Six young architects joined forces in the 1950s to create Branco & Preto in São Paulo. Together, they created high-end modern furniture inspired by the spirited reinvigoration of art and architecture in Brazil.
The six founders — Miguel Forte, Jacob Ruchti, Plínio Croce, Roberto Aflalo, Carlos Millan and Chen Y Hwa — all attended Mackenzie Architecture University, a school led by architect and modernist critic Cristiano Stockler das Neves who prioritized neoclassicism. As progressive students, the founders rebelled against this status quo in their work.
During the 1950s, there were few designers of modern furniture based in Brazil aside from Brazilian furniture firm Mòveis Artisticos Z and Portuguese-born furniture designer Joaquim Tenreiro. Branco & Preto helped fill a wide gap in the market.
Brazilian modernist pioneers Rino Levi and Gregori Warchavchik were important early connections. Through them, Ruchti and Forte met American architect Philip Johnson and German-American architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe; meanwhile, Croce, Alfalo and Millan drew inspiration from the works of Austrian-American architect Richard Neutra and Hungarian-American architect and furniture designer Marcel Breuer.
As a proponent of “Rio modernism,” Branco & Preto often combined glass, iron and calacatta marble with Brazilian woods like jacaranda and caviuna to make its handcrafted furnishings. Free from plywood and screws, this furniture required the expertise of skilled woodworkers, especially for the MF5 armchair and slatted coffee table. Both designed by Millan, they are among Branco & Preto’s most recognized works.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of Branco & Preto tables, seating and case pieces and storage cabinets.
Pair of Side Tables by Sergio Rodrigues, Mid-Century Modern Brazilian, 1960s
By Sergio Rodrigues
Located in West Hollywood, CA
A striking pair that distills Rodrigues’ design language into its most essential form. The circular tops, rendered in richly figured jacarandá rosewood, rest upon sculptural crucifor...
Metal
Side Table by Anonymous, Mid-Century Modern Brazilian, 1950s
Located in West Hollywood, CA
This refined 1950s side table embodies the quiet sophistication of Brazilian mid-century design, where material economy met structural clarity. A slender metal frame supports a trans...
Metal
Capri Side Table by Jorge Zalszupin, Mid-Century Modern Brazilian, 1960s
By Jorge Zalszupin
Located in West Hollywood, CA
The Capri side table exemplifies Zalszupin’s mastery of proportion and his ability to elevate minimal form through exquisite materials. A slender geometric frame supports a richly fi...
Metal
Capri Set by Jorge Zalszupin, Mid-Century Brazilian, 1960s
By Jorge Zalszupin
Located in West Hollywood, CA
A sophisticated modular ensemble from the Capri series, this set of two side tables and an integrated magazine rack exemplifies Zalszupin’s seamless fusion of function, material, and...
Marble, Metal
H Coffee Table by Joaquim Tenreiro, Mid-Century Modern Brazilian, 1960
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Architectural and elemental, this solid rosewood table anchors a white marble top with H-shaped legs — a sculptural shift from Tenreiro’s earlier delicacy toward grounded, modernist ...
Marble
Desk by Anonymous, Mid-Century Modern Brazilian, 1950s
Located in West Hollywood, CA
This refined 1950s desk exemplifies the Brazilian modernist pursuit of equilibrium between material honesty and formal lightness. The dual pedestals in solid jacarandá rosewood ancho...
Metal
Mid-Century Modern Pair of Side Tables by Branco & Preto, 1950's
By Branco & Preto
Located in New York, NY
This pair of glass-top coffee tables is an important design by Branco & Preto, the pioneering São Paulo collective that defined Brazilian modernism in the 1950s. Their minimalist str...
Glass, Wood
Mid-Century Modern Pair of Side Tables by Branco & Preto, 1950's
By Branco & Preto
Located in New York, NY
This pair of glass-top coffee tables is an important design by Branco & Preto, the pioneering São Paulo collective that defined Brazilian modernism in the 1950s. Their minimalist...
Glass, Wood
Mid-Century Modern Pair of Side Tables by Joaquim Tenreiro, Brazil, 1960s
By Joaquim Tenreiro
Located in Deerfield Beach, FL
Mid-Century Modern Pair of Side Tables by Joaquim Tenreiro, Brazil, 1960s Side tables designed by the renowned Brazilian designer, Joaquim Tenreiro, crafted during the mid-20th cent...
Glass, Wood
Pair of Vintage Side Tables, Design by Unknown Artist, Brazil, 1960s
Located in New York, NY
Hidden among Brazil's modern furniture heritage are pieces whose origins remain a mystery. These designs, beautifully crafted and steeped in the aesthetics of their time, are yet to ...
Glass, Wood, Hardwood
Mid-Century Modern Side Table by Branco & Preto, 1950s
By Branco & Preto
Located in New York, NY
This glass-top coffee table is an important design by Branco & Preto, the pioneering São Paulo collective that helped define Brazilian modernism in the 1950s. The minimalist stru...
Glass, Wood
Brazilian Midcentury side table designed by Branco & Preto; Brazil 1950s
By Branco & Preto
Located in Whitstable, GB
Brazilian Midcentury side table, designed by the architecture office Branco & Preto. São Paulo, Brazil 1950s The frame is in solid caviúna wood in minimalistic design. The table ha...
Hardwood
