Modernist comfort defined a new aesthetic in the 1970s and few designers captured its appeal like Guido Faleschini. His Tucroma chairs for i4 Mariani embody a bold yet supple spirit, blending industrial materials with a deeply relaxed posture.

Design

This set of five dining chairs demonstrates Faleschini’s signature design language: a continuous tubular chrome steel frame, bent into a cantilevered structure that offers a sense of lightness and subtle bounce. The chair’s seat and backrest are upholstered in dark brown leather, padded generously and finished with deep button tufting. The leather straps that anchor the backrest to the frame, both visually distinctive and structurally important, give the chairs a sense of softness, as if suspended rather than fixed. Each strap is stitched and tied with a nod to craftsmanship, visible from both front and back.

The chairs’ proportions are thoughtful and inviting, equally suited for lingering dinners or elegant conference settings. Produced by i4 Mariani, a company that collaborated with prominent Italian designers of the period, these chairs reflect the forward-thinking ethos of the Milanese design scene.

Faleschini, trained as an architect, approached furniture as a system, where comfort, material honesty, and a strong silhouette worked in balance. The Tucroma line remains one of his best-known contributions to Italian design and was part of the exhibition “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape” at MoMA in 1972.

Condition

The condition is very good overall. The leather shows light creasing and minor patina, consistent with age. Chrome surfaces are bright, with subtle signs of wear on the legs and arms.