Paco Muñoz, Riaza chairs for Darro

PACO MUÑOZ (Santander, 1925-2009) for Darro.
Pair of "Riaza" chairs.
Solid walnut and brown natural leather, hand-sewn and removable with buckles.
Measurements: 72 x 49 x 50 cm.

Paco Muñoz was inspired by the 18th century Spanish friar's armchair for the design of the Riaza series. It is a chair consisting of a walnut frame on which a piece of hand-sewn leather forms the seat and backrest, tightened by means of a strap fastened underneath with two buckles.

The emblematic designer Paco Muñoz created the famous decoration studio Casa&Jardín in 1951, together with Fernando Alonso Martínez, who had been his classmate and friend at the School of Architecture. This studio became a resounding success and Paco Muñoz collaborated in projects for the homes of heads of state, millionaires, artists and celebrities, and was also one of the decorators of the Pavilion of Prince Felipe de Borbón. In 1959 he founded Darro as a movement against the recently fallen Franco regime and to break the cultural isolation. Paco Muñoz conceived the Darro space as a showroom where furniture dialogued, showing potential clients different combinations that could be installed in their homes. In short, Muñoz was a pioneer and outstanding creator who broke the mold of Spanish design at the time.