Under €300: Design That Doesn’t Break the Bank

Pulcina Caffettiera (Michele de Lucchi for Alessi) – €65

“It’s stylish and iconic and you get lots of daily use out of it—at least I do!” Italy Segreta contributor Valeria Necchio says of this historic Moka designed by Michele de Lucchi. 

Eclisse Lamp (Vico Magistretti for Artemide) – Prices range from €150 to €200

Designed by Vico Magistretti in 1965 and winner of the Compasso d’Oro in 1967, the Eclisse is a small but mighty icon. “It’s small, cheap, unbreakable, and always gives a room the right intensity of light,” Italy Segreta contributor Margo Schächter says. “But above technicality, this object has a soul, a personality, a smile. It’s very funny.” She likes it in white or red—the two original colors. 

Bamboo Resin Vase (Enzo Mari for Corsi) – From €91.50
Designed by Enzo Mari and crafted in richly pigmented resin, these vases “fill a room with or without flowers” Marina Cacciapuoti, Italy Segreta Co-Founder & Creative Director, says. She swears by their sculptural appeal and saturated color—they’re the easiest way to inject a room with personality.

Lampadina Table Lamp (Achille Castiglioni for Flos) – €145

A nom from both up-and-coming Italian designer Giuseppe Arezzi and Florentine architect Claudio Pieratelli, this table lamp designed by Achille Castiglioni is a minimalist marvel with an exposed bulb. “A must have for every design lover,” Pieratelli says. 

Ophelia Pendulum (Andrea de Chirico) – €300

A pendulum clock with personality, Ophelia is handcrafted in oak and shaped like a stylized face, complete with a swinging “mouth.” Designed by Andrea de Chirico, one of Italy Segreta’s young designers to keep an eye on and loved by Italy Segreta Senior Editor Anna Hirschorn.

Hand Block Print of Palazzo dei Dogi (Antica Legatoria Ofer, Venice) – Price varies

“I love this little print shop in Venice. This kind of craftsmanship using antique methods represents what’s most beautiful in Italian design,” says Italy Segreta contributor and interior designer Susan Plaggemars. “Their large-scale hand block prints of Venetian palazzos are so textured and original, they look like textiles—especially beautifully framed in a series.”

La Cupola Caffettiera (Aldo Rossi for Alessi) – €60

Designed in 1988 by Aldo Rossi, Italy’s most poetic rationalist, La Cupola’s domed top and fluted body makes it look like a modernist chapel for caffeine. Architect Claudio Pieratelli calls it “simple and refined”—and we agree. 

Espresso Cup (Piselli, Pienza) – €3
From a humble hardware store in Pienza comes one of the chicest three-euro objects around. “Perfect for a cappuccino, a small flower arrangement, or an artisanal cocktail,” says Italy Segreta contributor Ondine Cohane. 

La Conica Espresso Coffee Maker (Aldo Rossi for Alessi) – €280

Aldo Rossi’s first Moka design, from 1984, this sleek geometric espresso maker “could belong in a Wes Anderson film,” says Italy Segreta Co-Founder & Creative Director Marina Cacciapuoti. 

Jade Dinner Rim Plate (Coralla Maiuri) – €77
Rome-based artist Coralla Maiuri’s creations feel hand-painted and heirloom-worthy—a favorite of Italy Segreta Graphic Designer Betty Subrizi for a table that doesn’t try too hard but always wins. 

Sleek Spoon (Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Alessi) – €9.50

One of those small pleasures that proves good design doesn’t have to shout. “What I love about the Castiglioni brothers’ designs is that they don’t take themselves too seriously,” says Marina Italy Segreta’s Co-Founder & Creative Director, “It makes me smile.”

Ettore Stool (Gio Tirotto for LAVA) – Price upon request

The Ettore stool is a playful tribute to Sottsass from Gio Tirotto (one of Italy Segreta’s favorite young Italian designers): made entirely of recyclable aluminum and available in six punchy finishes, the stool is stackable, lightweight, and sized to slide perfectly under any LAVA table—ready to clear the floor for a game of ping-pong in seconds​. 

