Willy Rizzo and the TRG Coffee Table: Glamour, Design, and La Dolce Vita

Willy Rizzo’s name carries a certain cinematic weight. To some, he is remembered as one of the great photojournalists of the 1950s, whose lens captured Winston Churchill, Maria Callas, Elizabeth Taylor, and the kings and presidents of Europe for Paris Match. To others, he is the man who turned interiors into backdrops for the jet set, designing furniture that was as bold and glamorous as the lives of those who owned it.

Among his most celebrated creations is the TRG & TRV Coffee Table, a masterpiece of Italian modernism designed in 1969.

From Piazza di Spagna to International Fame

Rizzo’s career in design began almost by accident. In the mid-1960s, he and his wife Elsa settled in Rome, drawn to the vibrant cultural energy of the city. By chance, he leased a neglected commercial space overlooking the Piazza di Spagna. With no water and little comfort, it hardly looked promising. Yet Rizzo transformed it into a dazzling apartment with gilded walls, mirrored surfaces, and black ceilings.

Because he could not find furniture to suit his vision, he designed it himself — sofas, consoles, cocktail tables, and hi-fi units. Friends from fashion, cinema, and high society were captivated by the result and soon began placing commissions of their own.

Within a few years, Rizzo was designing interiors for the world’s elite. His clientele included Brigitte Bardot in Saint-Tropez, Salvador Dalí in Paris, film directors like Vincente Minnelli and Otto Preminger, and socialites such as Ghighi Cassini, the man who coined the phrase “jet set.” Rizzo’s approach was consistent: to create furniture that could sit confidently beside antiques in palatial settings, while still feeling utterly modern.

The TRG Coffee Table

The TRG Coffee / Cocktail Table embodies everything Rizzo stood for: glamour, utility, and sculptural form. Its circular shape, finished in bold lacquer colours such as red or blue in mother-of-pearl lacquer, and brushed steel belt, frames a recessed polished steel tray. Conceived as both cocktail bar and coffee table, the TRG was designed for entertaining, for conversation, for moments of theatre at home.

The revolving top and gleaming surfaces gave it a sense of movement, while its geometry and materials lent it a timeless presence. It was furniture with the poise of sculpture — practical enough for daily use, yet spectacular enough to command the room.

At Nicholas Wells Antiques, we are delighted to present an original red lacquer and brushed steel TRG Coffee Table, a vibrant statement piece of 1970s Italian design.

Rizzo’s Design Philosophy

Rizzo’s interiors and furniture were born from a simple but powerful belief: that modern design should complement, not replace, the past. He loved antiques and often placed his sleek, modernist creations alongside gilded mirrors, baroque paintings, and neoclassical commodes. The juxtaposition worked because his designs shared the same sense of drama, proportion, and presence.

This ability to bridge worlds made him unique. His furniture was not just for the avant-garde — it appealed to collectors, artists, aristocrats, and playboys alike. It was the language of La Dolce Vita, translated into lacquer and steel.

An Icon in the Press & Homes Worldwide

The TRG Coffee Table has since appeared in the world’s most prestigious design magazines:

• Elle Decor Italia — Cover feature, celebrating its sculptural glamour.

• Architectural Digest — In Derek Blasberg’s Manhattan apartment, anchoring a green velvet sectional in pure uptown sophistication.

• IDEAT Contemporary Life — Recognising the TRG’s lasting influence in 20th-century design.

From Paris to New York, the TRG remains one of Rizzo’s most enduring creations.

Collectible Appeal

For today’s collectors, the Willy Rizzo TRG Cocktail Table is more than a functional object. It is a piece of cultural history — a relic of Rome in the 1960s and 70s, of international glamour, of interiors designed as stages for life itself.

With its clean lines, lacquered finish, and burnished steel centrepiece, the TRG continues to resonate. It is as fresh and usable today as it was in 1969, perfectly suited to modern, contemporary, or Hollywood Regency interiors.

Photo: Appartement Paris du designer photographe Willy Rizzo - Côté Maison

Details of This Example

• Designer: Willy Rizzo

• Model: TRG Cocktail Table / Coffee Table

• Date: c. 1970s

• Materials: Red Formica, brushed steel

• Features: Central recessed tray, circular form, lacquered finish

• Origin: Italy
  

A Timeless Centrepiece

Steel elegance meets timeless glamour. The TRG Coffee Table remains a conversation piece — whether gracing the cover of Elle Decor or serving cocktails in an Upper East Side salon. For admirers of mid-century modern, Rizzo’s TRG is the ultimate symbol of imagination, innovation, and Italian style.

Nicholas Wells Antiques — icons of 20th-century design.