Italian Design of the 20th Century 101

Hall in liberty italian style, with staircase
Italian Liberty Style (1900–1925)
Liberty is Italy's version of Art Nouveau, and it arrived with its own character. Darker wood, denser ornament, and a softness that the French and Belgian versions never quite had.... Read more...
Living room in art deco style with sofa and two arm chairs
Italian Art Deco (1920–1940)
Italian Art Deco arrived later than the French version and came out warmer. Walnut and rosewood replaced lacquer and chrome. Milanese craftsmen brought a domestic quality to the geometry and... Read more...
Living room in mid-century modern design with wall of book cases, armchair with coffee table
Italian Mid-Century Modern (1945–1965)
Italian mid-century modern is the most adaptable vintage style there is. It works in old rooms and new ones, next to contemporary art and Persian rugs, in apartments and houses.... Read more...
Living room in italian modern syle with sofa, arm chair and glass wall
Italian Modern (1950–1970)
By the late 1950s Italy had become the center of international design, and this period shows why. Fiberglass, injection-molded plastic, and chrome replaced wood and brass. Joe Colombo, the Castiglioni... Read more...
Living room with spage age interior desing
Italian Space Age (1960–1975)
The Space Age in Italian design lasted about fifteen years and produced some of the most visually distinctive objects of the 20th century. Round forms, ABS plastic, white and orange.... Read more...
Memphis style living room with colorfull furniture and chimney
Italian Postmodern / Memphis (1975–1990)
Memphis was a deliberate attack on good taste, and it came from Milan. Ettore Sottsass gathered a group of designers in 1980 and within a year they had changed what... Read more...