In 1952, Ico Parisi designed a carefully thought-out bespoke study room for two ten-year-old twin sisters. The whole space was crafted with great attention to every detail and comprised this extraordinarily shaped asymmetrical sofa, a pair of corner desks that could be used simultaneously (Lots 37 & 38) as well as capacious bookshelf with cabinets and a magazine rack (Lot 40). The sofa’s ergonomic design displays two partially visible metal supports that connect a trapezoidal seat pad to an atypical backrest featuring a horizontal crevice. The unusual form of the sofa is further underlined by the only armrest which flares outwards. The archival photograph of the room reveals its elegance and harmony also complemented by the lighting (note the lamp designed by Parisi on the table in the corner) and by the ‘Battaglia sul mare’ painting by the important Italian abstract artist Mario Radice.
In addition to the furnishing for the twins’ study room, Parisi also designed a unique leather stool for the same family (Lot 39). This graceful piece presents with wooden diagonal legs linked by a painted steel support and is reminiscent of a model that Parisi designed for a kitchen in 1950, produced by Fratelli Rizzi, Itimiano.
By Roberta Lietti, Curator at the Archivio Design Ico Parisi