Nessino Table Lamp (Giancarlo Mattioli for Artemide) – €205
A 1960s icon that still looks like it belongs in the future. Designed by Giancarlo Mattioli and his gang of radical architects, it brings that retro-pop glow to any bedside table. Italy Segreta contributor and gallerist Francesco Dama’s pick.

PEARL Jug (Studio Nudo) – Approx. €270
Mouth-blown in emerald borosilicate glass, this jug is light, sculptural, and quietly opulent. Italy Segreta Graphic Designer Betty Subrizi’s pick for a chic table.

Autoprogettazione Furniture Set (Inspired by Enzo Mari) – Cost: Just a whole lot of wood and a whole lot of time

“I feel like I’m cheating,” Italy Segreta contributor Bartolomeo Sala admits, “but my budget pick would be a whole set of furniture made using Enzo Mari’s ‘Manuale di Autoprogettazione.’” Originally conceived in 1974, the free, illustrated booklet includes detailed instructions and drawings for building furniture using only basic, affordable materials: pine boards, nails, and a hammer. 

€300–€2,000: The Room-Changers

Parentesi Lamp (Achille Castiglioni and Pio Manzù for Flos) – €380

A gravity-defying strip of steel suspended between ceiling and floor, the Parentesi was designed in 1971 by Achille Castiglioni and Pio Manzù. A pick from Italy Segreta contributor Lorenzo Villa. 

Pila Chair (Giancarlo Piretti for Anonima Castelli) – €360

The 1967 design from Giancarlo Piretti that made folding chairs sexy. Lightweight, stackable, but actually cool—another favorite of Lorenzo Villa. 

Pipistrello Lamp (Gae Aulenti for Martinelli Luce) – €1,900

Designed by Gae Aulenti—one of the few women to break through the male-dominated world of 20th-century Italian design—the Pipistrello features a telescoping steel base and winged opal diffuser that casts a soft, architectural glow. A pick from Anna Hirschorn, Senior Editor at Italy Segreta. 

Karelia Armchair (Zanotta) – Prices vary by provider, but often land just above €2,000 

A wave-like armchair that captures the essence of 70s design by Liisi Beckmann. A pick from Tomasso Serra, who, for our DESIGN ISSUE, photographed the photographer who photographed the chair—how meta.

Nesso Table Lamp (Giancarlo Mattioli and Gruppo Architetti Urbanisti Città Nuova for Artemide) – €370
The larger version of the aforementioned Nessino table lamp, this mushroom-like design from Giancarlo Mattioli and Gruppo Architetti Urbanisti Città Nuova was nominated by Italy Segreta Junior Editor Nancy Butler, who wants it in orange.

Atrio Mirror (Giuseppe Arezzi for Exto) – Price upon request

A pick from Italy Segreta Senior Editor Anna Hirschorn, Atrio turns the idea of a mirror inside out. Made of lacquered wood and crystal, it echoes the shape of Roman atriums—an architectural pause in the wall. Featured on Italy Segreta’s list of up-and-coming designers, Giuseppe Arezzi debuted the design at Milan Design Week 2025.

Guarino Mirror (Andrea de Chirico) – €750

Lacquered recycled wood, bold forms, and clean geometry. Guarino distills Andrea de Chirico’s playful rigor into a compact, sculptural mirror—a new favorite of Anna Hirschorn. 

Frigorifero Monoporta (Smeg) – From €1,099 

All rounded corners and glossy enamel, SMEG’s single-door fridge reimagines midcentury appliance design—a dream kitchen anchor of Italy Segreta Junior Editor Nancy Butler, who particularly loves the pastel colors. 

