Gufram Furniture: Radical Italian Design Since 1966

Words: Mark Joseph

From the Bocca sofa to the Cactus coat rack, the Turin design house that transformed furniture into domestic sculpture.

Since 1966, Gufram has been steering clear of convention - injecting humour, a hefty dose of the avant-garde, and a flair for the surreal into the world of furniture design. Gufram, an acronym for Gugliermetto Fratelli Arredamenti Moderni, began life in a humble workshop in Turin.

At a time when contemporary interiors often gravitate towards restraint and tonal uniformity - as explored in our study of interior design inspiration from hotels here - Gufram’s approach feels all the more radical.

Founded by the Gugliermetto brothers, the business was rooted in cabinet-making, upholstery and furniture padding with a penchant for the rebellious and non-conformist.

Throughout the 1960s, as the world flirted with psychedelia, space age optimism and the avant-garde, the chemical wonders of polyurethane foam began to allow the creative minds at Gufram to push the boundaries of what was possible in design.

Pop Art, Anti-Design and the Rejection of Convention

The Soap featured in Gufram’s Toiletpaper campaign, underscoring the brand’s ongoing dialogue between design and pop culture.

Heavily inspired by Pop Art and the radical currents of Italy’s anti-design movement, Gufram seized the newfound freedom that came from ditching the rigidity of wood and the tyranny of tradition.

No longer content with four legs and a sensible cushion, the brand reimagined its workshop as a design laboratory where mischief and meaning could coexist.

"Think bold silhouettes, riotous colours, and a deliberate disregard for decorum. They were agents of aesthetic rebellion, poised to inject a little anarchy into the living room..."

The modernist mantra “form follows function”? Gufram cheerfully set it on fire and danced in the ashes.

What emerged were “domestic sculptures” - objects that straddled the line between art and design with wild abandon. Think bold silhouettes, riotous colours, and a deliberate disregard for decorum. They were agents of aesthetic rebellion, poised to inject a little anarchy into the living room.

The Birth of Design Icons

Freed from the shackles of convention and fuelled by an unshakeable commitment to their surrealist vision, Gufram began producing a string of design icons that would go on to achieve cult status.

Chief among them: the Bocca sofa - known affectionately (and accurately) as “the lips”- the oversized, tongue-in-cheek Pratone chaise longue, and of course, the Cactus hall tree: a verdant rebellion in polyurethane form.

The Bocca Sofa: Surrealism Meets Celebrity Culture

The Bocca sofa, designed by Studio65 in 1970, remains one of Gufram’s most recognisable sculptural icons.

The first of these icons was the Bocca and the one many consider the jewel of Gufram’s irreverent roster. Born in 1970 and originally destined for a beauty salon in Milan, the lip-shaped sofa was the brainchild of Studio65, a collective of architecture students with a flair for the theatrical.

Their inspiration? A cocktail of Salvador Dalí’s 1935 surrealist painting Face of Mae West Which May Be Used as an Apartment, the candy-coloured boldness of Pop Art, and the hyper-feminised glamour of Hollywood starlets.

What emerged was a sculptural ode to celebrity, consumer culture, and the mass-produced feminine form.

The Bocca’s exaggerated silhouette and electric colours were as much a comment on the artifice of fame as they were a celebration of it. It wasn’t just a sofa; it was a smirk in furniture form.

Pratone: The Absurdist Grass Chaise

Pratone chaise longue by Gruppo Strum, 1971 - an early expression of Gufram’s radical approach to seating.

Hot on the heels of the Bocca came the Pratone chaise longue in 1971 - a glorious piece of absurdist greenery conjured up by Gruppo Strum, an eclectic group of radical design disciples - Giorgia Ceretti, Pietro Derossi, and Riccardo Rosso.

Unafraid of a little visual chaos, they channelled the unruly beauty of overgrown grass into a seating experience like no other. Giant green polyurethane blades - Gufram’s material of choice and mischief - jut skyward, wrapping the user in a tactile embrace as they plunge into the spongy foliage.

Treated with a washable varnish to resemble leather (because why not?), the Pratone blurs the boundary between wild nature and domestic comfort.

