From his early start at his father’s boutique furniture and cabinetry atelier — Arredamenti Borsani (ABV) — Italian designer Osvaldo Borsani began to steadily dream to life the movement-inducing pieces that would eventually lead to him founding his innovative furniture company, Tecno, with his twin brother, Fulgenzio.
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. He first worked for the family furniture-making firm, ABV, an atelier influenced by the more expressive and curvaceous wing of Art Deco design. Borsani took over Arredamenti Borsani in 1937.
With his stylish and technically innovative furniture, 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.
While he is today recognized as a master of mid-century modernist Italian furniture, Borsani is most famous these days for cofounding Tecno. (He and Fulgenzio also created Villa Borsani, a visionary mid-century estate cherished for its modern lines and exquisite custom furnishings.)
When Borsani opened Tecno, an office-focused maker of industrial design, his design sensibilities had evolved toward furnishings with strong, simple forms enhanced by mechanical innovations, as with the P40 adjustable armchair.
When they were originally released, Tecno pieces like the P40 and the award-winning D70 sofa bed were acclaimed as cutting-edge, and they are still considered groundbreaking in their adaptability and functionality. The firm quickly garnered widespread acclaim for its tech-forward designs and quality craftsmanship.
Borsani would be Tecno’s lead designer for 30 years, while partnering on projects with the likes of architect Eugenio Gerli and fostering work by Vico Magistretti, Carlo De Carli, Robin Day and others.
Borsani designed pieces for Tecno until shortly before his death in 1985, when his daughter Valeria and her husband, Marco Fantoni, took over the creative work.
Today, the family’s legacy is preserved by Borsani’s architect grandson Tommaso Fantoni, who, along with Norman Foster, curated a blockbuster retrospective of Osvaldo Borsani’s work at Milan’s Triennale Design Museum in 2018.
Find vintage Tecno chairs, tables, desks and other furniture on 1stDibs.
$8,408Sale Price / set|10% Off
H 30.91 in W 19.69 in D 21.26 in
Set of 6 chairs S83 Eugenio Gerli for Tecno, made in Milan, Italy
By Eugenio Gerli, Tecno
Located in Milano, IT
Eugenio Gerli for Tecno, dining chair, model S83, moulded teak plywood, Italy, design and production 1962 A delicate chair model S83 designed and produced by Eugenio Gerli for Tecno...
Metal
Eugenio Gerli S83 chairs by Tecno Italy 1962
By Tecno, Eugenio Gerli
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Elegant set of 4 model S83 chairs designed by Eugenio Gerli and manufactured by Tecno, Italy 1962. Made from black painted plywood these chairs have a robust metal structure for stre...
Beech, Plywood
$5,871 / set
H 31.5 in W 19.69 in D 20.87 in
Eugenio Gerli for Tecno, Set of 4 "S83" Chairs, Italy, 1960s
By Tecno, Eugenio Gerli
Located in Naples, IT
A stunning and elegant set of 4 S83 chairs, designed by the renowned architect and designer Eugenio Gerli for Tecno in the 1960s. They feature a contoured backrest and seat made of h...
Metal
Luisella dining chairs by Franco Albini, ed.Poggi 1955
By Poggi, Franco Albini
Located in Renens, CH
Rare suite of six “Luisella” chairs by Franco Albini for Carlo Poggi, Pavia, Italy 1955. Teak and cotton fabric. After working for some 15 years on several prototypes of the model, Italian designer, architect and urban planner Franco Albini (1905-77) completed what is considered a masterpiece: the Luisa armchair, with armrests, and Luisella, the chair without armrests. The final teak version was put into production by Carlo Poggi in 1955. The Luisa is often compared to the equally minimal and robust Leggera chair, designed by architect and designer Giò Ponti, with whom Albini apprenticed after graduating in architecture from Milan's Polytechnic University in 1929. Albini's blend of functionalism and style earned him numerous awards, including the 1955 Compasso d'Oro, a prestigious Italian prize for excellence in industrial design. (Award created by Gio Ponti in 1954). It is also in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The Luisa chair, with armrests, is still produced by Cassina. The Luisella chair, without armrests, is no longer produced. The chairs has been bought by the first owner together with a Chelsea Table by Vittorio Introini for Saporiti that we have also in stock at the Galleria...
