With his stylish and technically innovative furniture, Osvaldo Borsani helped change the face of Italian design in the 1950s and ’60s. His sofas and chairs, featuring deeply upholstered seating and adjustable position settings, have an aura of optimism and efficiency that still seems fresh and lively today.
Born in the commune of Varedo in northern Italy’s Lombardy region, Borsani studied at the Brera Academy in Milan — the same school attended by such luminaries as designer Piero Fornasetti and artist Lucio Fontana — as well as the Polytechnic University of Milan. Borsani first worked for his father’s furniture-making firm, Arredamenti Borsani, an atelier influenced by the more expressive and curvaceous wing of Art Deco design.
By 1953, when, along with his twin brother, Fulgenzio — the pair also created this visionary mid-century villa — Borsani opened the furniture company Tecno, his design sensibilities had evolved toward furnishings with strong, simple forms enhanced by mechanical innovations, as with the P40 adjustable armchair. Borsani would be the firm’s lead designer for 30 years, while fostering work by Vico Magistretti, Carlo De Carli, Robin Day and others.
Similar to Gio Ponti in the earliest years of his career, Borsani first created designs marked by lush and buoyant lines: tables with voluptuous curved legs, sofas with undulating backrests.
But Borsani’s best-known and most novel pieces date from Tecno’s initial furniture lines: the adjustable D70 sofa, which folds open to make a daybed, and the P40 recliner. The latter — now included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art and the Victoria & Albert Museum — is an articulated lounger with a back, seat and leg rest that can be moved into 486 different positions. Not only is it extremely comfortable, it is also enduringly chic.
Find a collection of vintage Osvaldo Borsani tables, dining chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.
$13,104
H 36.23 in W 50.01 in D 19.3 in
Italian Osvaldo Borsani Parchment and Wood Sideboard for ABV, Italy, 1939
By Osvaldo Borsani, Arredamenti Borsani
Located in Milano, IT
An exceptionally beautiful and refined sideboard designed by Osvaldo Borsani for ABV – Arredamenti Borsani Varedo, made in Italy, around circa 1939. This elegant cabinet exemplifies ...
Brass
$17,295
H 37.41 in W 102.37 in D 19.69 in
Italian Art Deco Sideboard Attributed to Osvaldo Borsani in Maple, Late 1940s
Located in Meda, MB
Elegant Italian Art Deco sideboard from the late 1940s, attributed to Osvaldo Borsani, defined by a refined contrast between light maple surfaces and a darker structural frame typica...
Brass
$21,000
H 38.5 in W 101 in D 20 in
Italian Mahogany Two-Tone Scalloped Sideboard Attributed to Paolo Buffa, 1950s
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Chicago, IL
An elegant Italian sideboard from the 1950s, attributed to Paolo Buffa, executed in richly figured mahogany with contrasting blonde wood. The elongated case is quietly architectural,...
Brass
$15,248
H 37.01 in W 77.56 in D 20.08 in
Italian 1940s Art Deco Sideboard in Macassar, Parchment, Attr. Osvaldo Borsani
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Meda, MB
Refined Art Deco sideboard produced in Italy in the 1940s, attributed to Osvaldo Borsani. The structure is in fine Macassar wood, while the drawers are covered in parchment. On the f...
Brass
Sideboard in Rosewood by Vittorio Dassi, 1950s
Located in Montelabbate, PU
Sideboard attributed to Vittorio Dassi. The elegantly ovalised base narrows towards the profiled centre and is outlined above by ebonizing, below by brass slats. The base accommodate...
Glass, Rosewood
$5,360
H 58.27 in W 69.69 in D 19.69 in
Mahogany sideboard veneered in cherry wood by Fratelli Tagliabue, 1940s
Located in Montelabbate, PU
Prestigious and elegant sideboard with mahogany structure and details. Cherrywood veneer with herringbone motif in the central part. Black glass top. The body has rounded sides and i...
Glass, Cherry, Mahogany
$10,616
H 35.44 in W 98.43 in D 19.69 in
Italian Art Deco Sideboard with Bar Cabinet Attributed to Osvaldo Borsani, 1940s
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Traversetolo, IT
Osvaldo Borsani designed this beautiful Italian sideboard in the 1940s. With its unique design and excellent manufacturing quality, the sideboard stands out from the crowd. The gl...
Brass
$29,500
H 37 in W 63 in D 14 in
Paolo Buffa Mahogany and Maple Sideboard, Buffet, or Console, Certificate, 1950s
By Paolo Buffa
Located in New York, NY
Paolo Buffa rare and exceptional sideboard, buffet, or console table believed to have been executed by Fratelli Lietti fu Paolo, Cantù, Italy, circa 1955. Masterfully handcrafted in...
Brass
Architectural Mahogany Sideboard, France, 1960s
By André Arbus
Located in Split, Splitsko-dalmatinska županija
French mid-century mahogany three-door sideboard, solid mahogany, France, 1960s. This mahogany enfilade carries the refined, architectural elegance of André Arbus, built entirely in...
Mahogany
$18,000
H 43.37 in W 98.62 in D 25 in
1940s French Art Deco Sideboard by A. Bicchierini, Burl Wood & Marble
By A. Bicchierini
Located in Astoria, NY
A monumental 1940s French Art Deco sideboard by A. Bicchierini of Marseille, crafted from richly figured burl wood veneer and retaining its original black Portoro marble top. Measuri...
Marble