It’s mindboggling. It’s mad. And it’s marvellously clever - an embodiment of the unbridled creativity that Gufram has always injected into its work.

The Cactus: Sculpture Disguised as Function

The Cactus coat rack by Guido Drocco and Franco Mello, first introduced in 1972 and crafted in hand-finished polyurethane.

As if to prove that lightning can indeed strike three times, Gufram unveiled the Cactus in 1972 - securing a hat trick of design icons in as many years.

Conceived by Guido Drocco and Franco Mello, the Cactus is both a pop object and a provocation: technically a coat rack, spiritually a sculpture, and stylistically a glorious middle finger to conventional décor.

Towering over 170 centimetres tall and clad in a spiny skin of hand-finished polyurethane foam, the original edition bloomed in a deep emerald green - part desert mirage, part disco totem.

Over the years, it’s reappeared in a rainbow of colours including white, red, black, blue and lime green, each version as delightfully confounding as the last. The Cactus remains a symbol of the brand’s genius for balancing satire with sculpture.

Creative Partnerships and Cultural Agitation

The Cactus revisited through a collaboration with Paul Smith, introducing layered colour and graphic play to the original 1972 form.

But to define Gufram solely by its holy trinity of icons - Bocca, Pratone, and Cactus - would be reductive. Gufram is a cultural agitator, one that has consistently adapted, evolved and collaborated to stay at the forefront of the design conversation.

In recent years, the brand has cleverly leveraged the power of creative partnerships to maintain its edge and amplify its voice. British fashion designer Paul Smith and musician A$AP Rocky have both left their mark on the famous Cactus design, with Smith imbuing psychedelic tones, whilst Rocky sprouted mushrooms from its polyurethane spikes.

Then there’s the Broken Mirror, a standout from 2017 that saw Gufram team up with New York-based design duo Snarkitecture. At first glance, it appears fractured - a shard of glass mid-shatter - but peer closer and the illusion begins to bend.

"His revitalisation of the brand - through collaborations and refreshed versions of classic pieces - has helped Gufram retain its cult status..."

The mirror’s jagged, sculptural frame isn’t glass at all but soft, hand-shaped polyurethane, lending a  warmth to what is typically a cold, reflective surface.

In 2012, Charley Vezza took the reins of Gufram as Artistic Director, ensuring the brand continued to leave an indelible mark on furniture design and, more importantly, a lasting imprint on the cultural psyche with its mind-bending designs and larger-than-life philosophy.

His revitalisation of the brand - through collaborations and refreshed versions of classic pieces - has helped Gufram retain its cult status.

Material Innovation and the Guflac Finish

Gufram’s collaboration with Toiletpaper reimagines functional objects through surrealist visual storytelling.

Gufram’s pieces are crafted with a seriousness of intent. Every curve, crease and absurd flourish is honed by hand.

The proprietary Guflac finish not only gives the pieces their surreal, lifelike texture, but also renders them unexpectedly durable.

These aren’t disposable design stunts - they’re built to last, even if they look like they might float off into an art-school fever dream.

Enduring Relevance in a World of Safe Interiors

The Capitello lounge chair and tables reinterpret classical architectural motifs through Gufram’s sculptural lens.

In an age where interiors often fall victim to the social media algorithms and the clinical execution of perfect grays, creams, and whites, Gufram stands as a vivid reminder of colour, conversation, complexity - and perhaps even a little comedy.

Gufram sparks dialogue, prompts thought, and may even leave you wondering, “What on earth were they thinking?”

Above all, though, it’s brimming with character and, most importantly, a rich design pedigree that ensures its place in both history and the present.

Photography courtesy of Gufram

Frequently Asked Questions About Gufram

What is Gufram known for?

Gufram is known for producing sculptural furniture pieces that blur the line between art and design, including icons such as the Bocca sofa, Pratone chaise longue and Cactus coat rack.

When was Gufram founded?

Gufram was founded in 1966 in Turin, Italy.

What material does Gufram use?

Gufram is recognised for its use of hand-shaped polyurethane foam finished with its proprietary Guflac coating.

Who designed the Bocca sofa?

The Bocca sofa was designed in 1970 by Studio65 and was inspired by Salvador Dalí and Pop Art culture.