Guglielmo Ulrich for Ar.Ca Chair in Cherry and Cane

Guglielmo Ulrich for Ar.Ca, chair, cherry, cane, fabric, Italy, circa 1935

In 1930, architect, furniture designer, and writer Guglielmo Ulrich (1904-1977) founded the home furniture company Ar.Ca (Arredamento Casa) in Milan, Italy. He established the firm alongside Renato Wild, a cultured furniture maker and dealer, and Baron Attilio Scaglia, an entrepreneur and owner of a furniture shop. Together, they envisioned a company that would not only design but also produce and sell high-quality furniture, blending artisanal craftsmanship with the emerging industrial production methods of the time. Ulrich, who also served as the company’s artistic director, played a pivotal role in creating a distinctive line of furniture that reflected the evolving tastes and cultural shifts of the early 20th century.

A key aspect of Ar.Ca’s rise to prominence in the Italian furniture industry was its close relationship with Domus, the influential Italian design magazine founded by Gio Ponti. In 1932, just two years after its establishment, Ar.Ca began advertising consistently in Domus. Ulrich’s furniture designs, known for their luxury and modernity, were featured in the magazine five times that year, which positioned Ar.Ca as a leading force in contemporary furniture design.

Gio Ponti, as the editor of Domus, was instrumental in promoting Ar.Ca’s work, recognizing its ability to bridge the gap between high design and mass appeal. Ponti’s goal was to demonstrate that luxury furniture could have a broader cultural and educational role, influencing trends in the way people lived and thought about their surroundings. By showcasing Ar.Ca’s work, Ponti hoped to inspire a shift within the Italian furniture industry, encouraging other designers and manufacturers to elevate the quality of their products. This collaboration aimed to enhance Italy’s reputation in the international design community, particularly against strong competitors like France and Austria.
The balance between handcrafted luxury and industrial efficiency became a defining feature of Ulrich’s work at Ar.Ca. His ability to maintain this balance while meeting the growing demand for high-quality, accessible furniture was one of the reasons for his lasting success. The Ar.Ca operation was a model of how a company could thrive by merging artistic vision with practical production techniques. By controlling both the design and production processes, Ulrich ensured that the furniture maintained the highest standards of craftsmanship, even as the company expanded its reach.

This chair, designed by Guglielmo Ulrich for Ar.Ca circa 1935, embodies the fusion of artisanal craftsmanship and modernity. Constructed from cherry with a beautifully polished surface and cane webbing, this piece exemplifies the attention to craftsmanship and elegance that characterized Ar.Ca’s production during the 1930s. The chair's frame, constructed from cherry wood, features clean, slender lines that give the piece a sense of lightness and refinement. The wood’s warm, reddish tone complements the natural look of the cane. The chair is a fine example of the company’s design ethos, combining the warmth of traditional materials with the sleek lines of modernist furniture. It epitomizes Ar.Ca’s mission to produce luxurious, handcrafted furniture that is both beautiful and suitable for contemporary living.

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