Percival Lafer

Percival Lafer is one of the most prolific Brazilian furniture designers of the 20th century. Born in 1936, he graduated with a degree in Architecture from Universidade Mackenzie School of Architecture in São Paulo. Surprisingly, Lafer never set out to be a furniture designer. His inventive nature expressed itself in a wide range of applications, including: architecture, automotive design, payphone hoods, newsstands, and medical care objects. But it was his furniture design that contributed to his greatest impact.

After his graduation from university, he and his brothers assumed roles in his family’s furniture business upon the death of his father. His vision was to "bring good design to everyone, not just the intellectual elite" with modern, well-crafted pieces that were designed for mass-production. Lafer’s furniture designs not only captured the modern aesthetic of the moment, but were exquisitely crafted using gorgeous, solid hardwoods such as Rosewood and Teak that were new to U.S. consumers. Featuring finely finished leather upholstery and meticulous hardware details, Lafer’s pieces were also sold throughout Western Europe and Scandinavia.

Percival Lafer's works are marked by boldness, originality and invention. For him, effective design should combine superior craftsmanship with innovative ideas. Despite all of his successes, he doesn’t necessarily consider himself a furniture designer: "I love to make physical objects, and I’m constantly thinking about all the ways I can improve them." Lafer sought to deliver great design at affordable prices for broader audiences, designing furniture pieces focusing on ease of production, ergonomics, a beautiful aesthetic and comfort.

 Compared to iconic American mid-century designers such as Charles and Ray Eames, George Nelson, George Nakashima and Harry Bertoia, Percival Lafer’s work was not widely known or recognized until recent years. Thankfully, his work now enjoys the broader acclaim and appreciation that it well deserves.