Change and innovate, leave the known path to enter new territories. These are the distinctive features of De Padova, a historic Italian company known for the production, among others, of armchairs, sofas, beds, furnishing accessories, bookcases and storage units. A solid reality, strong of a typically Italian creativity, rebellious, which does not adapt to follow preset patterns or definitions. Innovation as a starting point, and not the end, marks the action of a company that for over 50 years has been able to amaze. A point of reference for those who seek not only furniture, but real design compositions capable of embellishing any environment. De Padova's action has always stood out for its desire to innovate, to explore unknown territories and to propose them to the international public. The continuous vocation to beauty, to detail, finds in the openness to the different a continuous source of inspiration. De Padova has for years now undertaken a creative path in which each project is the result of varied, mutable cultural references, capable of synthesizing great cosmopolitan design and popular taste.
Bookcases, sofas, armchairs: living furniture according to De Padova
De Padova reinvents and exploits what today can be identified as a true stylistic language, in which each piece of furniture is conceived as an independent entity, yet able to share the scene with other design creations. It is precisely this ability to propose sober solutions, and for this reason with a very refined style, that makes De Padova a fascinating and unique entity in the field of Italian design. The continuous search for beauty and unconventional artistic solutions has led De Padova to develop an articulated catalogue of proposals. The collection of bookcases and storage units by Vico Magistretti offers ideas and concepts that are always modern, as in the case of Tani Moto, a self-supporting modular bookcase with internal shelves that can be moved in 5 different positions. Innovation and style are also characteristic of the armchairs by De Padova, among which we find the Blendy armchair, by the Japanese designer Omi Tahara, which belongs to the collection of the same name which includes a bed and two sofas. Design and practicality meet in Philippe Nigro's creations such as Pilotis, in the sofa or armchair version, both in removable fabric. One of perhaps the most iconic and representative furniture of the company is the 606 Universal Shelving System: wall mounted or self-supporting, therefore also used as a partition, with uprights that fix it from floor to ceiling, it is light, functional, versatile, can be used as a bookcase but also as a walk-in closet. Beds, chairs, tables, outdoor and contract furniture complete a range of solutions that also includes a wide range of furnishing accessories. Every object, for De Padova, has its own artistic dignity. Proof of this is the leather footrest from the Erei collection, designed by Elisa Ossino.
De Padova furniture, from the 50s to today
It was 1956 when Fernando and Maddalena De Padova started their entrepreneurial action in the showroom in Via Montenapoleone, in the heart of Milan. The main activity is the import of furniture and complements from Scandinavia, a new episode for Italy. In the 1960s, the encounter with the creations of Charles Eames pushed De Padova to broaden his horizons, incorporating the concepts of the work of great masters such as Alexander Girard and George Nelson. After having sold the ICF brand, the company renewed itself further, creating in the 80s the first line of furniture under the De Padova brand. In this period the company links its name to that of designers such as Achille Castiglioni, Dieter Rams and Vico Magistretti. The new showroom in Corso Venezia, Milan, is becoming more and more a place overlooking distant worlds, different concepts and exotic styles. The 1990s are marked by collaborations with Renzo Piano and the prestigious projects completed for the Georges Pompidou Centre in Paris, the Morgan Library restaurant in New York and the headquarters of Il Sole 24 Ore in Milan. The arrival of the new millennium coincides with the generational transition within the company and the entry of Valeria and Luca De Padova. The activity, increasingly structured and efficient from a managerial point of view, was acquired in 2015 by Boffi. This union is yet another decisive step towards a leading position in contemporary design. The move from the historic space in Corso Venezia to a new showroom in Via Santa Cecilia 7 reinforces the non-conformist soul of the company, always devoted to change and overturning schemes.