mid century furniture designers: PAOLO BUFFA

PAOLO BUFFA

Paolo Buffa was born into a well-established artistic family and was considered a prodigy early on. After graduating from the prestigious polytechnic university of Milan, in the late 1920s Buffa went to work for, and directly under, the tutelage of architects and designers Gio Ponti and Cassio Ramelli. Shortly after, Buffa decided to strike out on his own where he branded himself as the designer and architect to a number of influential patrons- typically the European worthy and royalty set as well as a number of government projects. Early in his career, his works were characterized by the classical-revival mode design of that era coupled with incredible craftsmanship derived from the traditional Lombardy woodworking traditions. As he evolved as a designer, while maintaining the same level of craftsmanship, Buffa started incorporating more modern elements in his designs. This finally culminated in the fifties as his pieces were recognizable by their whimsical and breathtaking shapes and elements. Like his namesake (Buffa is synonymous with bizarre/funny) his pieces can have a quasi-cartoonish character. Eventually, Buffa established himself as one of the founders and forefathers of the 1950s modernism movement as well as a pioneer in Art Deco. It was a far cry from where Buffa had started out. His pieces are and will always be original and iconic and he has plenty of knowledgeable admirers that would testify to that. Although his exceptional furnishings still sell at a quarter of the price of his French counterparts we think his time has come and his pieces will only gain traction from here.