Italian design
10 curated Italian design brands, stores and studios for the home — reviewed individually for design quality and material integrity.
Italy is where furniture and lighting are treated as authored work. Italian entries here skew expressive, expensive and unmistakably designed — the opposite pole from Scandinavian restraint.
10 brands from Italy — strongest in furniture and home décor
Alcova Design Shop Gallery 
ALESSI Brand 
Aleyè Multi-brand Store 
Archiproducts Marketplace 
Artemest Marketplace 
Big Mamma E-Shop Brand 
Boffi Brand 
Flou Brand 
Hardgraft Artisan 
Porro Brand About italian design
The Milanese manufacturers built a model in the 1960s that still holds: the company commissions an architect, the architect designs a piece that argues something, and the company keeps it in production for decades. That is why so much Italian lighting reads as sculpture and so much Italian seating has a name attached to it.
The craft base underneath is the other half of the story. Northern Italy retains genuine depth in glass, ceramics, marble and upholstery, which is why small Italian studios can execute ideas that would be prohibitive elsewhere. Expect higher prices, longer lead times, and objects that photograph as well in person as they do in a catalogue.
Italian brands by category
- Furniture 6
- Home Décor 5
- Lighting 4
- Tableware 3