Rare and wonderful 20th-century Italian design sourced by the eagle eyes at Lizoh

Vintage jewelry and furniture shop Lizoh has only been around for a few years, but founder Floriana Di Gaetano has been cultivating her eye for style for more than a decade through her work in interior design, merchandising, real estate, and event planning. The design objects that she sources for Lizoh run the gamut of Italian production from the late 19th century through today: antique Liberty-style armchairs, midcentury Stilnovo lighting, postmodern-era clocks and etchings, contemporary handmade quartz necklaces. If you look past the eclectic approach , it's clear that Di Gaetano has an uncanny knack for ferreting out rare and wonderful pieces that are overflowing with that Italian brio. Check our favorites from Di Gaetano's recent vintage Italian design finds.

 

Midcentury Italian Dining Chairs by Fratelli Proserpio

When you think of midcentury modern design, it's generally easy to tell the difference by pieces from Scandinavia and pieces from Italy. But under-the-radar atelier Fratelli Proserpio crafted wood furniture that has a lot in common with the more functionalist approach of their nordic counterparts. These dining chairs incorporate plywood backs and tapered legs—a minimalist look embellished only with the distinctive construction of the base.

 

 

Delfi Table by Marcel Breuer & Carlo Scarpa

It's rare to find a design that is the product of a collaboration between two separate but equal masters. Around 1968, Italian architect Carlo Scarpa was by manufacturing brand Gavina to bring to life a design originally conceived by German-American architect Marcel Breuer—and he got Breuer to help! The form is truly outside of time, feeling at once classical, rationalist, and postmodern.

 

 

Monk Dining Chairs by Tobia & Afra Scarpa

Carlo Scarpa also produced a super talented son. Tobia Scarpa in tandem with his wife Afra, between the 1960s and 1980s, originated a number of sophisticated furniture designs  for upscale brands like Cassina, C&B Italia, Knoll, and Molteni. And these minimally embellished, generously proportioned vintage pieces are having a moment right now after decades being a bit lost to history. We say, it's a revival that's about time and well deserved.

 

 

1970s Italian Vessel from Bertoncello

Vintage ceramics from bygone Vincenza-area manufactory Bertoncello are not exactly hard to find. But for sure they are underappreciated—especially outside circles of ceramics enthusiasts. Contemporary interiors have lost out, because Bertoncello's work is quite distinctive, frequently featuring minimalist, geometric forms and smooth yet variegated surfaces that harmonize with contemporary styles. We're especially drawn to the 1970s-era vases glazed in cream with tobacco-hued undertones.

 

 

Specchi Luminosi by Nanda Vigo

Italian artist-designer Nanda Vigo lived and worked at the vanguard of culture for half a century. Dedicated to confounding perceptions and expectations, she mastered the properties of light, shadow, color, transparency, and reflection to startling effect. Sadly, we lost this enormous, unique talent just a few months ago. Her art-designs will live on, however, as they continue to be discovered by new generations.

 

 

I-Beam Chaise Longue by Jean Marie Massaud for Glas Italia

Award-winning French architect-designer Jean Marie Massaud designed the I-Beam Lounge for innovative Italian glass manufacturer Glas Italia in 2010. Sadly this minimalist, architectonic wonder—as much sculpture as functional furniture—is no longer in production. And it's uncommon to see examples on the vintage market. 

 

All images © Lizoh