Bamboo Rattan And Brass Sideboard By Dal Vera

Dal Vera furniture is all about bringing breezy style indoors. Through its mid-century modern pieces, this Italian manufacturer expanded the depth and breadth of materials used for interior furniture design. The company’s exceptional dining room tables, chairs and chests of drawers feature beautiful woven wicker, rattan and other natural fibers that are more commonly found in relaxed outdoor pieces.

Based in Conegliano in the Veneto region of Italy, Dal Vera was founded in 1884 by Antonio Dal Vera and produced an extensive collection of living and dining room furniture. During its peak in the mid-20th century, Italian designer Flam Sansoni created much of the furniture for the company. Materials like bamboo, glass and leather also featured heavily in its inventive designs, as did brass hardware and handles. Dal Vera’s postwar creations have a more typically mid-century modern appeal, with clean and angular lines inspired by Scandinavian designers such as Hans Wegner. Over the years, the company’s pieces took on a Bohemian style, keeping up with the trends of the time.

Throughout the early 1980s, Dal Vera dining room chairs were used by the Les Arcs ski resort in Savoie, France. They were personally selected by the influential French designer and architect Charlotte Perriand. The company’s high-quality pieces remain in demand with collectors today.

On 1stDibs, find Dal Vera case pieces, seating, tables and more.

Of all the vintage storage cabinets and antique case pieces that have become popular in modern interiors over the years, dressers, credenzas and cabinets have long been home staples, perfect for routine storage or protection of personal items. 

In the mid-19th century, cabinetmakers would mimic styles originating in the Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI eras for their dressers, bookshelves and other structures, and, later, simpler, streamlined wood designs allowed these “case pieces” or “case goods” — any furnishing that is unupholstered and has some semblance of a storage component — to blend into the background of any interior. 

Mid-century modern furniture enthusiasts will cite the tall modular wall units crafted in teak and other sought-after woods of the era by the likes of George Nelson, Poul Cadovius and Finn Juhl. For these highly customizable furnishings, designers of the day delivered an alternative to big, heavy bookcases by considering the use of space — and, in particular, walls — in new and innovative ways. Mid-century modern credenzas, which, long and low, evolved from tables that were built as early as the 14th century in Italy, typically have no legs or very short legs and have grown in popularity as an alluring storage option over time. 

Although the name immediately invokes images of clothing, dressers were initially created in Europe for a much different purpose. This furnishing was initially a flat-surfaced, low-profile side table equipped with a few drawers — a common fixture used to dress and prepare meats in English kitchens throughout the Tudor period. The drawers served as perfect utensil storage. It wasn’t until the design made its way to North America that it became enlarged and equipped with enough space to hold clothing and cosmetics. The very history of case pieces is a testament to their versatility and well-earned place in any room. 

In the spirit of positioning your case goods center stage, decluttering can now be design-minded.

A contemporary case piece with open shelving and painted wood details can prove functional as a storage unit as easily as it can a room divider. Alternatively, apothecary cabinets are charming case goods similar in size to early dressers or commodes but with uniquely sized shelving and (often numerous) drawers.

Whether you’re seeking a playful sideboard that features colored glass and metal details, an antique Italian hand-carved storage cabinet or a glass-door vitrine to store and show off your collectibles, there are options for you on 1stDibs.