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.
20th Century, Azucena Pair of Coffee Tables, 50s
By Azucena
Located in Torino, Piemonte
Founded in 1947 by Luigi Caccia Dominioni, Ignazio Gardella, and Corrado Corradi Dell'Acqua, the Italian brand Azucena has always stood out for its collections that combine formal el...
Brass
20th Century, Franco Albini Pair of TN6 Cicognino Coffee Tables in Wood, 50s
By Franco Albini, Poggi
Located in Torino, Piemonte
An iconic design with a refined and essential taste, which in its playful form evokes a reassuring feeling of familiarity. Franco Albini created the table by reducing its structure t...
Wood
20th Century Carlo Scarpa Table Mod. Doge Steel and Crystal, '60
By Carlo Scarpa, Simon Gavina Editions
Located in Torino, Piemonte
Carlo Scarpa was an Italian architect and designer, among the most important of the 20th century. Linked to art, in particular with the art of glassmaking, of which Venice is the Italian capital, is also his first prestigious position in the world of design, the artistic direction of Venini, a role he held between 1933 and 1947 and through which he brought the centuries-old tradition of Murano glass into modernity. His meeting with Gavina would lead him to create his most famous furnishings. Here we have a big dinner table made by Carlo Scarpa for Simon Gavina. Carlo Scarpa was inspired by the architectural structure, with the thick flat profiles supporting the crystal top. The drawn steel structure is enhanced by the transparency of the top. This item is perfect not only in the dining room but also as a meeting table...
Crystal, Steel
20th Century, Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte Glass Table mod. 1817/1
By Max Ingrand, Fontana Arte
Located in Torino, Piemonte
Some notes about the author Max Ingrand: a famous French master glass worker and decorator, he was artistic director of FontanaArte for one decade, starting from 1954. During that ti...
Crystal, Brass
20th Century, Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno Coffee Table mod. T61/b, '50s
By Osvaldo Borsani, Tecno
Located in Torino, Piemonte
Osvaldo Borsani in 1953, together with his brother Fulgenzio, realized his most complex project: a company idea named after the "techne" of the Greeks, which means both art and techn...
Metal
20th Century, Giuseppe Pagano and Gino Maggioni Coffee Table mod. Lamellare
By Gino Maggioni, Giuseppe Pagano Pogatschnig
Located in Torino, Piemonte
Giuseppe Pagano was an Italian architect and designer, notable for his involvement in the movement of rationalist architecture in Italy up to the end of the Second World War. He desi...
Wood
Corrado Corradi Dell''Acqua Set of Two T12 Montecarlo Tables by Azucena 1949
By Corrado Corradi Dell'acqua, Azucena
Located in Cascina, Pisa
A set of two Montecarlo (T12) side tables with a simple and elegant brass structure and tabletops in crystal, they are the perfect companion for any seats, beds, or desks. The brass...
Crystal, Brass
1959 Italian Pair of Console Tables by Corrado Corradi Dell'acqua for Azucena
By Azucena, Corrado Corradi Dell'acqua
Located in Grand Cayman, KY
Sleek, minimalist Mid-Century Modern pair of console tables by Corrado Corradi Dellácqua for Azucena in thick crystal and sculpted chrome...
Crystal, Steel, Stainless Steel, Chrome
Pair of "Montecarlo" Side Tables by Corrado Corradi dell'Acqua for Azucena
By Azucena, Corrado Corradi Dell'acqua
Located in Milan, IT
Set of two T12 "Montecarlo" sIde tables by Corrado Corradi dell' Acqua for Azucena. Aerial chrome frames supporting two thick glass tops.
Brass
Corrado Corradi dell'Acqua pair of T12 bedside tables for Azucena, Italy 1960s
By Corrado Corradi Dell'acqua, Azucena
Located in Milan, IT
Corrado Corradi dell'Acqua pair of T12 also called Montecarlo bedside tables. Azucena, Italy 1960s.
Brass
Pair of capri side tables by Jorge Zalszupin
By Jorge Zalszupin, L’Atelier
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
Jolie paire de table d’appoint dites « Capri » par Jorge Zalzsupin pour l’atelier.
Travertine, Iron
Table Corrado Corradi Dell'Aqua, 1959
By Corrado Corradi Dell'acqua, Azucena
Located in Berlin, DE
Side / Sofa table made of a chrome-plated brass construction with original glass plates. Dimensions / 53.5 x 53.5cm H.66cm Design / Corrado Corradi Dell'Aqua 1959 Manufacturer / Az...
Brass
