I’m sharing 7 vintage furniture and lighting pieces I desperately want, but can’t afford yet. Let’ talk about it.
When I started my interior design career, I didn’t really get vintage and antique furniture. I came into interior design through the blog era, HGTV, and design magazines I would flip through in the grocery checkout line. I didn’t know any interior designers, but I knew I had a deep interest. It was the transformation — creating something out of nothing. This intrigued me.
Years later, I pursued a Masters in Interior Architecture which opened my eyes to a whole world of design that I just wasn’t aware of. Through traveling abroad, attending lectures, going to art fairs, and my course work, I began to understand the beauty of vintage and antique pieces.
More recently, I’ve begun to really get into vintage through design work at my day job. I’ve spent hours browsing vintage online shops and auction sites looking for special pieces. And now, I have my own obsessions that I deeply love, but can’t afford just yet.
Maralunga 3-Seater Sofa by Vico Magistretti, 1973
This is a well known sofa and probably on the wish list of many people. I love it in leather especially brown leather or the striped fabric like the one Solange is lounging on in the photo below. What makes this unbelievably cool, is the back cushions are independently adjustable so each person can adjust for their comfort level. The back cushion add to its unique soft sculptural appearance giving it mass appeal.
Vico Magistretti said this about the design of the Maralunga collection:
“With Maralunga I wanted to design an object that exemplified family-oriented interior design. A warm, relaxing, cozy place, where you feel at ease and rediscover the satisfying, protective embrace of old-fashioned reading chairs placed near a fireplace or a window.”
Cornaro Three Seater Sofa by Carlo Scarpa, 1973
Another sofa currently being manufactured by Cassina, the Cornaro Sofa by Carlo Scarpa is elegant and structured while working in so many types of spaces. I love the contrasting frame especially the back. It’s the perfect sofa to float in a room because it’s beautiful from all angles. Just like the Marlunga sofa, you can buy these sofa brand new, but the vintage pieces can be found at a better price with no lead time. The Cornaro Sofa when design in 1973 was produced by Simon Gavina and later reissued by Cassina. You can see the vintage version of the sofa here, here, and here. I learned a lot about the sofa on the Italian Design Club website. It’s a great resource for Italian furniture history.
Coffee Table by Paolo Barracchia for Roman Deco S.P.A
I came across this coffee table by Paolo Barracchia on Pinterest, saved it, and began to do my research. It has so much visual interest, but it’s shape is simple and timeless. Of course, it’s from the 1970s and of course everywhere I looked it was sold. Here it is in a maple, cherry and walnut combo that’s sold as well. Why does it seem like everything cool is from that era?
I couldn’t find much information on Paolo Barracchia, but I did find a few more of his pieces from the late 70s and 80s on 1stDibs.
Triangular Suspension Pendant Light by Mario Botta, 1980s
A minimal geometric fixture with simple lines, but a impactful design. This light fixture has both up and down lighting creating a golden glow on the white reflector that sits within the triangle. This light stopped me in my tracks the first time I saw it. It timeless and to put plainly, cool. I see it hanging over a dining table, in an office, or a bedroom. There’s two listings for it on South Loop Loft here and a all white one here.
Willow Chair by Charles Rennie Mackintosh , 1904
A year ago I was watching random house tours on Youtube when I came across a Farrow & Ball video about the The Noxton House in the outskirts of New York. After the watching the video, I came across the instagram where I saw a picture of the Willow chair. I loved the shape and the curved lattice back. It was originally designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for the Willow Tea Room in Glasgow in 1904. It was reissued by Cassina in 1973.
Spirali Ceiling or Wall Light by Angelo Mangiarotti for Candle, 1974
I found these two years ago and added it to a mood board you can see on my Tiktok. I’d never seen anything like them before. They are playful, sculptural, and visually interesting. I could see a grid of these in a home office or even a kitchen. I’m obsessed with these and have revisited their 1stDibs listing here and there. They are now all sold (ugh!), but another vendor has two available.
Rosewood “LB7” Modular Bookcase by Franco Albini for Poggi, 1957
A midcentury modern modular moment. I love anything modular and this bookcase by Franco Albini appeals to my desire for a library to display my growing book collection, record collection, and pretty objects. I can just see a wall of these filled with beautiful things.
And don’t fret, there’s plenty of these bookcases listed on several vintage sites. Each module goes for only $7k.
Since 7 is my favorite number, let’s stop here. I’ll probably do a part 2 in 2026. Are any of these pieces your favorites as well? Tell me your vintage wishlist in the comments.
With love and gratitude,
Sentrell
Leave a Reply