Paolo Buffa attributed extendable chestnut dining table, Italy, 1940s

Square wooden dining table with pull-out extensions, attributed to Paolo Buffa, Italian manufacture, 1940s.

Paolo Buffa was a designer who reinvented traditional furniture forms, giving them a new, distinctive, and immediately recognizable identity.
This square table features pull-out extensions that slide neatly beneath the tabletop—an “a tiro” mechanism. Long appreciated in homes where saving space was a virtue, this design was reimagined by Buffa in the 1940s with his personal, elegant touch.

The wood selected for this piece is chestnut—a solid, honest material that proudly displays its pronounced and vigorous grain. In choosing this traditional wood, the Milanese architect merges the charm of artisanal cabinetry with the broader vision of 20th-century Italian design.

What stands out most in this table is the shape of the legs: set at a slight outward angle from the center, they give the piece a sense of grounded stability—almost a rooted presence. With a bit of imagination, their silhouette might even evoke the stock of a rifle. Is it merely a visual suggestion, or a deliberate nod to the rural world of forests, fields, and country life that this rustic style seeks to recall?
The only possible answer lies in the personal interpretation of each viewer, each of whom will read the design of this table through the lens of their own sensibility.

A piece suspended between tradition and modernity, created by one of the most unique figures in the history of Italian furniture design.

Dimensions:
Closed: 95w x 95d x 80h cm (37.4w x 37.4d x 31.5h in)
Extended: 95w x 157.5d x 80h cm (37.4w x 62d x 31.5h in)