Modern Interior Design Blog – Just Seen

When you think midcentury modern, names like Eames, van der Rohe, Nelson, Wegner, Noguchi, Saarinen, Bertoia, Panton and Prouve come to mind. But what about Carlo Mollino? Born in 1905 and working until his death in 1973, Mollino is regarded as one of the most influential designers of the 20th century. His prolific career spanned architecture, furniture design, photography, erotica, and race cars. His passions included skiing, car racing, flying and the occult – he was obsessive, eccentric and creative.

Working in Turin from an 18th century apartment, Mollino was a little obsessed with the death rituals of Egyptian pharaohs who believed they would enjoy a decadent afterlife. One room in his apartment was his sort of “tomb” which he outfitted with a bed-shaped boat on a watery blue carpet… That apartment has since been turned into a museum and has been preserved much the way it was left upon his death. The only photos I have seen were taken by designer Patricia Gray on a trip to Italy. Her account of the visit is interesting and the New York Times recently featured an piece on Mollino’s Seductive Allure.

Mollino came from a well-to-do family which afforded him the opportunity to create freely. Because he worked this way, many of his pieces were one-offs for clients and never went into production. The pieces are coveted by collectors because of their scarcity and inherent design value. However, a few pieces, like the Cavour Desk shown above, are still in production.