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.
$3,155
H 30.32 in Dm 47.25 in
Italian Mid-Century Modern Round Marble, Metal and Brass Dining Table, 1950s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian Mid-Century Modern round grey and white marble, black metal and brass details dining table, 1950s. Dining table with a two-centimeter-thick round marble top with a white bac...
Marble, Metal, Brass
$3,385
H 28.75 in Dm 47.25 in
Vintage round marble dining table model T69 by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno, 1970s
By Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Gorgeous vintage dining table model T69 designed by Osvaldo Borsani made from a brushed metal and black coated base and a round white marble top. Good overall condition. Timeless d...
Marble, Metal
Paolo Buffa brass and Carrara marble round dining table, Italy, 1940s
By Paolo Buffa
Located in Chiavari, Liguria
An exquisite dining table in cast brass and rare "Cremo Delicato" marble from Carrara, Italian manufacture, design by Paolo Buffa, 1950s. Slender yet s...
Carrara Marble, Brass
Large round Carrara marble table, made in Italy, 1970s
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Lyon, FR
A striking round dining table crafted in Italy during the 1970s, evocative of the refined aesthetic associated with Osvaldo Borsani. The substantial thick top is made from richly vei...
Carrara Marble, Metal
Substantial Solid Bronze and Marble Dining Table by Nicos Zographos
By Nicos Zographos
Located in Atlanta, GA
Substantial Solid Bronze and Marble Dining Table by Nicos Zographos, American, circa 1960s. This piece is extremely heavy and well crafted. It is a versatile size and can be used as ...
Marble, Bronze
Osvaldo Borsani Dining Table, Carrara Marble Top, Steel Base, 1963
By Osvaldo Borsani
Located in Austin, TX
Table, Italian, designed by Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno. Carrara marble top with stylized steel base.
Carrara Marble, Steel
Dining Table by Börje Johanson with Marble and Brass, Sweden, 1960s
By Börje Johanson, Johanson Design
Located in Rosendahl, DE
This exquisite dining table by Börje Johanson is a rare find from the 1960s, showcasing a stunning combination of a brass-colored base and a round marble tabletop. The table epitomiz...
Marble, Brass
$9,183
H 29.53 in Dm 47.25 in
1970's Italian Dining Table in Rosé Marble and Brass - Italy, circa 1970
Located in Pijnacker, Zuid-Holland
Gorgeous Italian dining table with Rosé / Pink marble top with elegant tapered edge. The base is made of a heavy tripod solid brass foot and black lacquered metal. It has adjustable ...
Marble, Metal, Brass
$2,943
H 29.53 in Dm 47.25 in
Italian modern Portuguese marble and chromed steel round dining table, 1970s
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian modern Portuguese marble and chromed steel round dining table, 1970s. Dining table with round top, in pink Portuguese marble with very particular veins and curved and articul...
Marble, Chrome
Round marble dining table, made in France, 1970s–80s
Located in Lyon, FR
Elegant French round dining table from the 1970s–80s, featuring a refined veined marble top in subtle shades of grey. The sculptural cross-shaped base in chrome metal adds a moderni...
Marble, Metal
Angelo Mangiarotti for Skipper, Carrara Marble Eros Dining Table, 1970's
By Angelo Mangiarotti
Located in Culver City, CA
Some furniture is just furniture. And then, some furniture is a witness to history, luxury, and a lifetime of scandalously fabulous dinner parties. This 56” Carrara marble Eros dinin...
Carrara Marble
Polished Stainless, Bronze and Lucite Pedestal Table, Romeo Rega, 1970's
By Romeo Rega
Located in Culver City, CA
Elevate your collection with this magnificent vintage 1970s Romeo Rega pedestal dining table. This piece is the epitome of High Italian Glamour, a bold yet elegant statement that exp...
Bronze, Stainless Steel
Katavalos, Littell, and Kelley 48" Dining Table, Carrara Marble, Laverne, 1960's
By Erwine & Estelle Laverne, Douglas Kelly, Ross Littell and William Katavolos
Located in Culver City, CA
This rare 1960s dining table by Katavolos, Littell, and Kelley for Laverne is an exceptional example of the trio’s sculptural, architectural approach to modern design. Measuring 48 i...
Carrara Marble, Chrome
Gae Aulenti Jumbo Coffee Table, Arabescato Marble, Knoll, 1960's
By Knoll, Gae Aulenti
Located in Culver City, CA
Gae Aulenti for Knoll “Jumbo” Table, circa 1960s in Arabescato marble *Note on material: Arabescato marble ≠ Carrara. While often confused, Arabescato is...
Marble
Mid Century Onyx Coffee Table by Arturo Pani, Muller's Of Mexico, 1960's
By Arturo Pani, Muller's Onyx
Located in Culver City, CA
An exceptional mid century Mexican modernist round coffee table designed by legend Arturo Pani for Muller’s of Mexico, circa 1960s. This statement piece features a thick, polished o...
Onyx, Brass
1980s Post Modern Memphis Milano Style Dining Table, Carrara Marble Top
By Ettore Sottsass
Located in Culver City, CA
This dining table is stunning! A true masterpiece of Memphis Milano styling, drawing inspiration from the iconic designs of Ettore Sottsass, Vico Magistretti, and other members of th...
Carrara Marble, Stainless Steel
