Ezio Longhi. Armchairs, 1950s

Ezio Longhi (Meda, 1928 – Meda, 2023).
Pair of armchairs, Italy, 1950s.
Dark-stained fruitwood with olive-green fabric upholstery.
Upholstery has been renewed.
In good overall condition.
Measurements: 86 x 63 x 72 cm.

An elegant pair of armchairs designed by Ezio Longhi in the 1950s, fully representative of the postwar revival in Italian furniture design. The lightweight, carefully contoured wooden frame encloses a generous seat and a high, padded backrest, featuring horizontal bands that accentuate its verticality and provide a distinct sense of comfort. This same model is documented in the specialized market as a Longhi design from the 1950s.

Particularly striking is the balance between the slenderness of the frame and the volume of the upholstery. The arms trace a continuous, sinuous line that softens the structural rigor, while the stylized legs and the slightly slanted backrest give the pieces an elegant and dynamic silhouette. The new olive-green upholstery reinforces the contrast with the dark wood without altering the original interpretation of the design.

Ezio Longhi was a leading figure in the development of furniture design in the Brianza region of Italy during the second half of the 20th century. Born in Meda in 1928 into a family with ties to cabinetmaking, he began working in the family workshop at a very young age and by 1945 was already designing modern furniture. In 1951, he founded the company that would eventually become Elam—Ezio Longhi Arredamenti Moderni—introducing new production techniques and establishing a significant collaborative practice with architects and designers. In the mid-1960s, he also began a close collaboration with Marco Zanuso, which proved decisive for Elam’s growth and for some of his best-known designs.
His career particularly well embodies the transition from the artisanal know-how of Brianza to the industrial culture of Italian design, combining an understanding of wood, ergonomic considerations, and formal research. These armchairs date precisely from the period when Longhi was defining that modern design language, based on refined structures and a careful balance between construction and comfort.