LUISA PARISI and ICO PARISI for MIM ROMA

LUISA PARISI (Cantù, 1914–1990) and ICO PARISI (Palermo, 1916 – Como, 1996) for MIM ROMA.
Executive desk, Italy, 1950s.
Veneered wood and metal.
With two separate mobile drawer units on wheels.
The MIM Roma keys and emblems are still present on the drawer units.
Shows slight signs of wear.
Measurements: 76.5 x 210.5 x 100 cm.

An imposing executive desk designed by Luisa and Ico Parisi for MIM Roma, representative of the sophistication achieved by postwar Italian design. Its design combines a striking architectural presence with great functional flexibility—characteristics particularly prized in Italian executive furniture of the 1950s. A piece with these exact dimensions and configuration is documented on the market as a joint design by Luisa and Ico Parisi for MIM Roma.

The wide, polygonal-shaped tabletop appears to float above a wood-and-metal frame that incorporates two discreet drawers beneath the top. The fully finished back allows the desk to be placed in the center of a room, while the two freestanding drawer units on casters can be arranged freely according to usage needs. The combination of wood and metal, together with the structure’s geometric purity, gives the piece the balance of elegance, visual lightness, and functionality characteristic of the finest mid-century Italian design.

Luisa and Ico Parisi formed one of the most influential creative duos in postwar Italian design. After their marriage in 1947, they founded the La Ruota studio in Como, conceived not only as a space for architecture and design but also as a gathering place for art and culture. Ico had trained in the rationalist environment of Giuseppe Terragni’s studio, while Luisa worked closely with him, developing an intense practice in the field of furniture and interiors. From the early 1950s onward, their work took on extraordinary vitality, combining architectural rigor, formal experimentation, and a distinctive elegance that placed their designs among the most representative of Italian modernism.

Their collaboration with MIM Roma (Mobili Italiani Moderni) allowed them to apply this research to mass-produced furniture, particularly for the home and office. In this desk, the mobility of the drawer units, the ability to view it from all sides, and the combination of materials demonstrate a conception of the workspace as a true architectural element within the space, not merely as a functional piece of furniture.