Fabric, Wood
$1,500 / set
H 37.5 in W 15.5 in D 17 in
Exquisite Set of Mid-Century Italian Dining Chairs by Eugenio Gerli
By Eugenio Gerli
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This unique set of high back dining chairs features a wonderful combination of stylish designer upholstery and unique wooden frames. T...
Fabric
$93,600 / set
H 34.05 in W 17.12 in D 20.86 in
Mid-Century Modern set of 6 dining chairs by Joaquim Tenreiro, 1942
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in New York, NY
Beautiful set of six dining chairs in rosewood, upholstered in a noble fabric, designed by Joaquim Tenreiro, one of the pioneers of Brazilian modernism. Elegant and finely crafted, ...
Upholstery, Hardwood
$45,500 / set
H 28.82 in W 18.71 in D 19.49 in
Mid-Century Modern Set of Ten Dining Chairs by Ernesto Hauner, 1960
By Ernesto Hauner, Mobilinea
Located in New York, NY
Previously Restored.
Metal
Pierre Gautier Delaye Dining Chairs, 1960s
By Pierre Gautier-Delaye
Located in Antwerp, BE
Pierre Gautier Delaye; Dining Chairs; Dining Area; 1960s; Stained Beech Wood; Mid-Century Modern; Chair; Coffee Bean; France; French Design; "Coffee...
Beech
$11,500 / set
H 32 in W 17.25 in D 18 in
Set of 10 Mid-Century Modern Dining Chairs by Renato Venturi for MIM Roma
By Renato Venturi, MIM Roma
Located in North Miami, FL
A superb rare set of TEN Rosewood dining chairs by Renato Venturi for MiM Roma (Mobili Italiani Moderni). These sturdy rosewood chairs designed by Renato Venturi with an architectura...
Wood
Chet Beardsley Designed Dining Chairs
By Chet Beardsley
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Set of six mid-century modern dining chairs by Chet Beardsley for California Living Designs. Soft, rounded lines throughout, with single seat and back set on a sculpted wood frame. P...
Faux Leather, Walnut
Eugenio Gerli for Tecno Dining Chair in Teak
By Eugenio Gerli, Tecno
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Eugenio Gerli for Tecno, dining chair, model 'S83, moulded teak plywood, lacquered wood, aluminum, Italy, design and production 1962 Dining chairs model S83, designed by Eugenio Ge...
Aluminum
Large Set of Modernist Dining Chairs in Wood and Metal
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Dining chairs, beech, coated steel, Europe, 1980s The design of these 1980s chairs avoid sharp edges or overly angular forms, leaning instead into cylindrical legs and rounded corne...
Steel
Modernist Dining Chairs in Wood and Metal
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Dining chairs, beech, coated steel, Europe, 1980s The design of these 1980s chairs avoid sharp edges or overly angular forms, leaning instead into cylindrical legs and rounded corne...
Steel
Roland Rainer Dining Chairs in Wood
By Roland Rainer
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Roland Rainer, dining chairs, stained beech, lacquered beech, Austria, 1950s These dining chairs have a minimalistic design, distinguished by an open construction style with emphasi...
Beech
Rare Ignazio Gardella for Azucena Early Set of Ten ‘R63’ Armchairs
By Azucena, Ignazio Gardella
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ignazio Gardella for Azucena, set of ten armchairs, model P10 / R63, faux leather, nickel-plated brass, Italy, design 1963 A rare set of armchairs by Milanese architect Ignazio Gard...
Brass, Nickel
Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova Five 'Torbecchia' Dining Chairs in Walnut
By Giovanni Michelucci, Poltronova
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Giovanni Michelucci for Poltronova, set of five 'Torbecchia' dining chairs, walnut, rush, Italy, circa 1964. This dining set was designed by the Italian architect and designer Giova...
Fabric, Walnut
Gunnel Nyman was known as a glass artist, but this piece is a striking example of her early training in furniture design.
With its grid-like doors and wavy trim, the 1940s design feels as fresh as ever.
Established in 2006, Morentz has a team of approximately 55 restorers, upholsterers, interior advisers and art historians, making it a gallery, workshop and upholstery studio, all in one. Every day, a carefully selected array of 20th-century furniture arrives from all over the world at the firm’s warehouse, where the team thoroughly examines each piece to determine what, if any, work needs to be done. Whether that means new upholstery or a complete restoration, Morentz's aim is always to honor the designer’s intention while fulfilling the wishes of the client. The team is up to any challenge, from restoring a single piece to its original glory to furnishing a large-scale hotel project.
