Milanese designer and architect Achille Castiglioni sought to inject personality into all of his work, and found deep inspiration in everyday objects. A legend of Italian mid-century modernism, he created iconic, universally loved table lamps, chairs and other lighting and furniture with his likeminded brothers during the postwar years.
There was the Snoopy lamp, which brings to mind the unmistakable Peanuts character, while the shape of a common street lamp inspired the design behind the Arco floor lamp. Elsewhere, the Toio floor lamp — a provocative fixture in any living room — was made with automotive parts as well as run-of-the-mill recreational gear.
Castiglioni studied the classics at Liceo Classico Giuseppe Parini, art at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera and finally architecture and design at the Polytechnic University of Milan. After graduating in 1944, Castiglioni began working with his brothers Pier Giacomo and Livio at the studio they cofounded with classmate Luigi Caccia Dominioni.
Livio left to pursue lighting design and sound technology, leaving Achille and Pier Giacomo to continue to collaborate on various projects. One such design was the iconic Taraxacum hanging lamp for FLOS which featured a resin “cocoon” created with sprayed plastic polymers that protects its steel core and allows for the diffusion of light.
Castiglioni won Italy’s highest award for industrial design — the Compasso d’Oro — seven times, and the Museum of Modern Art was home to his first individual retrospective in the United States. Castiglioni later taught at the Polytechnic University of Turin and at Polytechnic in Milan.
Castiglioni’s designs remain timeless. Some of them can be found in Tokyo’s Living Design Center Ozone, the Triennale di Milano and the Hangaram Art Museum at the Seoul Arts Center.
Find vintage Achille Castiglioni lighting, seating, tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
A & P.G.Castiglioni for Kartell Rocchetto Side Table, Italy 1960s
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Kartell
Located in Naples, IT
Rare coffee table Mod. "Rocchetto," designed by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Kartell and made of ivory ABS plastic. "Rocchetto" means "reel" in Italian which serves as the ...
Plastic
Giuseppe Scapinelli Brazilian Modern Coffee Table
By Giuseppe Scapinelli
Located in New York, NY
1950's round ebonized Giuseppe Scapinelli cofffee table with glass top and natural wood raised lower shelf. Beautiful curved "J" shaped legs. Downward taper to wooden edge to flat gl...
Glass, Wood
Mastercraft Coffee Table Designed by Bernard Rohne
By Mastercraft
Located in St. Louis, MO
Sculptural lacquered pedestal with etched brass detail and glass top. Designed by Bernard Rohne for Mastercraft.
Luigi Caccia Dominioni "T7" Coffee Table for Azucena, 1955
By Azucena, Luigi Caccia Dominioni
Located in Lonigo, Veneto
Luigi Caccia Dominioni "T7" Coffee Table for Azucena, metal and wood, Italy, 1955 Luigi Caccia Dominioni designed the “T7” table for Azucena in 1950, exemplifying his mastery of pro...
Metal
Beautiful coffee table by Giuseppe Scapinelli
By Giuseppe Scapinelli
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Jolie table basse à double plateau par Giuseppe Scapinelli vers 1960. Giuseppe Scapinelli est né à Modène en 1911. Issu d’une noble famille italienne, il est diplômé d’architecture...
Glass, Opaline Glass, Wood, Paint
Coffee Table by Christian Krekels
By Christian Krekels
Located in New York, NY
Very nice etched brass coffee table by Christian Krekels. Signed and date 1976.
Brass
Castiglioni Rochetto Stool or Table by Kartell
By Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Kartell
Located in Highland, IN
Designed in 1969 by the Castiglioni brothers, the "rochetto", or "spool" stool is a wonderful design. Two identical forms are fastened together giving it the distinctive hourglass sp...
Upholstery, Plastic
French Modern Tulip Coffee Table
By Bramble
Located in Westwood, NJ
Coffee Table blends iconic form with artisan warmth. Handcrafted from mahogany and finished in our dark Batavia Black, this round pedestal table pays homage to the timeless tulip sil...
Wood
Rare Swedish Modern Coffee Table by Otto Schulz for Boet, 1930s
By Otto Schulz
Located in Staffanstorp, SE
An iconic and rare coffee table by Otto Schulz (Germany/Sweden, 1882–1970), created for his own company Boet in Gothenburg, Sweden, during the 1930s. The table features a bold, roun...
Steel
Gianfranco Frattini Coffee Table Cassina
By Gianfranco Frattini
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Dimensions: 47.5"dia x 15.5h Designer: Gianfranco Frattini Material: Wood w/ Glass Top
Walnut, Glass
Mid-Century Modern Coffee Table by Dirk Van Sliedregt, 1950
By Dirk Van Sliedregt
Located in Dronten, NL
An elegant and understated coffee table designed by Dirk van Sliedregt and produced by Rohé in the Netherlands, circa 1950s. Showcasing Van Sliedregt’s signature sensitivity to natu...
Steel
Carlo Bartoli Rossi di Albizzate – Black Leather, Glass Disc, Italian Mastery
By Carlo Bartoli, Rossi di Albizzate
Located in Dronten, NL
Minimalism meets raw tactility in the Rossi di Albizzate BO287 table, a rare Carlo Bartoli design. At first glance, it’s pure geometry: four black leather columns rising to an expans...
Leather, Glass, Wood
1970s Low Tables 'Andre' by Tobia Scarpa for Knoll International
By Knoll, Tobia Scarpa
Located in Dronten, NL
Classic “Andre” low table designed by Tobia Scarpa for Gavina/Knoll International, featuring its original chromed steel base and a new matching glass top. This iconic model showcases...
Chrome
Italian 1970s Black Fiberglass Square Coffee Table
Located in Dronten, NL
Bold, glossy, and unapologetically 1970s. This Italian square coffee table in high-shine black fiberglass delivers instant impact with its sleek lines and sculptural form. Lightweigh...
Fiberglass
Early Marcel Breuer Side Table by Gavina, Italy, 1960
By Marcel Breuer, Gavina
Located in Dronten, NL
A rare early production side table designed by Marcel Breuer and manufactured by Gavina, Italy, circa 1960. This elegant piece captures Breuer’s iconic blend of functional clarity an...
Steel, Chrome
1957 Provenance: The PK 61 Coffee Table by Paul Kjærholm for E. Kold Christensen
By Poul Kjærholm, E. Kold Christensen
Located in Dronten, NL
The Masterpiece. The PK 61 is the definitive minimalist coffee table—a floating plane of stone suspended on a knife-edge steel frame. Designed by Paul Kjærholm in 1956 and produced b...
Marble, Steel