Super Lamp (Martine Bedin for Memphis Milano) – €990

With its colorful arch of lightbulbs and little rubber wheels, the Super Lamp looks like a cartoon creature. Designed in 1981 by Martine Bedin—then just 25 and the only woman in the original Memphis group—it was intended to be pulled around “like a dog on a leash.” Anna Hirschorn, Senior Editor at Italy Segreta, loves how unserious it is. 

€2,000–€10,000: Invest in the Icons

Ionian Capital Chair (Fornasetti) – €3,500
A whimsical blend of classical architecture and modern design, this chair features the Ionian column as its backrest. Italy Segreta contributor Alexia Petsinis describes it as her “ultimate dinner party guest and a timeless reminder to maintain good posture.”

Arco Lamp (Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos) – €2,650

The Arco lamp features a marble base, sweeping steel arch, and adjustable aluminum shade—essentially a floor lamp that moonlights as a chandelier. Created in 1962 to light a table without drilling into the ceiling, it’s a pick from Italy Segreta’s Business Development Manager Valentina Calò. 

Libreria Joy (Achille Castiglioni for Zanotta) – Prices vary by provider but hover around €3,000

Designed in 1989, this swiveling column of shelves designed by Achille Castiglioni gets a nod from Italy Segreta contributor Tomasso Serra. 

Fungo Lamp (Gabriella Crespi) – Vintage options from €8,000
“I love Gabriella Crespi for the woman she was—soulful, nature-driven, and endlessly inspired,” says contributor Susie Plaggemars. The Fungo, with its glowing dome and sensuous lines, radiates that legacy. 

Carimate Chair (Vico Magistretti for Cassina) – Vintage options tend towards €2,500 per chair, with sets reaching up to €15,000 

Designed in 1963, the Carimate blends a lacquered beech frame with a rush seat—rustic, elegant, and unmistakably Italian. Italy Segreta Co-Founder & Creative Director, Marina Cacciapuoti’s pick for timeless dining with a side of design history.

Soriana Sofa (Tobia & Afra Scarpa for Cassina) – From €8,000
Designed to look like it’s being cinched by its own chrome braces, Soriana is all voluptuous volume—plush, overstuffed cushions held tight without a frame. A favorite of contributor Lorenzo Villa. 

Flap Sofa (Francesco Binfaré for Edra) – Vintage options start from €6,000
The flaps of this sofa move, fold, and stretch depending on how you want to sit—or sprawl. Architect Claudio Pieratelli says it’s “elegant and anticonformist—a horizontal sculpture you can sit on.” 

L75 Trundel Day Bed (Osvaldo Borsani for Tecno) – Vintage options range from €3,000 to €9,000
Designed in 1963, Borsani’s L75 is a streamlined daybed with a hidden trick: the lower frame slides out to become a double bed. With its tubular steel legs and modular form, “It’s a million times better than any sofa bed—both in terms of comfort and, without question, in aesthetics.” Italy Segreta’s Co-Founder & Creative Director, Marina Cacciapuoti

Margherita Chair (Franco Albini for Bonacina) – From €4,000

Woven entirely by hand from rattan and resting on a sculptural base, the Margherita was the first Italian chair to be exhibited at MoMA. Designed by Franco Albini in 1950, it feels like both a throne and a cocoon. A pick from Italy Segreta’s Co-Founder & Creative Director, Marina Cacciapuoti. 

Surf Table (Umberto Riva for Giustini-Stagetti) – Price upon request
Produced in small numbers by Rome’s Giustini-Stagetti gallery, the Surf Table is all fluid lines and rigorous soul—chosen by up-and-coming Italian designer Giuseppe Arezzi. 

Antica Dining Chair (Bonacina & Renzo Mongiardino) – From €4,000

Handwoven in Lurago d’Erba by the historic Bonacina atelier, the Antica chair revives the craft of canestrai—basket-makers turned furniture artisans. “It has the timeless charm of a bygone era,” says contributor Briza Datti, who spotted it at Marella Agnelli’s villa, where winter gardens and rattan were once de rigueur.

