Franco Poli Locanda bedside tables, Bernini, Italy 1982

Pair of wooden nightstands, dated 1982, designed by Franco Poli, model "Locanda," manufactured by Bernini.

The 1980s were years marked by a constant pursuit of balance between tradition and innovation. In Italy, a certain hedonistic taste, more aesthetic conformity than deep conviction, sought in the possession of objects the solution to its satisfaction. During that period, the role of the designer, emerging from decades of free experimentation, became crucial in mediating between demanding clientele and an ambitious aesthetic equilibrium between luxury and refinement demanded by the changing general taste. Franco Poli reinterprets furniture intended for the bedroom - still conceived traditionally as a collection of furniture divided according to their function - enhancing, through personal redesign, the evocative power of each piece.

Thus, the "Locanda" series was born in 1982 for Bernini production. The collaboration with the historic brand, which has made the valorization of wood as its distinctive trait, was one of the most fruitful in recent design history. Poli found in Bernini the necessary space for the expression of his most authentic idea of aesthetics and design, becoming its artistic director from 1977 to 2009. In those years, in perfect synergistic relationship, a Venetian craftsmanship and a Venetian architect, aware of a common cultural heritage linked to the history of furniture, ferry the mastery of past cabinetmakers, the love for wood material, and its possible virtuosities, towards works recognized as design.

The conceptual core around which the entire project of the "Locanda" series develops, published in the 1982 issue of the magazine "Ottagono", is therefore the contemporary reinterpretation of the bedroom furniture set, and these nightstands fully express this intention. The horizontal development of the surface gives the entire piece an unusual and elegant volume, where the grain pattern of the wood is considered a decorative texture. Also noteworthy is the design effort invested in the joints of the various furniture components, which are also studied to be aesthetic elements, in a particularly successful play between natural and artificial.

Finally, the concealed mounting mechanism of each nightstand, which hides the guides for the drawer opening, cleverly divided into compartments, is the true signature of this design project. In other forms, it is a recurring element deliberately repeated throughout the "Locanda" furniture collection. The sensation one feels when observing this piece is that of encountering furniture inspired by the orient. Contributing to this effect is also the light color of the wood and its low height from the ground. These contemporary design furnishings are capable of fitting into a broader interior design project where past and present coexist in total aesthetic freedom.

The furniture is original to the period and perfectly preserved. Brand marks and labels from the manufacturer are present.

Dimensions: 69W x 50D x 33H cm (each)