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A tribute to elegant simplicity and ‘made in Italy’ values
An international benchmark in the world of design, the Porro brand was founded in 1925 in the Brianza region of Italy, which is the epicentre of the production of high-end interior furniture. Porro is a family business, and has seen three generations share the same vision of décor. With great ingenuity, the brand combines two opposing worlds: traditional craft and innovation.
The manufacturing site was established by Giulio and Stefano Porro – two brothers, and the first generation of the company. Their ambition was to design old-style furniture for the Milanese nouvelle bourgeoisie. The 1950s marked a turning point. Cousins Carlo, Arturo and Silvio became the second generation of the company, and adopted a more modern style. This change was partly driven by a fruitful collaboration with the architect Giulio Moscatelli. Finally, the 1980s saw the third generation join the company. Design became a real driving force. It is this new approach that has forged the company’s prestigious reputation on an international level.
The company cultivates the art of Italian design and produces custom-made furniture and modular accessories for everyday use (beds, wardrobes, desks, chairs, storage units, etc.). By combining the typical modus operandi of traditional Italian craft with modern cutting-edge technology, Porro offers a range of transgenerational and innovative furniture. Products made by the renowned Italian manufacturer are also distinguished by refined lines, simplified geometry, a flair for minimalism, and fine woodwork. The meticulous details and finishes help the furniture to fit into its surroundings, as if it has always been there.
Porro has collaborated with talented designers such as Gabriele and Oscar Buratti, GamFratesi, Wolfgang Tolk, the studio Decoma Design, and Piero Lissoni, who became the artistic director of the company in 1989. By sharing different design approaches, and the same passion for quality, these Italian and foreign designers have made a strong contribution to the brand’s artistic identity.
Distinction, simplicity, elegance and quality… These are just a few words to define the Porro family business, which has been part of the history of design for almost a century.
Modern by Piero Lisoni | Porro
Offshore by Piero Lisoni | Porro
Excellent Italian furniture in the name of Porro
Porro’s product range extends to all areas of the house – the living room, the bedrooms, the dining room and the kitchen. Each of the brand’s creations reflects its vision of design. The furniture captures its identity, and signals its strong spatial awareness with an architectural touch. The manufacturer reinterprets great traditions such as sculpture, wood machining and marquetry, while working with innovative materials (aluminium, plastic, glass) and modern manufacturing techniques. A harmonious balance between culture and trends.
Outstanding projects, such as Mikado – a contemporary ash storage cabinet, which was first produced in 2013 – have won awards. Made by Swedish designers Anna Lindgren and Sofia Lagerkvist from Front Design, this ethereal sideboard with a strong exotic tone came top in the “Best Furniture” category at the EDIDA awards. The Gentle chair, which also designed by Front in 2012, won the “Best Seating” award. It is a seat that reinvents the bistro chair by playing on the contrasts between colours and environmentally friendly materials (natural ash and ecological leather), and is in a clean, modern style.
System by Piero Lisoni | Porro
Byron by Piero Lisoni | Porro
Over the years, Porro has unveiled many designs intended to enhance any living space, and to add a touch of elegance. The Galileo table, designed by Piero Lissoni, is characterised by organic shapes and natural wood tones. This sculptural object with a precious look was first made in 2014. In collaboration with this same designer and artistic director, Porro launched the ingenious Air concept – a free-standing wardrobe. This modular storage system is like a walk-in wardrobe, and combines fine metal structures with wooden panels. This wardrobe offers different solutions to optimise the organisation of clothes: open or closed spaces, no cuffs, angular or linear model. A flexible, innovative design project. In 2018, with the help of Italian designer Carlo Tamborini, the manufacturer created Gap – a suspended library wall with a sculptural look. Its purpose was to divide the room without separating it. An LED strip integrated into the cabinet can spectacularly illuminate any room.
Porro has also worked in many palaces, luxury hotels and famous places. Recent projects include the Camparino in Galleria restaurant in Milan, with its “Frank” armchairs. Designed by Piero Lissoni in 2018, these chairs with soft shell-shaped backrests offer superior comfort. Also, the family business has furnished the Grand Park Hotel Rovinj in Croatia. In the restaurant, the bar, the bedrooms and the suites, many emblematic creations have been installed. These include Neve chairs (2019), Fractal tables (2009), Boxes chests of drawers (2003), and made-to-measure wardrobes.
Celebratory projects by the Italian design brand Porro
As its 100th birthday approaches, Porro has great ambitions. A mainstay on the European market, but also in the United States and Japan, the Italian company now hopes to position itself as a benchmark in the world of designer furniture in Australia, China and Russia.
In 2020, Maria Porro, the Marketing and Communications Manager of Porro S.p.A., was appointed Chair of the Milan Furniture Fair. This is a milestone, as she is the first woman to be selected for this role. She will be in charge of the 2021 edition of the Furniture Fair, due to the event’s cancellation in 2020 as a result of the pandemic. This is “a vital and transformative moment” according to Maria Porro. It is also something that the Italian family business can be proud of.
Porro Supersalone 2021
During Milan Design Week 2021, the “Porro In The Deep” exhibition showcased the brand’s DNA, as well as the technical and design challenges hidden behind the apparent simplicity of its products. At Supersalone 2021, the company exhibited Storage (a modular cabinet system made by Piero Lissoni), its range of Glide sliding doors, and its geometric and retro Romby chairs by GamFratesi.
Customers can admire and discover all of Porro’s products in a showroom in Milan – Durini Quindici – where the company showcases its latest innovations and design visions. Take a virtual tour of the showroom on the company’s official website.
Since 1925, Porro has been committed to the virtuous project of combining the greatest simplicity with the highest quality. Over the years, the company has continued to intelligently evolve and innovate, in order to become a leader in the world of design. This remarkable family success story will now last for more than 100 years. In its long history, the company has dictated furnishing trends and rules, and will continue to do so.