€10,000 and Beyond: No Budget, No Problem

En Forme Libre Table (Charlotte Perriand for Cassina) – Prices vary, but start around €10,000

This piece by Charlotte Perriand “encourages sitting around it in a non-symmetrical way,” says contributor Valeria Necchio. “That’s the kind of spirit I want at my table—free-flowing and relaxed.”

Plaza Vanity, 1981 (Michael Graves for Memphis Milano) – Vintage item around €30,000

With its candy-colored lacquer, arched mirror, and architectural legs, Plaza is Memphis design in full theatrical mode—part dressing table, part postmodern stage set. “Imagine making-up a frosty eye in front of that beauty every morning!” says contributor Alexia Petsinis.

Radiofonografo RR226 (Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Brionvega) – €22,000

Designed by the Castiglioni brothers, this piece features a record player, radio, and amplifier in a cherrywood console with swiveling speaker cubes. “Objects must keep you company,” said Achille Castiglioni. Italy Segreta Co-Founder Marina Cacciapuoti thinks this is one that does just that. 

Margarita Chair (Roberto Matta for Paradiso Terrestre) – From €25,000 

A design from 1971 and a dream piece of Bartolomeo Sala, the Margarita is cast in hand-finished bronze with sinuous, bodily curves that blur the line between seat and sculpture. Designed by Chilean-born artist and architect Roberto Matta, it captures the sexual and political charge of 1970s Italian avant-garde design. 

Camaleonda Sofa (Mario Bellini for B&B Italia) – From €15,700

Mario Bellini’s modular masterpiece, beloved since the 1970s. “It’s super comfortable,” says architect and contributor Claudio Pieratelli. 

Pratone Chair (Ceretti, Derossi, Rosso for Gufram) – From €12,500 to €30,000

This “chair”, a pick from contributor Bartolomeo Sala, is made from soft polyurethane and shaped like an oversized clump of grass blades—each one flexible enough to lean back into. Designed in 1966 as an ironic critique of bourgeois living rooms, it invites you to literally sprawl across the lawn indoors.

1971 FIAT Jolly (Sergio Sartorelli for FIAT) – Rare vintage that usually sells for €30,000 and up

Contributor Ondine Cohane’s dream splurge: raffia roof, open sides, and a history of ferrying movie stars along the Amalfi Coast. 

Boa Sofa (Fernando and Humberto Campana for Edra) – Approx. €30,000

“It’s not a sofa, it’s a nest,” says Italy Segreta contributor Margo Schächter. With no frame and 120 meters of tube covered with a blue-violet iridescent velvet, “it’s alive,” she continues. Best viewed (and fallen in love with) at Edra’s Milan showroom in Palazzo Durini.

GAE Table (Gio Tirotto for LAVA) – Price upon request

Inspired by the rhythm of a ping-pong rally, the GAE table pairs sculptural aluminum legs with a ceramic or FENIX® top—equal parts athletic and elegant. Designed for play but easily transformed into a dining or work surface, it’s Gio Tirotto’s vision of design as “a beautiful exchange”. A dream piece for game lover and Italy Segreta Senior Editor Anna Hirschorn. 

1974 FIAT 130 Familiare – Rare vintage that usually sells for €170,000 and up

Commissioned by the Avvocato (Gianni Agnelli) himself and never produced in series, this wood-paneled station wagon features “a large wicker basket on the roof, designed to carry skis during winter vacations in St. Moritz,” contributor Briza Datti says.

Tronchi Murano Glass Chandeliers (Venini) – Prices for vintage options vary

Whether in amber or a dreamy pink, these glass tronchi chandeliers by Venini bring a gorgeous softness to any space. “White light should be illegal,” says Italy Segreta Co-Founder Marina Cacciapuoti. “And warm light? Even better when it pours from a monumental chandelier—especially if it’s pink.” You can find options like this one and this one on 1stDibs.