that adds to the ambiance of age. Please ...
Iron
Lila Swift and Donald Monell, Stools, Leather, Steel, USA, 1950s
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of brown leather and black-enameled steel stools designed and produced by Lila Swift and Donald Monell, USA, c. 1950s. Dramatic patina on leather consistent with age and use....
Steel
Mid-Century Pair of Stools Model 75 by Florence Knoll, 1950
By Knoll, Florence Knoll
Located in Saarbruecken, DE
Mid-Century Pair of Stools Model 75 by Florence Knoll, designed 1948 for Knoll Associates, USA.
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Stools, Brass and Vinyl, Italian Design, 1960s
Located in bari, IT
Pair of stools made in Italy from the 1960s, curved tubular structure in brass, seat in original vintage vinyl.
Brass
Pair of Mid-Century Modern X-Form Stools / Benches, circa 1962
By Drexel
Located in Dallas, TX
This refined pair of Mid-Century Modern benches or drinks tables were realized in the Unites States, circa 1960 by Drexel. Each bench has a rectangle shape to the top/seat that perfe...
Wood
