Paco Muñoz, Riaza Armchair for Home and Garden

PACO MUÑOZ (Santander, 1925–2009) for Casa y Jardín.
Armchair from the “Riaza” series.
Black-lacquered wood and natural leather, hand-stitched with straps and buckles.
In very good condition. No structural defects. May show signs of use, especially on the leather, which gives it a beautiful patina.
Measurements: 75 x 60 x 57 cm; 40 cm (seat height).

Paco Muñoz drew inspiration from the traditional 18th-century Spanish friar’s armchair to create the Riaza series, originally designed in 1958 for the Villa de Madrid Country Club and later produced by Darro during the 1960s.

The chair consists of a lacquered wooden frame over which a single piece of hand-stitched leather is draped to form the seat and backrest, secured by a strap fastened at the bottom with two buckles. The Riaza series stands out for the authenticity of its materials, the purity of its lines, and its contemporary reinterpretation of Spanish artisanal tradition. Now an icon of Spanish design, it embodies the balance between modernity, functionality, and a sober, timeless elegance.

The iconic designer Paco Muñoz founded the renowned interior design studio Casa&Jardín in 1951, alongside Fernando Alonso Martínez, who had been his classmate and friend at the School of Architecture. This studio became a resounding success, and Paco Muñoz collaborated on projects for the homes of heads of state, millionaires, artists, and celebrities; he was also one of the interior designers for Prince Felipe de Borbón’s pavilion. In 1959, he founded Darro as a movement against the recently fallen Franco regime and to break cultural isolation. Paco Muñoz conceived the Darro space as a showroom where the furniture engaged in a dialogue, showing potential clients different combinations that could be installed in their homes. In short, Muñoz was a true pioneer and outstanding designer who broke the mold of Spanish design at the time.