Overview
Important “ASTRO” sideboard designed by Guido Faleschini for i4 Mariani, produced in the 1979, one of the most sophisticated expressions of Italian radical-luxury design of the period.
Description
The Astro series represents one of Guido Faleschini’s most iconic projects, celebrated for its ability to combine architectural rigor, unconventional materials, and technological details within an extremely elegant and recognizable language.
In this version, the sideboard acquires an even rarer and more refined character thanks to the use of green cloth entirely covering the external structure, a highly unusual material choice that transforms the piece into both a tactile and visual object.
The intense green surface creates a striking contrast with the large smoked glass doors and the polished chromed steel profiles, generating a sophisticated balance between material softness and geometric precision.
Design & Function
The smoked glass doors, elegantly reflective and almost mirrored, visually lighten the monolithic volume of the piece and give the composition a strongly architectural aesthetic, recalling the most sophisticated executive interiors of the 1970s between Milan, New York, and London.
The interior, also finished in green tones with glass shelves, reveals an extremely high construction quality and remarkable attention to detail and chromatic coherence.
The sequence of six drawers on the left side, upholstered in taupe suede leather, contributes to the refined interplay of textures and tones characteristic of Guido Faleschini’s research and the most important i4 Mariani productions of the period.
Materials & Aesthetic
The upper top in veined red marble adds further visual depth and preciousness to the composition, introducing an almost sculptural dimension that dialogues beautifully with the modernist clarity of the structure.
What makes this sideboard particularly interesting is the dialogue between apparently opposite materials: the warm softness of the cloth contrasts with the technical coldness of chromed steel and the dark depth of smoked glass, while the red marble introduces a strong organic and decorative presence.
The result is a highly scenographic yet rigorous piece, still appearing remarkably contemporary today.
Technical Details
Product: Astro Sideboard by Guido Faleschini for i4 Mariani, 1970s
Designer: Guido Faleschini
Manufacturer: i4 Mariani
Period: 1979
Materials: Green cloth upholstery; smoked glass; chromed steel; red marble; taupe suede leather; glass shelves
Dimensions: Length: 200cm | Depth: 45cm | Height: 84cm
Condition: Please note that this item is in good vintage condition. Minor signs of age may be present, which do not affect its functionality. We kindly invite you to take these characteristics into consideration before purchasing.
Functionality: Sideboard with smoked glass storage compartments, internal glass shelves, and six drawers
Collectibility
A highly sophisticated and decorative example of Italian radical-luxury design, representative of Guido Faleschini’s most iconic research and of the refined material experimentation characteristic of i4 Mariani productions during the 1970s.
Designer & Manufacturer
Guido Faleschini was one of the key figures of Italian design during the 1970s, known for combining architectural rigor, luxurious materials, and advanced technological details into a highly recognizable design language.
i4 Mariani became internationally recognised for its sophisticated executive furniture and its refined use of leather, metal, glass, and architectural forms, creating some of the most distinctive Italian luxury interiors of the late 20th century.
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Venditore SILVER a Bari, Italy
