Antonio Citterio: the great Italian designer who influenced design throughout the 20th century

Antonio Citterio is one of the most influential Italian designers of the 20th century. An architect by training, he began his career at a very young age and has designed numerous objects that are revolutionary in their own way, from sofas to furniture. His creations are characterised by high quality materials and innovative lines that allow for modular and flexible solutions.

The philosophy behind Antonio Citterio’s creations

Among the many innovative products designed by Antonio Citterio, those that have been most successful are those that have been able to interpret in an innovative way the way home spaces are organised and lived. Through modular and sectional solutions, Citterio has sought to offer furniture that guarantees customisation and flexibility.

Sofas with separable modules, for example, were a great innovation. Everyone can compose the perfect sofa for their home by combining different modules, from standard seats to chaise longues, right up to the most modern peninsula sofas.

Citterio has worked with some of the best known and most appreciated interior design brands, from Kartell to B&B Italia, Flos and Flexform. All of his creations are made from high quality, durable materials and have dynamic shapes that are unaffected by the passing of time.

Antonio Citterio’s creations are suitable for furnishing all areas of the home: the designer has designed popular models of sofas, perfect for giving personality to the living area, but has also created collections for the bathroom and office furniture. Chairs, tables and chests of drawers can be used to furnish both work and living areas. Drawer cabinets equipped with wheels can also be easily moved from one room to another and adapt to the different needs of those living in the house.

Antonio Citterio’s main masterpieces

Throughout his long career, Antonio Citterio has designed numerous products, some of which have won top international awards. The designer has twice been awarded the Compasso d’Oro prize: the first time in 1987 for the Sity sofas designed for B&B Italia and the second time in 1994 for the Mobil chest of drawers designed for Kartell.

Sofas are one of Citterio’s favourite creations. With his inventiveness he has revolutionised the role of the sofa in interior design at least twice. While in the 1980s he interpreted living room furniture in a new way with the sinuous, irregular lines of B&B Italia’s City sofas, in the early 2000s he changed the game with the modularity and unusual volumes of Flexform’s Groundpiece sofa.

One of the guiding threads of Antonio Citterio’s products is the ability to combine functionality and design through innovative lines that also allow for different uses of the product. The chests of drawers with wheels, for example, can be placed in different rooms in the home, have a number of customisable elements and are available in many different colours and finishes.

The importance that Antonio Citterio’s creations have had in modern interior design is demonstrated by the fact that they have earned exposure at some of the world’s most important museums, such as MoMA in New York, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Museum of Architecture & Design in Chicago.

Why furnish your home with Antonio Citterio’s creations?

Antonio Citterio is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the greatest designers of the 20th century. This may already be enough to explain why furnishing your home with the products he designed is a good idea. If this were not enough, the high quality of the products and their durability could also be convincing.

The design of the furniture created by Antonio Citterio is contemporary and elegant and succeeds in tastefully furnishing every room in the house, from the living area to the sleeping area. The collaboration between Citterio and some of the most prestigious Italian design brands has resulted in furniture and accessories that have quickly become icons of interior design.

Through his furniture and furnishing accessories, Antonio Citterio wanted to create objects that were not only beautiful, but also able to accompany the various daily activities of the inhabitants of the home. The functionality of furniture and sofas is therefore in the foreground, with great attention paid to ergonomics and the ability to create flexible living spaces.

Il Piccolo, second generation family-run carpentry shop, opens its showroom in Lugano. With over 50 years of experience, Il Piccolo brings with it a wealth of technical and design knowledge of the highest level, thanks to the many interiors designed and furnished all over the world. In addition, Il Piccolo represents the most prestigious brands of furniture worldwide. Il Piccolo designs, manufactures and sells the best of interior design made in Italy, following the customer from design to implementation, delivery and installation of the work, integrating the process with a precise and professional service. CONTACT US!