Marco Comolli’s CP1 seating for I.C.F. De Padova is a documented Italian model from the 1960s, with the design recorded by 1963 in published and auction references. The present living room set, consisting of a sofa and two matching lounge chairs, shows the model’s characteristic combination of a sculptural wooden frame, leather support straps and newly upholstered loose cushions.

Design ‍

The set is organised around the same side profile across all three pieces. Each chair and the sofa use broad wooden side members that rise in one continuous curve from the front seat rail to the top of the back, then meet a pair of splayed legs that cross beneath the seat. That crossing support gives each piece a clear X-shaped base in side view, but the frame is not heavy in silhouette: the timber narrows as it approaches the floor and leaves open space between the upper body and the ground. The reclined back and low seat line keep the centre of the composition horizontal, with the curved side members acting as a firm outer boundary around the softer upholstery.

The relation between the cushions and the supporting structure is central to how the model reads. Rather than being enclosed by solid panels, the back and seat are carried within an open framework of black rails and tan leather straps. At the rear of the sofa and chairs, a black horizontal rail sits just below the top cushion roll, with evenly spaced leather loops folded over it. Beneath, a row of vertical tan straps remains visible behind the back cushions, so the support system is part of the exterior view rather than hidden inside the upholstery. A further black rail and another row of leather loops can be seen below the front edge of the seat, which ties the underside visually to the rear structure and gives the low body of the seat a suspended appearance.

The upholstery introduces a different register from the frame. The cushions are newly upholstered in a light grey / greenish suede material in the color ´sage´, with a soft matte surface that sits against the darker wood, black rails and warm tan strapwork. Button tufting pulls both seat and back cushions into a regular grid, producing shallow depressions that break up the broad padded surfaces and keep them from reading as one unmodulated block. On the sofa, the division into two back cushions and two seat cushions adds a central vertical and horizontal break, whereas each chair uses a single seat and back cushion, making the armchairs appear more compact and self-contained. Piped edges sharpen the outline of each cushion and make the junction between upholstery and frame easy to follow.

From the rear and three-quarter views, the set becomes more open and more structural than it first appears from the front. The sofa back shows the full width of the strap arrangement, with the vertical leather bands spaced closely enough to create a continuous screen, yet separated enough for the pale upholstery behind to remain visible between them. This alternating sequence of tan straps and dark gaps gives the reverse a striped rhythm that is absent from the front. The wooden sides terminate the composition at each end with a thicker curved edge, so the lighter interior elements appear held between two solid outer brackets.

Condition

Completely restored and newly upholstered.

Dimensions

Sofa

Height: 72 x Width: 156 x Depth: 80 x Seating Height 40 cm

28 3/8 x 61 3/8 x 31 1/2 inches

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Chair

Height: 72 x Width: 81 x Depth: 80 x Seating Height 40 cm

28 3/8 x 31 7/8 x 31 1/2 inches